Cite this article
Benkovičová, L. (2026) ‘Editorial 2/2026’, Architecture Papers of the Faculty of Architecture and Design STU, 31(2), pp. 1-3. https://www.doi.org/10.2478/alfa-2026-0006
Having served as the executive editor of the journal ‘Architecture Papers of the Faculty of Architecture and Design STU’ (ALFA) for the last six years, I would like to outline our future direction, areas of interest, and changes in submission policies, since we work to get the journal into more prestigious databases like Scopus and Web of Science. We invite researchers, reviewers, and institutions to familiarise themselves with these updates. These changes reflect our commitment to advancing high-quality scientific discourse in the architectural and design communities.
Today’s ALFA is an international, double-blind peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal that aims to contribute to the growth and dissemination/transfer of knowledge in the fields of urban planning, architecture, engineering, product and visual design. It provides a global intellectual platform for scholars, architects, engineers, designers, and educators to share authorial, unpublished research outcomes that bridge the gap between theoretical inquiry and practice-based applications.
The journal is published by the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the Slovak University of Technology, based in Bratislava, Slovakia—a top institution in architecture, urbanism, and design education, with significant achievements in the fields of research and artistic creation in combination with practice. Besides education, it also provides lifelong learning, designing, project grant and publishing services.
As a diamond open-access journal, we make research free both for authors and readers with no article processing charges, promote global equity, ensure academic independence from commercial profit, treat knowledge as a public good, allowing research to be shared based on merit rather than financial means. We strongly support this publishing model also for increased visibility, showcasing operational capabilities, top services, and boosting impact and sustainability. Neither are authors paid for any of the stages of article submission, evaluation, or publication. The journal operation is funded from the budget resources of the Faculty (subsidy from the Ministry). Free proofreading of the final accepted submissions is included.
The journal’s primary goal is to disseminate the most original research findings to foster the continued development of the architectural and design disciplines while strengthening their position in society. We provide a forum for scientific discussion grounded in a rigorous approach, state-of-the-art technology and innovative thinking to address complex current and future global challenges—ranging from philosophical underpinnings to sustainable environmental solutions.
Key areas of interest include: 1. Architecture (Theory and History: Architectural history, theory, philosophy, future visions; architectural criticism; and heritage preservation and revitalisation; Sustainability and Resiliency: Sustainable architecture and green buildings; building performance and energy efficiency; eco-development; post-occupancy and facility performance evaluation; Technology and Fabrication: Building materials; engineering; technology; recovery; restoration; architectural and computational design), 2. Urbanism and Landscape (Urban Planning: Smart cities; environmental planning and design; theory, strategy and management in planning; sustainable regional development; community planning and participatory design; sustainable urban conservation; urban representation; urban design assessment; and big data processing; Landscape Architecture: Urban ecology; land organisation; public spaces; history and theory of landscape design; geographic and land information systems; intersections of ecology, aesthetics and land art concepts; Social-cultural Aspects: Governance and policy contributing to the shaping of communities; information city and society; urban mobility; and environment-behaviour studies), 3. Design (Product and Industrial Design: Research on new forms, materials, ergonomics, functionality, and crafts; Automotive and Mobility Design: Specialised research on transportation aesthetics, technology, and future mobility concepts; Graphic and Communication Design: Visual communication; typography; digital arts and media; Interior and Furniture Design: Psychology of space; indoor environmental quality; design for well-being; and furniture innovation and design; UX and Interaction Design: Human-computer interaction; user experience; and design for digital/physical interconnected places), 4. Education (research on architectural, town-planning and design pedagogy, and design studio teaching practices).
There are currently 18 foreign and 13 domestic editors working for our journal, who ensure regularity and compliance with the terms of the journal publication. New editors are primarily nominated and approved by the editor-in-chief, with the Editorial Board possibly involved in consultation. Proposals and recommendations regarding new editors can be sent to the journal office in writing. Editors are typically expected to be eminent researchers in the field. Since 2023, the journal’s Editorial Board Members are not allowed to act as reviewers for the journal. We primarily use a pool of Web of Science authors (Web of Science Reviewer Locator in Editorial Manager) and our internal database instead.
To meet the evolving standards of global academic publishing and ensure the highest levels of transparency and rigour, we have recently updated several core foundational frameworks and introduced new submissions requirements for authors. Key extensions include: 1. Aims and Scope (refined to better capture cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research in architecture, urbanism and landscape, design, and education), 2. Editorial Policy (updated to reinforce our standards of publishing integrity, academic ethics, and technical excellence), 3. Peer Review Policy (enhanced to provide step-by-step details on our evaluation workflow, ensuring absolute clarity, fairness, and transparency for both authors and reviewers), 4. In-Paper Statements (clearer guidelines on disclosures, including funding, conflicts of interest, and CRediT). Recent changes for authors include mainly: 1. Updated Paper Template (refreshed formatting template which aligns with our new structural guidelines to ensure your manuscript meets our technical standards right from the start), 2. Revised Article Categories & Length Guidelines (newly defined types of published research content, including precise word count and structure requirements to streamline the submission process), 3. ORCID Required at Submission (to ensure accurate author attribution and improve research visibility, all corresponding and co-authors must provide their ORCID iDs during the initial submission stage).
Our users will soon see new implementations of accessibility requirements for journal articles, as well. This is in line with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and equivalent US regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which make it a legal obligation to ensure digital publications are accessible to readers with diverse sensory, motor, and cognitive needs. The underlying standards include in particular WCAG 2.1 AA (the conformance level referenced by the EAA) and PDF/UA (ISO 14289, the standard for accessible PDF documents). Some examples include mandatory alternative text for all images by authors, sufficient colour contrast as required by WCAG 2.1 AA, information must not be conveyed by colour alone, proper document structure and reading order (use of built-in styles rather than manual formatting), accessible fonts spacing, and tables, meaningful hyperlinks with descriptive anchor text, document language and metadata in file settings, exporting as Tagged PDF etc. Accessibility checks will be run by PAC 2024 (PDF Accessibility Checker).
Regarding the current issue 2/2026 (Vol. 31), the set of four scientific contributions collectively advances current debates on the relationship between spatial design, environmental systems, and human experience, while also highlighting emerging methodological and conceptual frameworks. Together, these articles demonstrate the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches that integrate spatial design, environmental performance, and emerging technologies to address pressing societal and ecological challenges.
The first article by Luis Carlos Martins Mestrinho, titled ‘Public aquatic facilities as enablers of human-marine active interactions: An affordance-based conceptual approach’, reconsiders urban waterfront regeneration by shifting attention from visual and recreational qualities toward more active human–water interactions. It argues that public aquatic facilities—such as harbour baths and sea pools—can operate as architectural mediators that shape how users perceive and engage with marine environments. Drawing on the concept of affordances, the study demonstrates how these interventions can enhance accessibility, safety, and legibility while mitigating environmental risks, thereby strengthening human–nature relationships and supporting wider conservation agendas.
The second paper ‘Co-creativity between human, nature, and artificial intelligence’ by Nadezhda Kutyreva and Orlin Davchev expands the notion of creativity beyond a human-centred perspective, challenging the idea of human exceptionalism. By integrating philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific viewpoints, it proposes that creativity can emerge across humans, artificial intelligence, and natural systems, even in the absence of conscious intent. Through an experimental co-creative framework, the study illustrates how human, natural, and AI-driven processes can be combined to generate bio-inspired, context-sensitive architectural solutions, positioning creativity as a distributed and collaborative phenomenon.
Focusing on urban safety and resilience, the third article ‘Integrated Computational Fluid Dynamics and Space Syntax simulation of evacuation efficiency and fire spread in informal local markets’ by Hadija Mkumbo and Buberwa Mukyamo Tibesigwa examines fire risk in informal local markets within low-income contexts. By combining qualitative fieldwork with advanced analytical tools, including Space Syntax and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the study identifies critical spatial vulnerabilities that hinder evacuation and accelerate fire spread. The findings highlight the importance of spatial configuration, material choice, and circulation design, and propose targeted interventions to improve safety. The research underscores the role of integrated design and policy measures in protecting both livelihoods and urban economic stability.
Finally, the fourth contribution ‘Computational Fluid Dynamics-based simulation to analyse viral dispersion and spatial resilience in Tanzania’ by Benson Vedasto Karumuna and Buberwa Mukyamo Tibesigwa addresses airborne infection risks in resource-constrained healthcare settings, using CFD simulations to analyse airflow dynamics in a Tanzanian isolation centre. The study reveals how spatial layout, occupancy, and medical equipment influence air movement, creating zones of stagnation that increase contamination risk. By identifying airflow velocity and turbulence as key indicators, the paper proposes practical design strategies—including hybrid ventilation systems and adaptable spatial configurations—to improve infection control. Its findings offer a replicable, data-driven framework for enhancing resilience in healthcare environments with limited resources.