As the Prishtina’s dense population expands enormously, there is a need to evaluate how the ground can be used more efficiently to satisfy the demands of a growing city like Prishtina. The main idea of this project proposal by GG Group is to create more compact and dense living spaces to avoid the spreading.

Planned to be built in Sofalia an area which is part of a development plan to transform this whole neighborhood into a qualitative living area. This apartments block assembles 46 apartments, with a total floor area of 2,940 sqm. With this typology of apartments every block, the flats in the three blocks are made by three main modules starting at 60m2 and grow to 190m2.

The blocks are opened and allow wind and light to enter the building. Underneath the building a parking garage provides around 40 parking spaces, and storage rooms for the apartments.

All images courtesy of  GG Group.

ONTEXI Complex is a residential building by Ontexi Construction in Prishtina, which is formed by nine storeys of approximately 1000 sqm, situated on the heart of Sunny Hill neighborhood.

This project, situated just next to the primary school “Ismail Qemali” in Sunny Hill, links the existing neighborhood to the newly developed part of it. The project takes exterior shape of the building to create a park which occupies approximately two third (~4,200 sqm) of the project site.

All the apartments are built around the “L” shape of the building. Where most of them located in the corners, provide good light and view opportunities. Where also an outer layer of terraces (plus additional balconies) provide the apartments with outdoor spaces. Another advantage of the complex is the underground parking, which is splitted in two levels.

The 9-storey-high apartments block consists of approximately 8,800 sqm. The different types of apartments (around 14 types-according to sq. meters) include two bedrooms, a bathroom and a toilet, dining-living room, a kitchen, and a storage.

All images courtesy of Ontexi Construction.

The international development organization CHF Kosovo organized an interesting design competition for a “Green School” in Prishtina. The winning entry of this pilot school, was presented by Urban Plus. An remarkable example for ecological, social and economical sustainability.

Seen at nikomahe.com. More about the project after the break.

Architecture is a practical subject and most buildings were built for the purpose of housing an activity or sheltering objects. It is for this reason that we start by looking at function, space and the internal environment. This Green Schools pilot was designed by Urban Plus is located in Prishtina, Kosovo. The green architecture design is a joint effort of a multidisciplinary team to design a educational building that can work in harmony with the natural environment. 3 are 4 green objectives intended to achieve: reduce energy consumption, create an education polygon on sustainable buildings and renewable energy , promote a healthy learning environment and develop a pilot project that could be replicated in the future.

The concept of the building is generated based on the principles of green architecture in accordance with the and the environment. The two storey entrance atrium provides a feeling of space and light and the staircase clearly indicates the circulation to the learning facilities. Classrooms on the ground floor are directly connected to the garden and can be adapted as an open space air classrooms. In order to minimise solar gain in the late spring and summer, south-facing classrooms have been provided with external shading—lighting shelves that also serve to improve day lighting of the classroom.

The entrance building façade creates a welcoming appearance using natural materials, wood on the front and the brick in the entrance. The corridors are illuminated through the glazed façade. The top light in the upper floor corridors, are used both as a lighting method which reduces the need for artificial lighting and to provide natural ventilation of the whole school. The energy solutions include the use of geothermal energy based on four modules:

1. Floor/wall/ ceiling heating and cooling,
2. Control system for heating/cooling,
3. Heat pump and
4. Solar panels for sanitary hot water.

The BMS module provides the control of energy consumption for lighting, heating and cooling. The overall calculated energy savings could be up to 40%. Rain water harvesting from the green roof and the courtyard through a filtering system will provide water for the toilet flushing and irrigation of the courtyard. Solar panels and the plants on the roof, which also serve for learning purposes.

All images courtesy of nikomahe.com

A new housing complex  is being built in Preoc, a village near Prishtina. Named Marigona Residence, the complex will provide 150 individual houses, about 1000 apartments and it also includes some other facilities like recreational parks, a primary school, a hotel, a shopping center and a hospital.

The following description by the developers,

Marigona Residence is a neighborhood with a modern concept of living and it covers an area of 32 hectares. It is located near the Prishtina-Skopje highway, in the 8th km southwest of Prishtina.

In Marigona Residence motorized, cyclists and pedestrians will find their paradise. Everyone will have their separate spaces, without encountering each other. Marigona Residence offers an advanced security system, with a sophisticated technology, with a very modern architecture, functional, attractive, and aesthetic. All the apartments at Marigona Residence are build in that way that maximizes the utilization of the sun, and that facilities do not obstruct one-another. Using the most modern infrastructure in Kosova, Marigona Residence has shown high deliberation toward environment preservation.

Green, spaces cover Marigona Residence with more than 40% of the area provided for parks, game spaces for children and adults, as well as cultural, social and sports activities. One of the features of Marigona Residence is that it offers a sewage system divided for waste water and atmosphere rainfall, boulevards that cover areas of 17 meters, and also sufficient parking on and underground. The entire neighborhood is covered with electricity installations, internet, telephone, and cable TV, as well as signaling and street lighting.

Taking into consideration the urban chaos created in Prishtina for years, and the increased demand of citizens for a better and more organized life, Marigona Residence is building the most modern neighborhood in the region.

All images courtesy of marigonaresidence.com

On 25th of Februarary 2010, the NAi (Netherlands Architecture Institute) teamed up with Archis Interventions, hosted the debate “Unbuilt Prishtina” featuring Marcel Musch from BVR Adviseurs, Ruimtelijke Ontwikkelin and Wilma Ruis from De Beuk organisatieadvies, and a panel of representatives of the Municipality of Prishtina, members of the Association of Architects of Kosova and the archiEDU Students’ Network.

Videos by archiEDU.

SKYPE LECTURE Prishtina Connection by bad architects group, live from the aut. architektur und tirol in Innsbruck, Austria and from Ogilvy Kosova in Prishtina, Kosova. Starting from 19.00h, 25th of March 2010. Limited engagement, RSVP to welcome@bad-architects.gp until 12.00h, March 25th. 

Download Invitation here

aut. architetur und tirol as one of Austria’s most important architecture exhibition spaces, invited bad architects group to organize “Prishtina-Connection” exhibition about the topic of  “identification”, which will be held in Innsbruck Austria and it will be on display starting from March 18.

The description below by bad architects group,

After the declaration of inedependence in Febuary 2008, Kosovo/a is a sovereign state and Prishtina a capital city. In this phase of transition new identities, problems and principles are generated. While Kosovo/a tries to define its own identity, Kosovar expatriates are maintaining the old Kosovar-Albanian traditions, keep contact with their families via Skype, facebook and twitter while also are tryng to integrate themselves in a different society and ethnic culture.

Repatriates, who have successfully developed their careers abroad and financially supported their families are partially returning home in order to help directly and locally to reconstruct the country. However they bring also back new , in Lonon or New York acquired lifestyles, which reciprocally influence also the lifestyle of the locals.

This social change influences indirectly the built environment, above all in Prishtina. A mass of unrendered brick house and bold roof superstructures coins Prishtina’s visual appearance to a large extent.

Bad architects group researches, in this interactive circular flow of forming markers, for mutations of Kosovar identity. How long would it take until it might be possible to speak of a Kosovar architecture or how would an architecture pavilion of Kosovo at one of the biennales, a so to speak built expatriate and ambassador of Kosovar identity look like? Which image would it try to communicate and which cultural remittances would it bring to Prishtina?

On Thursday the 25th of February, the NAi and Archis Interventions, organize a debate in Prishtina, between Dutch and Kosovan experts. The subject of the debate is civilian participation in the planning of urban public space and new planning tools. Confirmed Dutch Participant are Mr. Marcel, Consultant Urban Development at BVR adviseurs and mr. Ole Bouman, director of the NAi. The debate will be moderated by mr. Kai Voeckler of Archis Interventions. The debate will be held at the conference hall of Prishtina Municipal Building starting from 6PM. RSVP