The Watch Towers

"The Watch Towers" is a project situated near Lake Koman. The naming and development of the project was inspired by the guard posts and the paths that lead to these posts near the Lake Koman dam.

The development of the guard station in Koman was in a square shape surrounded by a security parapet, sometimes being covered. The structure is supported on a reinforced concrete column accompanied by two crossed beams, realized with a monolithic floor with a corresponding plinth type foundation.

The concept of our guesthouse project is developed on the same principles. Moreover, the proposal foresees a deck for anchoring boats. After disembarking from the cruise boats, a "path" or road is taken to the guesthouses, which adapts to the slopes of the difficult terrain, by simultaneously creating a flux path. The guesthouses are developed in the lower part by two floors, while in the upper part by one floor. This is because the lower part has a denser vegetation and the slope of the mountain is higher, and therefore the volumes are composed in a way that do not give the idea of intervening too much in nature.

The development of the plan is quadratic, with 6m x 6m dimensions, resting on a single column, just like the guard station of the Koman dam was developed before.

This scheme also has the advantage of having minimal intervention in the field. The floor plan development consists of a double bed, toilet, a small kitchen, dining, two seats and a small sitting loggia. The entrance is composed by metal catwalks and stairs also made by metal. The materials selected for the project are wood, metal and glass.
By grouping the volumes close to each other in two different areas, a greater attraction impact is given.

Sustainability is also a key factor in the design concept. To generate electricity, several solar panels have been placed on the structures, depending on the orientation of the buildings without affecting the overall aesthetic of the concept. Vertical solar panels are placed with a dual function: also serving as window shutters. On the one-storey structures, the solar panels are now installed partially on the roof.

For visitors to Lake Koman, the complex also serves as a beacon of light at night. The naming and ideation of the watch towers, in addition to being inspired by the Koman dam guard posts, also serves as an observation post of the lake and nature for the visitors who will be accommodated. Their aim is to turn into a reference and orientation point for the boat guides that sail in the lake.

The Watch Towers / Kullat e Vrojtimit is one of the projects selected to represent Albania in the Biennale of Macedonian Architecture, in the occasion of Balkan Architecture Forum.