Indeterminacy as a Framework for Sustainable Architecture: Lessons from Spens, a Socialist Megastructure

Radmila Đurašinović, Miljana Zeković (), Suzana Mitrović, Dragana Konstantinović, Sonja Pejić and Aleksandar Vemić
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Radmila Đurašinović: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Miljana Zeković: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Suzana Mitrović: Department for Environmental Protection and Improvement of the Institute of Forestry, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Dragana Konstantinović: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Sonja Pejić: Department of Fundamentals Sciences, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Aleksandar Vemić: Department of Forest Protection of the Institute of Forestry, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-27

Abstract: In the second half of the twentieth century, the concept of indeterminacy in architecture emerged to address the realities of chance and change, with the megastructure representing a critical point of this ambition. As the aims of indeterminate architectural approaches align with current sustainable development goals, this study hypothesises this design concept as the basis for the sustainability of structures built within its framework. Through a case study of Spens, a socialist megastructure in Novi Sad, Serbia, the paper explores the potentials of megastructures in relation to requirements for more sustainable cities. Firstly, it evaluates Spens’ current social sustainability through focus group discussions analysing sense of community, place, and wellbeing. Findings demonstrate a clear recognition of Spens’ spatial qualities among users. Secondly, the paper examines the future environmental sustainability of Spens, focusing on strategies that enhance user wellbeing and urban life as a point of overlap between social and environmental sustainability, using the Green Space Factor (GSF) and Urban Greening Factor (UFG). Results reveal the significant yet underutilised potential for greening. The paper highlights the long-term societal value of such structures and strategies for leveraging their concepts for their sustainable adaptation rather than replacement amid ongoing retrofit or replacement debates.

Keywords: indeterminacy; megastructure; urban resilience; sustainable architecture; architectural concept; Spens; Novi Sad (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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