On the outskirts of Gradačac, a town in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, The House for Five Women, a vibrant residence by architecture studio TEN, rises from the countryside to defy conventional housing models through an architecture of care, resilience, and collective authorship.

Designed in collaboration with local activist Hazima Smajlović, NGO Naš Izvor, Engineers Without Borders, and the Gradačac municipality, the project provides a permanent home for five single women who have survived war, displacement, and systemic neglect. Positioned between privacy and solidarity, the house proposes a new paradigm for cohabitation with five individual living units clustered around communal spaces for gathering, working, and growing food.

Artist Shirana Shahbazi shaped the striking facade of the building, composing a vibrant arrangement of large, colored aluminum panels in shades of pink, red, green, and deep blue. Though seemingly spontaneous, the composition is carefully calibrated, with each panel being custom-made in a local car painter’s workshop. Their rippled, high-gloss surfaces catch and distort reflections, transforming the shell into a shifting, almost liquid canvas that responds to light, weather, and movement.

all images by Maxime Delvaux, Adrien de Hemptinne

Shirana Shahbazi composes colorful aluminum facade

Rather than imposing an external vision, the project, developed by Zurich-based collective TEN, emerged through years of on-site dialogue and intergenerational exchange. Each design decision, down to the textures of the floors and the species of trees planted, was made in close collaboration with local tradespeople, volunteers, and craftspeople, embedding the house deeply into both its physical and social context. Working in parallel with TEN, landscape architect Daniel Ganz orchestrated the integration of the site with the topography, planting trees sourced from the area and designing a garden meant not only for food production but also as a space of care, ritual, and shared activity.

One of the most striking elements of The House for Five Women is its facade, a lively surface orchestrated by Iranian photographer Shirana Shahbazi using vibrant color compositions and material contrasts. Shahbazi’s interventions turn the building into a living tapestry, changing with the light, the seasons, and the daily rhythms of its inhabitants. This visual dynamism signals the presence of life, creativity, and shared purpose in a landscape marked by both beauty and historical trauma.

The House for Five Women, a vibrant residence by architecture studio TEN

collaborating with local workers for solidarity design

Beneath this expressive crown, the ground level contrasts with radical clarity. A continuous band of vertically aligned glass doors and fixed windows runs the length of the elevation, framed by raw concrete volumes at either end. This transparency anchors the building to the ground and opens the communal interior to the outside world.

The process of building the house, as much as the final structure, reflects TEN’s ethos. The team approaches design as a relational practice. Collaborations with local metalworkers, car painters, and carpet repairers brought knowledge and resources together across social and cultural divides. In doing so, the project acts as a micro-institute where design, art, and social work converge to imagine new infrastructures of care. TEN sees this as a prototype for what design can become when it abandons spectacle in favor of solidarity.

The House for Five Women builds a foundation for dignity, autonomy, and interconnected living. In a region where the aftermath of war still shapes daily life, the project reclaims the built environment as a site of healing. 

a vibrant arrangement of large, colored aluminum panels fronts the building

the composition is carefully calibrated, with each panel being custom-made in a local car painter’s workshop

each design decision was made in close collaboration with local tradespeople, volunteers, and craftspeople

the project emerged through years of on-site dialogue and intergenerational exchange

the project provides a permanent home for five single women who have survived war and displacement

concrete, wood and tiles clad the interior

The House for Five Women builds a foundation for dignity, autonomy, and interconnected living

reclaiming the built environment as a site of healing

the project acts as a micro-institute where design, art, and social work converge

project info:

name: The House for Five Women

architect: TEN | @ten_studio

location: Gradačac, Bosnia and Herzegovina

collaborators: Hazima Smajlović, NGO Naš Izvor, Engineers Without Borders, Municipality of Gradačac, Bessire Winter (initial phase)

structure: Dr. Miodrag Grbić

landscape architect: Daniel Ganz

facade artist: Shirana Shahbazi | @shiranashahbazi

supporter: foundation Naš Izvor

photographer: Maxime Delvaux | @maxdelv, Adrien de Hemptinne | @adriendehemptinne

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Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s iconic 1889 painting, Starry Night Retreat is a sanctuary in central Bosnia envisioned by entrepreneur Halim Zukić. At its heart is a 10-hectare park nestled within a natural amphitheater, a landscape in progress for over six years to bring art and nature into harmony. The park features swirling patterns and circular arrangements of over 130,000 lavender bushes in six vibrant hues, interwoven with aromatic and medicinal herbs such as sage, echinacea, wormwood, and chamomile. Fed by natural streams, 13 lakes, along with thousands of trees, enhance the multi-sensory ambiance of the park. Set to open in May 2025, Starry Night Retreat spans 70 hectares, offering an experience where the natural landscape becomes a living artwork.

all images by Almin Tabak, unless stated otherwise

intuitive approach shapes landscape at Starry Night Retreat

Today, 20 years after the beginning of its formation, Starry Night Retreat landscape design is a work in progress approaching its completion. Six years ago, Halim Zukić, standing on a hilltop, noticed the spiral patterns left by tractors in a hay meadow, evoking van Gogh’s swirling skies. Inspired by this vision, Zukić set out to shape the landscape with an amateur team, working without a specific project and formal design plans. Instead, following an intuitive, step-by-step approach, he used construction machinery as brushes and plants as his palette. Often reworking sections to achieve natural harmony, this process resulted in an undulating terrain free of straight lines, all while respecting the existing natural environment.

inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s iconic 1889 painting, Starry Night Retreat is a retreat in central Bosnia

the project aims to serve as open-air museum

Over time, Zukić’s vision for Starry Night Retreat grew into a cultural sanctuary for reflection and creative expression. He envisions the retreat as an open-air museum, inviting artists from around the world to contribute to its evolving landscape. Beyond a tribute to van Gogh—and to those who follow their inner vision—the retreat will also serve as a cultural hub, hosting art programs and celebrating the heritage of the region.

the landscape has been in progress for over six years to bring art and nature into harmony

over 130,000 lavender bushes in six vibrant hues shape swirling patterns and circular arrangements

aromatic and medicinal herbs such as sage, echinacea, wormwood, and chamomile complete the composition

set to open in May 2025 | image by Amel Uzunović

13 lakes, along with thousands of trees, enhance the multi-sensory ambiance of the park

offering an experience where the natural landscape becomes a living artwork

Starry Night Retreat’s landscape design has been in progress for 20 years

Zukić set out to shape the landscape with an amateur team

Halim Zukić used construction machinery as brushes and plants as his palette

project info:

name: Starry Night Retreat | @starrynightretreat.bh
landscape concept: Halim Zukić

location: Lužnica, Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina

photography: Almin Tabak | @alminijum, Amel Uzunović | @uzun_amel

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The European Museum Academy (EMA) has awarded the Zanat Woodcarving Museum in Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the 2022 Luigi Micheletti Award. Sporting a parametric design, the interiors depict the history of Konjic’s woodcarving tradition put on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. The museum, in other words, portrays a model for preserving traditional techniques by building bridges between craft and modernistic design.

Zanat is led by a team of makers and designers who create furniture and interior decoration objects founded upon a century-old family tradition of UNESCO world heritage woodcarving techniques. Its mission is to protect and promote cultural heritage, support sustainable socio-economic development, and create fulfilling jobs while crafting timeless and functional products. To execute its mission, Zanat partners with extraordinarily talented fellow designers and craftsmen.

all images courtesy of Giorgiana Ravizza 

celebrating UNESCO-listed traditions and crafts 

Gano Nikšić, the museum director’s great grandfather, discovered a primitive hand-carving technique in a small village near Konjic. He perfected the process and collaboration with established furniture makers in Sarajevo, leading to a worldwide recognition of the craft. Gano passed his skills on to his four sons, and the family has been designing and building heirloom-quality hand-carved furniture since then. To catalog such a journey, the Zanat museum showcases historical documents and archival material, including original photographs of woodcarvers and the interiors they decorated, as well as illustrations from exhibitions at international events held at the turn of the 20th century.

‘Zanat Woodcarving Museum is a good example of intangible heritage preservation and enhancement, a private initiative that could incentivize cultural investment in a part of Europe that is in extreme need of local development based on culture. The very well-thought-out exhibition concept comes into its own with the help of impressive scenography. The museum is an excellent communicator of an intangible world heritage that has arrived as a living tradition in the 21st century – a role model for other world heritage sites,‘ comment the jurors of the European Museum Academy.

entrance space

a parametric interior design inspired by wormholes

Apart from its exhibited, historical artifacts and multimedia presentation, the museum also boasts an eye-catching interior architecture inspired by parametric design, previously unseen in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Emir Salkic, co-founder of Normal Arhitektura, a multidisciplinary architectural studio from Sarajevo, completed the refreshing interiors of the museum; he also leads the product development process for Zanat and designs its exhibitions.

Salkic was particularly inspired by wormholes. Based on Einstein’s theory of general relativity, wormholes create shortcuts from one period in time to another and are represented as multidimensionally curved surfaces. With that in mind, he went on translating that theoretical illustration into a tunnel-like shell structure clad in 1000+ triangles of different shapes. 

a tessellated design evoking the concept of wormholes

The resulting layout features tunnel openings that host panels with multimedia exhibitions, each telling the story of Konjic woodcarving across different periods. Additionally, an installation wall made of 220 Tattoo stools designed by renowned Wingårdhs architects serves as a memorial room to deceased woodcarvers from the past four generations.

The ceremony for the 2022 Luigi Micheletti Award took place on September 10th at MUDAM-Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg, following the annual EMA conference

depicting the history of woodcarving techniques in Konjic 

boasting an eye-catching parametric design

2022 Luigi Micheletti Award prized to the Zanat team 

project info:

name: Zanat Woodcarving Museum

location: Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina

architecture: Normal Arhitektura

award: 2022 Luigi Micheletti Award

jury by: European Museum Academy (EMA) 

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whether it’s cooking a favorite meal or picking someone up from the airport, romantic gestures come in all shapes and sizes. well, now they also come in the form of a one and half story rotating house thanks to vojin kusic, a 72-year old man who’s designed and built this spinning home for his wife ljubica in northern bosnia.

image by radivoje pavicic via associated press (main video via VOA news)

the unusual architecture project was born from ljubica’s frustration at not being able to see people entering the front yard. this was because vojin had previously remodeled their former home when his wife wanted their bedrooms to face the sun, meaning the living room faced away from the street.

‘I decided to build a new, rotating house so that she can spin it as she pleases,’  vojin told associated press.

located in a rural site in the small town of srbac, the dwelling is mounted onto a concrete plinth and uses electric motors and the wheels of an old military transport vehicle to spin a full 360 degrees. now, vojin can put a rest to his self-taught homebuilding efforts and ljubica can turn the house around as she wants. the front door even rotates too!

article via associated press

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all images courtesy of cosmos architecture

cosmos architecture describes its scheme as both a ‘lighthouse’ that stands as more than just a new landmark for the region. ‘the proposal is a shared ecosystem that enables a conversation between many different fields of culture, a great meeting point of many professionals and interests,’ explains the design team. ‘it’s a place which invites and draws together artists, visitors, and the community of banja luka to meet with architecture, culture, knowledge, music, and nature.’

the building has been designed to be as flexible as possible, meaning that interior spaces can be used for temporary exhibitions or even dissembled completely. this also ensures that the structure has been ‘future-proofed’ for potential development in future. the site’s green surroundings will be preserved with a car park positioned below ground. above, the public square beneath the structure gradually descends to become indoor museum space.

administration areas are located on the first floor, with a restaurant on the storey above. two concert halls of different sizes occupy the third and fourth levels, while another restaurant is found on the fifth floor. two theater halls are positioned on the six and seventh storeys. finally, the top floor is crowned with temporary museum space.

‘activities do not take place in confined or hidden rooms but in transparent and open areas, allowing social and surprising discourse to happen in a cultural context,’ say the architects. ‘among the floating volumes, staircases and many intertwining connections will induce endless events and and unpredictable social moments. the new form is absorbing various complexities and transforming them as the new enriched identity, useful to regenerate and lead the growing city neighborhood.’

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project info:

name: common lights
location: banja luka, bosnia and herzegovina
architect: cosmos architecture
project team: oreste sanese, mohamed hassan el-gendy, nader moro, pietro paolo speziale

The post cosmos architecture proposes translucent cultural complex for city in bosnia and herzegovina appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

images courtesy of filter architecture by jadran čilić, zlatan kurto, dženad džino

filter architecture’s bivouac zoran simic cabin is perched on the edge of canyon rakitnica, running between two mountains: visočica and bjelašnica. this is one of the few locations where trekking paths cross the canyon, connecting both mountains and allowing for views that open over the vast, breathtaking landscape. the project has been conceived to expose visitors to the views and accentuate the experience.

the cabin’s internal space has been configured by three platforms that also act as floor areas, beds, or benches. composed of two opposing platforms that cascade towards the entrance, the space is able to fit up to nine visitors sitting and facing each other. the outer design has been thought in such way that it results in a reduced foot print as there was no need for destructive terrain excavation.

‘the bivouac was built with very limited resources, under difficult high mountain conditions, but with enormous voluntary engagement and cooperation that would be impossible in a purely commercial context,’ comments filter architecture. ‘the main challenge in the construction was transportation, and for this purpose, the military helicopter unit was engaged for the transportation of construction material to the site. the fact that one of the lead architects is an experienced mountaineer has played a crucial role in the design of the bivouac, increasing the quality of the user’s experience. the architects of the filter studio have also contributed to its actual building on the site, together with the members of the local mountaineering club zeljeznicar, making this a genuine community-driven project.’

project info:

name: bivouac zoran simic cabin
architects: filter architecture
lead architects: kenan vatrenjak
design team: kenan vatrenjak, nedim mutevelić, asmir mutevelić, ibrica jašarević, vedad islambegović
area: 14 m²
year: 2019
manufacturers: autodesk, lumion, hasslacher norica timber, alternativa doo, google, metal centar, ramaglas
client: mountaineering club željezničar
photographs: jadran čilić, zlatan kurto, dženad džino

The post filter architecture completes bivouac zoran simic cabin in bosnia & herzegovina appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

the ‘tunnel of hope’ memorial site proposals reflects the four-year long siege that took place in sarajevo
all images courtesy of designing memory

in a blind selection process, the jury has finally chosen sabina tanović ‘s entry as the best one. the ‘memorial fund of canton sarajevo‘ competition, in cooperation with the institute for the protection of historical heritage, insitute for urban development in canton sarajevo and the association of architects B&H, revolves around the historic ‘tunnel D-B’ in sarajevo. stretching 700 meters, this unique structure created during the four-year long siege has served as the only possible exit/ entrance to the besieged city. currently, a section is preserved and open to the public as part of an exhibition opened right after the war in bosnia & herzegovina ended. the competition invites proposals for two buildings: a memorial museum and research center planned to be built on two sides of the sarajevo international airport, where the tunnel’s exits used to be. this should facilitate the tunnel’s growing popularity, preserve the authenticity of the location, and bring additional symbolic value to the site. 

the exhibition space preserves and commemorates the deep history of the siege

tanović’s concept for the memorial museum and research center is designed to preserve and commemorate a structure of profound significance, but also create a space that can meet complex demands of the existing site. both buildings, separated by the sarajevo airport, communicate via materialization and symbolic meaning. to reflect the tunnel’s history, the outer walls of the new buildings are made of rammed earth, with green roofs — appearing as lifted layers of soil. this evokes the essential role of earth in the making of the original tunnel: enormous heaps of soil have been taken out and deposited next to the exits and entrances with trenches to ensure a safer passage. the authentic remains of the tunnel, still open to the public, can be reached via the exhibition spaces, which descend gradually into the earth.

the proposed buildings enhances the sense of place

arguing that memorial architecture on sites with original structures needs to be moderate and tailored for the specificities of a given topic, tanović proposes buildings that enhance the sense of place and serve as transitional space towards the main subject. having been selected as the winning entry, the implementation of this proposal is planned for the coming year.

exhibition space with a view on the entrance of the original tunnel

proposed memorial research center

tunnel memorial museum sarajevo – designing memory 2017
video courtesy of designing memory

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom

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the display examines the role of the museum in the 21st century
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH (also main image)

founded in 1945 as sarajevo’s ‘museum of the revolution’, the current modernist shell of ‘the people’s museum’ opened in 1963. today, a building that once embodied the era’s utopian socialist dreams has become a ruin. located just meters away from the siege frontline, its façades bear the traces of shelling and grenade blasts — standing as a national symbol of resistance and resilience.

the exhibit incorporates film screenings, photography, and research material
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

starved of funds and abandoned by the government, citizens have been invited to activate the space themselves. the result redefines the museum as a catalytic urban environment, rather than an institution dedicated purely to the display of objects. projecting an oppositional message, the existing structure is contained within a transparent vinyl skin — leaving the decay of the original building intact as a preserved artifact.

photographs of ‘the people’s museum’ in sarajevo
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

‘suspended on scaffolding, the skin represents a first move towards stabilization of the degrading structure and a no-budget base for future repairs,’ explains urban-think tank. ‘it seals the site against the weather, and allows for simple heating.’

however, the architects claim that the intervention also gestures to something more profound. ‘the museum is in a process of opening itself up to the city,’ continues U-TT. ‘it operates fluidly in the face of frozen politics. it is playful though bearing the weight of a painful past. covering the current structure will create new spaces of engagement and interaction, while drawing in the people of sarajevo as a center of possibility.’ in this way the exhibition seeks to support an alternative model of urban regeneration.

‘sarajevo now: the people’s museum’ remains on display at venice’s arsenale until june 30, 2016. it will then relocate to sarajevo.

the presented scheme redefines the museum as a catalytic urban environment
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

for more images, follow designboom on our dedicated instagram account @venice.architecture.biennale

the existing structure is contained within a transparent vinyl skin
image © BBA/U-TT

the decay of the original building is preserved
image © BBA/U-TT

site plan illustrating the proposal in more detail (click for larger version)
image © BBA/U-TT

the museum’s location within the city of sarajevo
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

the current modernist shell of ‘the people’s museum’ opened in 1963
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

a building that once embodied the era’s utopian socialist dreams has become a ruin
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

inside the museum
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

‘sarajevo now: the people’s museum’ remains on display in venice until june 30, 2016
image © daniel schwartz / U-TT at ETH

project info:

sarajevo now: the people’s museum
alfredo brillembourg, hubert klumpner, nina baier-bischofberger, florian baier
commissioner: matica of bosnia and herzegovina
curator: haris piplas
local curator: elma hasimbegovic
project managers: rebecca looringh van beeck, helena muñiz muñoz, senka ibrisimbegovic
production: fernande bodo, gianmaria socci, hamdija kocic, arley kim, amy rusch, carolina giraldo nohra, carla ferrer raventos, andrea waldburger diaz, giulia tigliè, marie grob
sarajevo research and model: sabina biser, mersel bujak, masha aganovic
graphic design: claudia wildermuth
editorial manager: alexis kalagas
photography: charlie koolhaas, daniel schwartz, jim marshall
film: anri sala, michael waldrep, daniel schwartz
structural engineering: omar diallo
administrative support: nadya vonmoos

si/no: the architecture of urban-think tank
curator: andres lepik
project managers: daniel schwartz, danny wills, helle bendixen, ayca beygo
design consultant: ruedi baur (intégral)
graphic design: claudia wildermuth
structural design: danny wills
text: alexis kalagas, daniel schwartz
design assistant: silvia balzan
illustrated typography: lea becker
administrative support: flavia reginato
student assistants: jack isles, kosha joian ahmadi, alexandra meuche, callisté mastrandréas, hélène tabèze

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facade detail

entrance

interior mirrors

clay model

mirrors scheme

plan

sections

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions’ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication.

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