Location_Dardha, Korce, Albania
Thesis Project
Length_9 months
Year 2014
My thesis project is located in a small village in the south of Albania, close to the city of Korca, my hometown. My grandmother was born in this village and i used to spent there a lot of time during my childhood. I love everything on that village, the people, the food , the architecture, the culture, the music but most of all the nature. The location of the site that I chose for my thesis is very strategic because it is 10 minutes fare from the village, you can see the village but the village cannot see the site because it is lower. That somehow gave me a kind of freedom. But to create an object in the midle of a field surrounded by forests and beautiful mountains that change color in every season was a huge challenge.
It all started from the circle, the circle of life, the cycle of seasons, the circular shape of the site, the fact that the circle felt more closer to nature than any other angular shape. After i placed my object on nature i started to get nature into my object. I did that not only on the plan but also on the sections. I decided to keep the maximum height the height of the trees around and also to use the underground. The village is known for the presence of many streams that could be used to produce some great beer, and the rocks underground would create the perfect interior.
Location_Palasa, Albania
Assistent Architect at Atelier 4
Length_One year
Year 2015-2016
The“Green Coast Resort”is a very complex project that I worked as an assistant architect at Atelier 4 company. First we designed the master plan for the village and after that since the area is sloping we had to make at least three sections for each villa to organize the area around it and also all the walls around them. We also designed 14 staircases and a big market. After the design of the village we made the final detailed design for the 6 types of villas.
Location_St.Pietersberg, Maastricht
Master Project_ Maastricht Academy of Architecture
Length_3 months
Year 2017
A refugium in St.Pietersberg, in a place that holds so much secrets. You can never know the whole story of that place by just a simple walk. It needs time and explorations to know everything. But a little hint will help.
Unfolding the layers of St. Pieterberg you realize that it has been covered by water and inhabited by sea creatures. Because of its strategic location on the Maas various castles and fortifications have been erected on the hill over the course of the centuries. It has been used since the lower Paleolithic period for its geological features and it has always been famous for its limestone and also flint stone.
And the most interesting thing you realize is that all this layers connect with each other. The industrial excavations for limestone bring out sea shells that you can spot on the ceilings of the tunnels and make you aware of what that land used to be. And also because of the mining four corridors can be spotted, and one of them, the northern corridor is also the entrance of Fort Sint Pieter.
What if you are just visiting the city and you decide to go for a walk in the hill of Sint. Pieterberg. What if suddenly you spot something, something that makes you curious. The form and shape of this design makes you think that there is something going on underground and you become curious about it. It also gives you the feeling of an industrial area, of men interfering with nature. Because of your curiosity you get in, and from the light and colors of the landscape you find yourself into the dark. And you stand on top of a metal net that allows you to see and feel the underground. And you see a round staircase that looks like it’s coming from the underground and tries to help you get higher in order to see the light. And you climb up and you find a cozy place that gives you a layered view. You can see nature and then further the fortress, and further the city… You just stay there for some time, enjoying the quietness and the view. Latter you decide to go back and really hope to meet an old men on your way back that could tell you stories about Sint. Pieterberg.
Try outs for the shape and materials
“If you give people nothingness, they can ponder what can be achieved from that nothingness.”
Location_Maastricht, Netherlands
Master Thesis Project
Length_4 months
Year 2019
Regardless of one’s beliefs about the existence of a metaphysical or divine reality almost everyone needs access to whatever it is, in one’s head and heart, that feels most precious and worthy of protection.
Growing up in a Christian family I found my own way of seeing my faith and I wanted to use this project to express that. I was always amazed by the beauty and power of small scale churches and chapels because they provided to me the atmosphere to focus on what for me was always the key to my faith, the personal relationship with God.
Finding a location for a chapel was a beautiful journey that was finalized by nature leading me toward a beautiful spot on a peninsula south of Maastricht.
Nature has always been to me the place where I would feel the closest to God. And I believe most of people find peace and rest alongside the beauty of nature. This is the reason why I wanted to make nature a big part of my design. Going to the location several times the whole penisula somehow was turning for me into a chapel.
“Daylight, the light on things, is so moving to me that I feel it almost as spiritual quality. When the sun comes up in the morning – which I always find so marvelous, absolutely fantastic the way it comes back every morning – and cast its light on things, it doesn’t feel as if it quite belongs in this world. I don’t understand light. It gives me the feeling there is something beyond me, something beyond all understanding. And I am very glad, very grateful that there is such thing”.
Peter Zumthor
The inspiration for the design of this chapel came from an old traditional Albanian song that my grandmother showed me. The song describes in such a simple and detailed way the simplicity of a chapel. The song clearly shows how powerful can such a design be.
I wanted my design to be very humble and welcoming without surpassing nature but somehow being part of it. But at the same time I wanted it to be a reference point, a reminder. As a starting point for my design, I used my sketches from the old song I mentioned earlier combining them with a vertical volume that would bring the light in the building from above. I also decided not to have a floor inside thus people will always be “standing in nature”, while the opening allows the sun, the rain and the autumns leafs to go inside.
I chose to build my chapel in concrete because it contrasts with nature, distinguishing it but at the same time concrete ages just like nature does so it somehow becomes part of it. The outside will have a smooth texture and the inside a more rough texture providing a more dramatic fall of light inside and also resembling living creatures.
I also decided not to have a door in my chapel since for me the whole peninsula becomes part of the chapel and the moment people pas the door to the peninsula they are “already inside”.
While designing a seating place for this chapel I thought of all the times I went to a church. I never seat on the same spot twice. Sometimes I felt like seating in the front sometimes in the back. I see the relationship with God as a relationship of communication.
There are people who do not believe at all or still haven’t found what they believe yet but even the ones who believe have times when they feel closer or further to their faith. For this reason, I want to give people different options where they can sit on their way of finding their faith.
There will be in total five seats which represent the five levels of communication and five levels of closeness that people can have with each other. The first seat will be placed at the beginning of the peninsula, the next two along the peninsula, the fourth outside the chapel and the last one inside the chapel. In this way, people will gradually get introduced to the chapel and at each point, it will be their decision whether to move closer or go back.
The material of the seats will be concrete just like the chapel in order to create the connection between them. The first four seats will have a simple rectangular block shape while the last seat will be slightly lifted from the ground since it represents the moment your soul is more connected to the sacred, but still keeping your feet on the ground.
Lines and shadows are nothing more but signals to into the August
to another reality. From the surface our sights dive the spirit.
Location_Venlo, The Netherlands
Work Project (Verheijen-smeets architecten)
Year 2022
The gym, previously part of the adjacent school, had fallen into disuse, presenting a unique opportunity for transformation. Our challenge was to reimagine the space, converting it into two luxurious loft apartments. The project was both demanding and inspiring, with its high ceilings and expansive, light-filled interiors offering incredible potential to create stunning living spaces.
Location_Venlo, The Netherlands
Work Project (Verheijen-smeets architecten)
Length_6 months
Year 2022
This historic church in Hout-Blerik is set to be transformed into stunning apartments, presenting both unique challenges and exciting opportunities. One of the primary difficulties was the limited natural light, as it only enters from one side. Additionally, the right aisle chapel must remain intact, and a cemetery borders the rear of the property.
To address these issues, we chose to remove the interior walls and highlight the grandeur of the arch structures, maximizing the flow of light throughout the space. The walls of the right aisle will also be taken down, preserving only the framework to create lush green gardens and elegant balconies.
The design includes four spacious apartments per floor, each oriented toward the light-filled side. Entrances will lead through a sleek, modern glass foyer situated on the chapel side, seamlessly blending contemporary elements with the building’s historic charm.
Location_Venlo, The Netherlands
Work Project (Verheijen-smeets architecten)
Year 2022
This project was unique because of its history as a cigar factory. It was also meaningful to my colleagues, who were familiar with the building’s story.
The large, open spaces and generous windows gave us the opportunity to design beautiful apartments inside this historic factory in Tegelen, blending its character with modern living.
Location_Tirana, Albania
Personal Project
Length_3 months
Year 2020
Three years ago I was invited as a designer by two ambitious sisters in Albania who wanted to start a carpet company. My designs were inspired by the architecture in Tirana. People have always had the tendency to extend their existing house or apartment by more rooms or balconies. That is usually done quite chaotic without consulting any architect.
Location_Maastricht, The Netherlands
Personal Project
Length_Since 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals, were afforded the gift of extra time. I have since developed a deep appreciation for the city of Maastricht, which I fell in love with upon moving there. In my search for postcards that truly captured the essence and atmosphere of the city, I was unable to find anything that matched my vision so I decided to use my free time to create a series of postcards showcasing Maastricht. Later that year, I reached out to several local shops, and many are still carrying my cards today. Over time, I have expanded my collection to include additional products, such as birthday calendars, and I have also painted other cities, including Bergen in Norway and my hometown in Albania.
Location_Tirana Albania
Work Project (Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura)
Length_6months
Year 2024
Last year, I had the opportunity to contribute to this ambitious project as part of a collaborative and motivating team. In the first phase, I worked closely with a façade specialist to address detailed façade issues. During the second phase, I teamed up with a colleague to refine the layouts for the apartments and offices. The tower’s twisted design made both tasks particularly complex, but through teamwork and focus, we were able to achieve strong results.
TECHNICAL FLOOR
3 Levels
ROOFTOP - VIEWPOINT
APARTMETS FLOORS
23 Levels
TECHNICAL FLOOR
APARTMETS FLOORS
15 Levels
OFFICE FLOORS
5 Levels
RETAIL FLOORS
4 Levels
GROUND FLOOR
RETAIL
TECHNICAL FLOOR
PARKING
6 Levels
