ul class="overview_list " id="projectList">

  • Nivica - A model for rural development in southern Albania, , Nivica

    In the beginning of May 2018 students and professionals from Albania and the Netherlands went on a trip to Nivica, exploring the village and the region, and drafting first ideas. The team included architects, urban planners, archaeologists, landscape architects and architectural historians. The workshop results built the foundation for the further development of a masterplan for Nivica.

    The goal of this masterplan is to develop a model for a sustainable and prosperous rural economy, with touristic potential within Albania but also on an international scale. As a Living Lab, Nivica allows to experiment with alternative forms of (slow) tourism, small scale investment, renewable energy and local food and waste chains. The masterplan combines the preservation of buildings and structures related to the rich history of the region with a sustainable, diverse expansion of the touristic potential.
    Nivica is meant to be the prototype for Albania's "100 villages" plan, which sets out to fundamentally rethink rural development in the country

     

    Idea
    2017

  • Carbon-Based Urbanism

    When we completed our research project titled 'Carbon-Based Design' in 2020, we were left with more questions than answers. That study had focused on means to draw down the embodied carbon of buildings, and had explored improved materials, changes to construction processes, improvements in design and incorporation of modern insulation and other technology. But we're urbanists as well as architects, and one statistic stood out. In the built environment, buildings themselves account for only 3% of total emissions. So what about the other 97%?

    And so Carbon-Based Urbanism was born. This research begins by recognizing the building as embedded within its neighborhood, and its residents' lives as guided and shaped by the form of the city and its planning. Together with our partners at the Gemeente Rotterdam and PosadMaxwan, we set out to explore what truly Paris-proof urban planning might look like in practice. The project, which runs from 2024 until 2025, will culminate in the publication of a report whose findings will provide valuable insights for urban planners, architects and citizens alike.

    The project explores the city through the lens of four key typologies–high-rise, urban block, garden city, and sprawl–and asks the true carbon cost of each. Crucially, in its measurement of emissions the CBU approach considers more than just buildings. By recognizing the impact of public space, user emissions, maintenance and other key areas, it provides an integrated understanding of the city as more than just the sum of its buildings. And, by expanding our measurements to include the choices of residents, we can understand more about how the city shapes the lives of its citizens.

    We measure everything from energy consumption to mobility, and sewage to holiday preferences. The resulting data allows us to propose improvements to urban developments that help municipalities and developers to create attractive and welcoming communities whilst also achieving substantial reductions in overall emissions. Our research also identifies sustainable choices that improve the lives of residents and ensures that they're included in the decision-making process from the earliest stages of development.

    Our project partners are PosadMaxwan, Municipality of Rotterdam, TU Delft , Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, DGBC, ERA Contour and Synchroon.

    This project was made possible by the generous support of TBI, Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and the Municipality of Rotterdam

    in progress

  • Drymades Promenade, Drymades

    Strolling in vivid nature!

    Located in between the high mountains and the Ionian Sea in the South of Albania, the new 2 km long Drymades promenade wants to emphasize this duality by creating an impression of being immersed in nature and the greenery while having the beach feeling at the same time. By using organic shapes instead of straight lines, we create a green boulevard with different scenarios, points of view and vibes.

    The division in different zones helps on creating diversity and reflects the varieties and characteristics the area presents. The promenade aims to be an experience in itself with more quiet and natural zones on the side and a vivid part, the hotspot area, in the middle. Here you can find an underground bar which also serves as an elevated plaza or also a pier on the water with different functions on it. The project is unified by common elements, materials and concepts along the promenade such as stone walls, sand-coloured concrete paving and cut out stone or furniture in corten steel.

    One of the key elements of the project is the planting in random dispersion. It serves as shading but also helps at shaping the promenade and giving different scenarios and points of view.

    The kiosks, which are always located in the planters, provide the necessary services needed on the promenade. While the fixed bottom part is made of stone walls, the upper part is made from wood and is thought of as a flexible element that can adapt to the different functions and needs. The biggest kiosk serves as a bar and eating place, the smaller ones as newspaper or ice cream shops, and the smallest ones as public toilets and changing rooms. The roof made of corten steel makes the structure a sustainable one. It is slightly elevated from the main structures to allow the air to pass through and cool the structure underneath. It also collects the rainwater and with the proper inclination, brings it to the planter on the back.

    under construction
    2020

  • ANA Residences, Tirana

    The residential complex AnA is situated close to the Student Village of Tirana University on a magnificent hillside. The oddly-shaped site starts with a narrow edge along the street and widens sloping down 15 meters of level difference. The building folds as a continuous figure, respecting all the necessary distances to the property line and on itself. This stepped form creates a local landmark with an identifiable skyline in a very heterogeneous context.

    The site opens itself to allow a pedestrian connection between the student village and the northern areas. This passage enlivens the commercial ground floor and the compound piazettas. The cuts in building volume are a response to the urban regulations and a way to break down the overall massing into pieces more related to the human scale. The same 'cut' approach is used in order to provide light and natural ventilation for circulation spaces. The attic floor has setbacks in strategic locations of the building for best views from the terraces for the exquisite apartments. The materialization aims for an elegant appearance with differentiated materials and patterns but an overall clean white look: the plinth is of fair-faced concrete with a diamond-shaped relief, the body from white plaster, crowned by an attic floor clad in beveled tiles for a shimmering reflection of the strong Albanian sun.

    completed
    2013

  • Student City 2, Tirana

    Our reconstruction concept of Tirana's "Student City 2" aims to show the great potential for particularly thermal energy savings in construction, modern student housing and is showcasing a well performing example how public and private sector can interact. As the buildings suffers from massive deterioration on the inside, main focus of the energy concept lays on a replacement of all basic infrastructure, including a adequate ventilation and heating systems as well as new windows as its centrepiece to remedy humidity. Different subdivisions of student rooms with joined shared bathrooms and modifications in use of common rooms allows spacious privacy and reacts on students needs. Applying a complementary colored orientation and material system for each dormitory allows visual indication of buildings, floors and rooms and provides "Student City 2" with a unique identity. As the roofs of the buildings offer common space, they can be used according to public or economic visions of its users and leverage "Student City 2" to be Albania's pilot energy efficiency project.

    under construction

  • Traveller and the Olive Grove, Qeparo

    With its amazing food, its multitude of untouched nature and its rich ancient history Albania deserves a much broader public that comes to visit, than the 'off the beaten track tourist'. International tourism is a sector in constant development: More and more travellers are looking for authentic experiences which enrich them as individuals and also do something good for the country they are visiting.

    Sustainable tourism can provide these experiences through unique learning experiences directly tied to a country's people and culture. Having this in mind the Dutch Embassy supported the cooperation of Cityförster with MVO Nederland and partners, to work on an inspiring concept for sustainable tourism in Albania, combining it with agriculture. The goal was to strengthen one destination by a multi-stakeholder approach to create a better place to live and visit. After comprehensive analyses Qeparo, an old village along the coastline of Albania has been chosen as a concrete area and in March 2016 a one-week workshop consisting of field visits, interviews with local entrepreneurs and design and business planning sessions with entrepreneurs on agriculture, hospitality, tourism services, urban planning and product design was organized. It resulted in potential projects, business cases and future scenarios for Qeparo. The project is currently being prepared for follow-up, up-scaling and replication.

    You can find the online version of the report here.

    in progress
    2016

  • Aquarium Bay Hotel, Himarë

    Grounded on rich Albanian heritage.

    Aquarium Bay Hotel is designed based on the concept of sustainable tourism. The hotel comprises four separate pavilions, offering different experiences to their guests. Each pavilion has a distinct architectural language and shelters an inner courtyard with a specific and unique character. The four buildings contrast with their surroundings, as a way to accentuate and respect the outstanding local landscape. This landscape of rolling seaside hilltops covered in Mediterranean scrub, as well as the remote location, are considered two of the strongest, unique ‚assets' of the hotel.

    The approach to the hotel - by car, boat and helicopter but also by foot and bicycle – is carefully orchestrated, as it forms the start of the customers' journey. Internal circulation is organized by a series of footpaths, - a seaside path, a forest path and a main ‚barefoot' path - making for a sensory experience. The central lobby pavilion provides direct access to the spa, restaurants, conference rooms and casino. Additionally, atmospheric facilities like the plunge pool, the bonfire area, the botanical garden and the rock pool add to the guest experience. The most remote volume houses a small restaurant and bar that allows this building to be operated independent from the others, thus maximizing the privacy of its guests.

     

    Idea
    2019

  • Perspectives Gütersloh, Gütersloh

    Over the past decade, many gaps in building blocks have been closed in the city of Gütersloh. Various areas have been upgraded or restructured. With the integrated action plan, not only the urban design of the city will be further sharpened. With the participation of diverse actors, new prospects for the long-term development of the city are presented.

    Strategic decisions are prepared to make the city centre adaptable for changing spatial requirements in the future. The integrated action plan defines key objectives for development. Conceptual and design requirements are defined for e.g. functional mix, open space planning, or traffic issues. These recommendations are implemented and spatially located in a strategic master plan. On this basis, future developments and project proposals can be tested and evaluated and individual measures can be derived.

    completed
    2013

  • Jale Waterfront, Himarë

    The rural south of Albania is gifted with a spectacular coastline, unspoiled natural areas, and rich cultural heritage. Travel is an important driver of the economic development of Albania. However, developments of the past 20 years have been haphazard and do not match the touristic potential of the region. Being part of the Albanian Government initiative of 'Urban Rebirth', the main objective of this project was the regeneration of the waterfronts of the villages Jalë and Dhërmi. Starting from the outstanding natural beauty of both locations, our aim was to structure and strengthen the coastline and connect it with its surroundings, both physically as well as ideally.

    In Jale this included freeing the main promenade from car traffic, providing basic infrastructures such as benches, bins, showers and fountains, but keeping the promenade at a low profile, seeking a continuation with the beach. As the beach is very deep and the bay mainly attracts the younger generations, we have been inspired by some of the existing beach-bars that were embedded in rich flowering gardens. Between the beach and the promenade, we have provided a strip of gardens housing 6-7 beach-bars, each with a stable structure to survive the harsh storms in winter. The bars come in three different sizes and allow for all furniture to be stored inside during the cold season.

    Photography: Lucas Hardonk

    under construction
    2016

  • CLG Training Institute, Chalimbana

    A very special project in our portfolio is the Chalimbana Local Government (CLG) Training Institute in Chalimbana, Zambia as it can be seen as a good example of a passive and self-sufficient city. The aim of the masterplan was to increase the quality of life of both students and academic staff of the Institute, to structure the campus for the long term, and to provide the grounds with a clear, recognizable identity.

Low-tech in construction but high-tech in designing, we created a plan that included everything needed for an autarchic project. In a very sustainable manner, we used the excavated soil to press it into bricks contributing to the buildings being passively cooled and heated. To achieve that we mainly used the sun energy. From a special angle and material of the roofs to the orientation of all buildings to strictly East-West, with the main facades (North & South) avoiding the low angles of the sun, CLG Training Institute became an eco-friendly vision made into reality. Also, we made sure that the rainwater and the cleaned sewage can drain into the groundwater locally, granting a precise water cycle.

    The existing road provides access to the campus by car. Simultaneously, a new main route for pedestrian connections is established as the new 'heart' of the campus. It runs between the mostly residential area on the North and the educational program on the South side of the grounds. These two clusters - housing and education - at the two opposite ends of the campus are surrounded by the lecturers' houses, and by leisure activities. By closing off some of the student housing blocks, small neighbourhoods are created, with inner gardens and courtyards providing atmospheric living quarters.

    completed
    2021

  • Cape Square Durres, Durrës

    The design of the square strengthens the natural coastline of Albania which can be described as a sequence of capes. Our aim was to turn a necessary element of coastal defence into a public space that strengthened the formerly desolate promenade. The site forms the endpoint of this promenade and is divided into three parts: The park, the square, and the urban cape which acts as a public attraction, free of charge. The Park with the green beds and local trees supports the uniqueness of Durres and is easy to maintain.

    Following the geographical and ecological conditions, 'Cape Square' is seen from far away and invites to climb and play.
    Cape Square has been received extremely well as a real 'European Public Space' playing an important role in the electoral campaign of the incumbent mayor. It has featured in several music videos and countless wedding pictures and has been published and awarded widely. Cape Square is commonly known as 'Sfinksi' (The Sphinx) all over Albania.

    completed
    2015

  • Drymades Village, Drymades

    Located in Drymades beach, the holiday resort Drymades Village is composed of a series of stepped courtyards framed by architecture blending the project into a cohesive village feeling. Following the topography with a 15-meter height difference, the architecture articulates the ground levels to the stepped courtyards bringing an introverted feeling, while on the three upper floors, the units incorporate extended terraces and balconies, expanding the public life to all the levels.

    Typologically the villas are approached by the study of the predominant architecture of the location and the aim to find a different output to a resort project where individualization breaks a monotonous design. The iconic image of the Mediterranean villages will be communicated in the architecture with pre-determined elements, such as roofs and facades that compose a catalogue to personalize the villas. Mainly three differently sized units form the masterplan varying from studio units to large family units. They can also be joined horizontally and vertically, widening the possibilities for future owners.

    In total, six plazas are interlaced to each other, forming a large interior courtyard that articulates the private with the public space through openings in the architecture. Located at different heights and alternating one to the other, they open up the views of the seafront and offer a range of activities to the visitors. The main approach for the landscape is to keep as much as possible existing vegetation. The landscape changes its composition from a dense forest in the lowest part of the plot to an urban plaza in the highest part. Native species (cypress and olive trees), and plants with low maintenance (Bougainvillea, Cacti), constitute the selected vegetation.

    in progress

  • West African Science Center - WASCAL, Ouagadougou

    The guiding principles in the design for the landmark building accommodating the West African Science Center, are developed from the site and its conditions as well as from vernacular forms of spatial organization and construction of Burkina Faso. The building itself is reflecting the idea of scientific research as it serves as a hub, connecting the centre and its partners with each other, with visitors as well as with the city of Ouaga¬dougu.

    The heart of the building is the three-storey science area, containing all offices and their serving spaces. The ground floor connects all functions both spatially as well as programmatically through long visual axes. Inspired by traditional houses and settlements, the round shape of the building is effectively avoiding the low-standing sun as it slowly travels around the building. The climate concept focuses on natural ventilation in combination with night cooling and air movement by ceiling fans and solar chimneys and is in this way a best practice example for climate-adapted construction and sustainability.

    Idea
    2014

  • Blue Eye, Sarandë

    As one of Albania's most important natural sites, the area of ​​the water spring of "Blue Eye" (Albanian: Syri i Kaltër) has been endangered by tourism for years. Our master plan is the attempt to manage "Blue Eye" sustainably and to prepare it for the expected increase in tourism. The integral strategy protects the natural monument while at the same time releasing its full socio-economic potential. This is achieved through various interwoven strategies, such as diversifying the local offering.

    The immediate area of this rare, almost unreal place is a natural monument characterized by sycamore and oak trees. With the ambitions to improve the local infrastructure for sustainable yet more intensive tourism, we developed an integral strategy for spreading the load of visitors during peak season throughout the year by providing yearly services and activities. By introducing new ways of accessing the Blue Eye Monument, we create different scenarios, points of view and vibes (hiking trails, boat trips and a family path). The program is rounded off with a visitor centre, local product shop, camping facilities and a newly developed cultural and social agenda, proposing the possibility of organizing festivals and local markets close but not right next to the Blue Eye. All of that to stimulate the unique character and potential of the area while keeping the nature intact. 

    The result is a natural phenomenon, unique on a global scale and protected for future generations.

    completed
    2020

  • Vocational College of Machinery and Irrigation - VCMI (Vietnam), Dong Nai

    The design of the VCMI campus is based on sustainable principles in order to handle climate and urban challenges the area is exposed to. The masterplan aims for a clear functional zoning which allows future growth. The area reserved for sports can provide a diverse offer, as an educational complement for the students, but also space, passive to be rented, so the school can reinforce economical sustainability. The proposed area dedicated to teaching and training will allow VCMI to multiply its current offer. The Campus is organized around a cooling pond which is the centre of the water treatment concept: Collected rain water can be extracted for the use of grey water in the buildings. Complementing the new expansion is also forecast a Centre of Excellence for Green TVET, an institution that is inscribed in the scope of the Vietnamese-German Financial Cooperation. The junction of these two institutions will trigger synergy effects, unlocking the campus true potential, towards the aim of establishing themselves as one of the forefront regional institutions, but also contribute needed tools, to a resilient climate change in Vietnam.

    in progress
    2015