Designing with Nature, Learning from Tradition

APSS VRANJINA: Living Waterfronts is an interdisciplinary research and design project exploring new models for the future of waterfront communities through the unique cultural and ecological landscape of Vranjina on Skadar Lake, Montenegro.

Supported by the Connect New European Bauhaus programme of the EIT Community New European Bauhaus, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro and implemented in cooperation with the Municipality of Zeta, the project brings together local communities, researchers, architects, biologists, landscape architects, urban planners and heritage experts to rethink the relationship between people, water and nature.

Why Vranjina?

Vranjina is one of the few places in Montenegro where natural systems, cultural heritage and everyday life remain deeply interconnected. Once an island and today a peninsula on Skadar Lake, it has developed a distinctive way of life shaped by fishing, water transport and the collective use of natural resources. For centuries, the lake itself determined the community's economy, mobility and identity.

Among the most valuable elements of this heritage are the traditional wooden boats (čunovi), specifically designed for the shallow waters and rich vegetation of Skadar Lake. Their craftsmanship has recently been recognised as part of Montenegro's intangible cultural heritage. Equally remarkable is the social history of Vranjina, where women traditionally participated as equal members of fishing households, navigating the boats and often acting as the principal fishers within their families.

Why Vranjina?

Vranjina is one of the few places in Montenegro where natural systems, cultural heritage and everyday life remain deeply interconnected. Once an island and today a peninsula on Skadar Lake, it has developed a distinctive way of life shaped by fishing, water transport and the collective use of natural resources. For centuries, the lake itself determined the community's economy, mobility and identity.

Among the most valuable elements of this heritage are the traditional wooden boats (čunovi), specifically designed for the shallow waters and rich vegetation of Skadar Lake. Their craftsmanship has recently been recognised as part of Montenegro's intangible cultural heritage. Equally remarkable is the social history of Vranjina, where women traditionally participated as equal members of fishing households, navigating the boats and often acting as the principal fishers within their families.

Research Before Design

Rather than beginning with architectural proposals, the project starts with research.

Through participatory workshops, interviews with residents, spatial mapping, biodiversity studies and interdisciplinary collaboration, the project will develop a comprehensive evidence base for the future regeneration of Vranjina's waterfront and public spaces.

The process integrates knowledge from architecture, landscape architecture, ecology, urbanism, cultural heritage, environmental sciences and local traditions, recognising that resilient places emerge through dialogue between disciplines and communities.

Designing with Nature

The project investigates how nature-based solutions can help restore the relationship between the settlement, the lake and its ecosystems while strengthening public space and local livelihoods.

Traditional knowledge, ecological processes and contemporary design methods are considered complementary rather than opposing approaches. By learning from historic practices while responding to present-day environmental challenges, the project seeks new models for climate resilience, sustainable mobility and waterfront regeneration.

Outcomes

The principal outcome of the project will be an interdisciplinary study providing a long-term framework for the regeneration of Vranjina's marina and waterfront public spaces.

Beyond design proposals, the study will establish a knowledge base to support future spatial planning, heritage protection, environmental management and applications for larger international implementation programmes.

Throughout the project, APSS Institute will organise public presentations, workshops and discussions with local residents, ensuring that community knowledge and participation remain central to the process.

New European Bauhaus

The project is part of the New European Bauhaus, a European initiative promoting sustainable, inclusive and beautiful living environments. It embraces the New European Bauhaus values by demonstrating how cultural heritage, biodiversity and local knowledge can become drivers of future development rather than remnants of the past.

For APSS Institute, Vranjina represents more than a site-specific project. It is an opportunity to develop and test new approaches to living waterfronts that can inform resilient lake, river and coastal communities across Europe.