Mountain of Houses

"Mountain of Houses" is inspired by the traditional construction method of the area, aiming to reintroduce it in a contemporary fashion.

The site is organized like a mountain climb. Likewise, the combination of rooms or “houses”, landscape design and underground facilities, form a "mountain", where wooden houses, vegetation and natural paths dominate.

The building is a hospitality project consisting of cabins and other complimentary areas such as food storage, refrigerating rooms, winery and selling point expected to be realized in Valbona.

Valbona is one of the most picturesque and green areas in north of Albania. Situated in the Alps of Albania, the residential facilities and the stables are built with roofs clad with wood shingles that are characteristic of Valbona and the surrounding regions.

The proposal takes inspiration from the traditional houses of the area, going back to the early roots, by bringing a project with a contemporary concept deeply founded in construction heritage.

It aims to create the necessary spaces between the new and existing facilities.

The shape of the roof and the shingle material are the same as that of the traditional buildings, in this case being also implemented as a cladding for the facade.

An issue that had to be solved was the client's need for a big storage space and the request for six bedrooms, having a very limited property with a triangular shape as well the proximity to the existing hotel facility.

To meet the client's requirements for large storage areas, 100% of the site was used. Since all this storage area would have had a negative visual impact if it were to be built above the terrain level, it was decided that this space to be located underground, by having natural lighting on several openings. we We wanted to create a natural hill, where the rooms could be placed, a part of the underground area has partially floors, meeting the client's request for a lot of surface.

Each room is meant to be treated as a separate “house”. The "houses" are separated from each other and oriented in different directions. This is done to create different point views of these "houses" as well as an interpretation of the characteristic placement of isolated houses in the north of Albania.

The architectural style and materiality is the same as that of the local houses, in harmony with the surrounding context in terms of nature, use of materials and architectural style.

Though not visible, reinforced concrete is used to build the underground floor, being a medium-cost material that carries a great amount of weight, creates stability and guaranty. The volumes above the terrain level are erected on reinforced concrete columns, and clad with wood. The cost of the building is at a medium range since the spans are not large, that could require a more complex structure.

The usage of biodegradable natural materials creates sustainable structures with minimal cost of maintenance, being easily available in the area.