About the Journal

VAS Journal provides a platform for multidisciplinary research that transcends the traditional boundaries of architecture. It encourages contributions not only from architects and architectural historians but also from visual studies and writing scholars, photographers, artists, and others who examine the visionary aspects of architectural representation. By doing so, the journal fosters a broader discourse that enriches the field and enhances our understanding of the present and possible futures of our built environment.

Although the term 'visionary' in the context of architecture is not new, we identify it as a lively and dynamic field that can benefit from a dedicated regular scientific publication. Visionary architecture has a vast and long tradition and is historically an unavoidable subject of study. It is strongly connected with the daily practice of architects, artists, and activists alike. Visionary Architecture employs a multiplicity of formats and covers a wide range of motivations. It can take the form of texts or representations, models, drawings, and images depicting imaginary worlds, cities, buildings, or undefined spaces. Often, it can be polemical, anti-systemic, political, idiosyncratic or pedagogical.

Visionary practices have deep cultural, historical, and contextual variations; thus, the VAS journal is dedicated to international perspectives. Our journal pretend to foster diversity and actively will seek to explore representations across different regions and traditions. Through this, we aim to create a more inclusive and holistic perspective on the practice and study of architecture. 

The journal publishes original research and operates a double-blind peer review process. All submissions are reviewed by at least two independent reviewers.
It is part of the publishing activities of Wisethorough and Urbancreativity (WT/UC), active since 2014.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to all content. All articles are freely available to users and institutions without charge. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, and to use them for any lawful purpose without prior permission from the publisher or the authors.

This policy is aligned with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) and the definition of open access adopted by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).


Article Processing Charges (APCs)

Article Processing Charges (APCs) apply to this journal. Since January 2026, a fixed APC rate applies to all accepted articles under the Gold Open Access model.
A waiver policy is available for eligible authors and may be granted based on documented financial need or institutional eligibility, in accordance with the journal’s APC policy. Waivers are limited to a maximum of two articles per issue.
Full details regarding APCs and waiver conditions are available in the journal’s APC policy.


Copyright and Licensing

Submissions published prior to 01 January 2026 are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. Submissions published from 01 January 2026 onwards are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license.
Authors retain the copyright and full publishing rights without restrictions. Authors may deposit and share their published work in institutional or disciplinary repositories and on personal websites.
Under the terms of the CC BY license, users must provide appropriate attribution to the original authors and the journal when reusing the content.

Ethics and Malpractice Statement

This journal follows the Core Practices and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct throughout the publication process.

Editorial Responsibilities

Impartiality
Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts exclusively on the basis of their academic merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Decisions are made without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Editorial Responsibility
The Editor-in-Chief holds final responsibility for all editorial decisions and for the content published in the journal. Editorial decisions are informed by consultation with the Editorial Board. In cases involving ethical concerns, additional review may be sought. The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and, where necessary, will publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information regarding submissions may only be shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate. The anonymity of both authors and reviewers is preserved under the journal’s double-blind peer review process.

Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure
Editors must not use unpublished information disclosed in submitted manuscripts for personal research purposes. Any conflicts of interest must be declared, and editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.

Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial considerations. Advertising, sponsorship, or other financial arrangements do not influence editorial processes. In cases of conflict of interest, responsibility for the manuscript is delegated to another editor or member of the Editorial Board.

Ethical Oversight and Misconduct
Editors are responsible for investigating allegations of research or publication misconduct. Appropriate action will be taken in accordance with COPE guidelines, including the publication of corrections, retractions, or other notices where necessary.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review supports editorial decision-making and contributes to improving the quality of submitted manuscripts.

Timeliness
Reviewers should respond promptly to review invitations and complete reviews within the agreed timeframe. If unable to review, they must inform the editor as soon as possible.

Confidentiality
Manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others without authorization from the editor.

Objectivity and Standards
Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clear, constructive, and evidence-based feedback. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.

Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant work not cited by the authors and report any substantial similarity or overlap with other publications.

Ethical Concerns
Any ethical concerns regarding the manuscript should be reported to the editor.

Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or institutional relationships.

Responsibilities of Authors

Reporting Standards
Authors must present an accurate and objective account of their research, with sufficient detail to allow replication and verification. Fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation of data constitutes unethical behavior.

Originality and Plagiarism
Submissions must be original. Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is required in all cases.

Multiple or Redundant Publication
Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously or publish redundant material without appropriate disclosure.

Acknowledgement of Sources
All sources influencing the research must be properly cited.

Authorship
Authorship is limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the research. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.

Research Involving Humans or Animals
Where applicable, authors must provide evidence of approval from relevant ethics committees and ensure compliance with applicable regulations.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding Disclosure
Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest and identify all sources of funding.

Corrections and Retractions
Authors are responsible for notifying the journal promptly if significant errors are identified in their published work and must cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

Publisher Responsibilities

In cases of alleged or confirmed misconduct, including plagiarism or fraudulent publication, the publisher, in collaboration with the editorial team, will take appropriate action to investigate and resolve the issue. This may include the publication of corrections, retractions, or other necessary notices.