"Place-Based Retrofitting Strategies for Global Architectural Challenges: A Comparative Analysis of Three Brutalist Building Typologies in the Western Balkans" presents a comparative analysis of energy-efficient retrofit strategies across three historically significant Brutalist-style buildings in the Western Balkans. Each case study represents a distinct typology, scale, and urban context within cold and mixed climate zones: a residential multifamily complex in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (cold zone); a civic cultural and memorial center in Kolasin, Montenegro (cold zone); and a multi-use administrative congress center in Belgrade, Serbia (mixed zone). These investigations reveal how context-specific architectural responses can inform broader frameworks for sustainable retrofitting of culturally significant buildings. Research methods integrated archival documentation, fieldwork, computational modeling and performance simulations. For each building, detailed analysis was conducted on environmental response, building envelope performance, and full-building energy use intensity (EUI) using software tools Revit, WINDOW, THERM, WUFI, and IES-VE for assessments of both existing conditions and proposed retrofit scenarios. Strategies focused on enhancing passive thermal performance through envelope improvements and phasing out fossil fuel-based systems in favor of more environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient mechanical systems. The results show that despite typological and contextual differences, all three case studies achieved projected EUI reductions between 53–56%, thus demonstrating the feasibility of minimally-invasive retrofits that preserve architectural character while exceeding established energy usage benchmarks. The results also show that the success of retrofit interventions hinges on localized design decisions, since climatic conditions, original construction quality, and material assemblies together informed retrofit priorities and outcomes. Overall, significant improvement in building envelope performance was achieved, but these improvements in building enclosure alone were not sufficient to meet the minimum energy-use reduction criteria as dictated by the established standards. Improvements to building enclosure systems alone were highly varied across the different case studies, ranging between 7 to 33%. However, with decoupled and improved mechanical systems, energy use reductions were reduced by more than 50%. By comparing varied building types, this research shows how existing modernist architectural stock, often considered inefficient or obsolete, can be transformed into high-performing buildings. The findings suggest that a scalable, culturally responsive retrofit framework is achievable when climate, construction type, and original systems design are carefully analyzed. Future work will expand this approach to additional building typologies and climate zones.

Citation:

Milosevic, S., and Aksamija, A., (2026). “Place-Based Retrofitting Strategies for Global Architectural Challenges: A Comparative Analysis of Three Brutalist Building Typologies in the Western Balkans”, Proceedings of the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) 2026 International Conference, Kennesaw State University, Atlanta, GA, April 8-11.