An experimental project set in a challenging context and circumstances, exploring the boundaries of individual housing typologies in scope of landscape and traditional architectural design. The project tends to reclaim degraded landscapes of a desolate hill by introducing a few new housing typologies composed into a small neighbourhood. Located in the beautiful village of Lubizhdë near Prizren, the site is surrounded Sharr Mountains which are known for their rich and unique biodiversity. However the project area shows a relatively abandoned landscape which is prone to further degradation due to capital investments of individual parties for commercializing the area. The plot extends to a 22,920 m2 area upon a topography with a slope over 30%.
Considering the landscape features, the development of such neighbourhood with eco-villas, is an opportunity of exploitation and regeneration of this abandoned area. On the other hand, the presence of a water source, topography and strategic cardinal orientation, enables an adequate natural development of the site and its particular landscape, while challenging housing stereotypes and co-existing with nature. The spatial composition of villas in such a terrain, has pushed the exploration of intermediate boundaries where the concept of "inside the earth" is mainly encountered, as well as the functional flexibility of spaces in split-levels, atriums, patios and galleries. In terms of building materials, all villas are designed with a prefabricated laminated timber combined with reinforced concrete structure, large glazings with brise-soleil shadings to ensure natural lighting features, three types of facade composites that include thermal insulation, air layer and exterior timber cladding.
Advisor: Banush Shyqeriu
