Florian Nepravishta

Via Egnatia has been one of the ancient world's most important economic and cultural roads and arteries. Initially built by the Romans during the 2nd century B.C., it served as a bridge between the Apennine Peninsula and the Southern Balkans, Asia Minor, the Middle East, and Mesopotamia. The ancient road connecting Rome with Byzantium crossed Illyricum territories, from Dyrrachium and Apollonia to Orchydes, followed through Macedonia and Thracia. It remained in use until modern times. This article attempts to document the itinerary of the ancient road by justifying the magnificent road network constructed by the Roman Empire in the Albanian territory from its starting point and evolution. The itinerary traverses the 'Golden Gates', the main 'Stations' which served as old hostels where the travellers rested, the 'Tracks', the 'Bridges' and the 'Cultural Monuments'. This axis of such extraordinary cultural and historical importance is thought to be re-evaluated, re-stored, and promoted by identifying this forgotten route due to Albania's intense, chaotic development, which aims to further contribute to the territorial integration of the Mediterranean.

Urban morphology is the study of the physical form of cities and their characteristics. This article focuses on analyzing and reading the urban form of an old neighborhood in the city of Tirana. Thus form, resolution, and time constitute the three fundamental components of urban morphological research. These are present in all studies, whether by geographers or architects, and whether they focus on a medieval, baroque, or contemporary city. In Albania, the concept of urban morphology is almost unknown and not at all involved within the process of urban planning and regeneration practices. The reading process helps us to understand the urban complexity and development of this site over the years. Accordingly, through this way is possible to understand the adaptive capacity of the site and consequently brings an urban intervention methodology to promote sustainable urban development, replicable in urban areas with similar characteristics. In addition, this article aims at developing a methodology of finding a way of intervening and regeneration of the area through theoretical and methodological studies about urban form.

Nowadays, in the so-called digital age, one of the most important findings relates to the perception that the human is not a machine and moreover, the human brain is not a computer. However, the latter remains a complex component of the human physique, which from the grey mass placed on the skull to the sensors in other parts of the body, has always tried to maintain human well-being. The human brain is born not fully defined; this means that it continues to develop in time through the investments of postpartum experiences. The issue dates back to the beginnings of mankind, when the primitive man tried to determine the optimal rules of living, thus defining the experiences or neutral experiences in the built environment. This kind of research that started from the human ego's modest efforts or even from the personal efforts that lead to increased lifestyle isreflected as a personal approach rather than a scientific one.Despite the technological interventions of recent years, it remains interesting that early architectural and urban solutions were based on neurological approaches, perhaps even limited, thus defining the origin of the principles of neuroarchitecture. This article focuses on analyses of Antiquity and then the Renaissance facing today's neuroscientific approaches and possibilities as typical models that precede the foundations wheredesign processes operate.

Complexity is one of the essential aspects of a sustainable city. Is well noting that urban designers talk about physical urban form and design projects in term of 'complexity' (e.g., Congress for the New Urbanism 2015). The field of urban complexity provides for the exploration and increased understanding of complex urban systems and their interaction through applying mathematical methodologies and modelling techniques, which allows for the potential to make cities more resilient, sustainable and efficient places to live in. Accordingly, this article focuses on analyzing the urban complexity through its components. The urban complexity helps us better understand the development of the cities and aim for a new way of urban intervention and development. In addition, in this article, we try to achieve a chronological path through theoretical and analytical studies while focusing on measuring the complexity of urban form, primarily through structural measures: fractal and network. This study aims to interpret the urban complexity by measuring the fractal dimension and density of a specific area in Tirana. So, the fractal dimension will give us quantitative information, making us understand the space that fills the constructions and qualitative data that makes us understand the compatibility of the traces left in the space by the built masses. However, the case study analysis show that fractal dimension and its measurement in time can serve for an even more accurate orientation of the whole urban process to reach a new way of urban planning and intervention, integrated it with other necessary elements of the urban form measurement.

The Italian occupation has left numerous traces in Albania. It is worth mentioning the capital, Tirana, which has had significant development and progress from the influence of the Italian state in our country. This development has occurred in all areas, especially in urban planning and architecture. The Regulatory Plan of 1939-1943, created by Italian architects, left traces in the proposal and establishment of some neighbourhoods with collective housing concentrated in some regions of Tirana. This paper presents the maps and layout of these housing typologies of considerable importance for their created period. Tirana could not be excluded from the phenomena in other European countries during the same period, consisting mainly of the rapid population growth due to the migration of people from the countryside to the city and the increase of local and foreign labour force. This phenomenon led to increased demand in housing for this category of people and the need for new housing projects provided that they could accommodate as many people as possible. This paper presents neighbourhoods with collective housing of employees in Tirana, focusing on their location and plan's shapes. The study also describes the characteristics of these buildings and their organisation in the city's urban structure, highlighting the housing typologies. The comparison and confrontation of these projects (not all finalised in practice) with the popular collective housing in Europe after World War II is of particular importance. In Tirana, there is the presence of some typologies such as attached houses, block and linear collective houses. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the typology of collective houses in Tirana during the Italian occupation. The study reveals the importance of repeating the same units inside a neighbourhood in order to rationalise the buildings to get better apartments and conditions of living. There is a strong connection between the typology of public housing and the number of families that can be accommodated in each neighbourhood's case study. The collective houses in "New Tirana" can shelter more families because of their characteristics such as the number of floors, utilisation of the land, organisation of plans with at least two apartments per floor.

The material and spiritual culture inherited for generations in rural settlements in Albania is an expression of the lifestyles developed by the respective communities. This legacy enables the passing on to future generations of value systems, beliefs, traditions, and lifestyles over the years. The cultural heritage consists of many historical rural settlements, scattered in all parts of the country. Many of these historical centres, which because of abandonment over the years are under the pressure of depreciation and destruction of human and nature, can be used to develop cultural tourism as a significant economic resource. This paper aims to present cultural heritage preservation as an essential measure for sustainable development and highlight historic rural centres' revitalisation as a possible tourism development strategy. The concept of reviving historic centres has been emphasised, including the rehabilitation of the historic village centre, the restoration of significant cultural and religious buildings, the improvement of infrastructure, the adaptive reuse of old historic buildings with new functions and the possibility of developing agritourism. The analysis of two case studies of Rehova and Borova located in the south-east of Albania focuses on preserving historical values of cultural heritage. Special attention is paid to preserving the urban and architectural heritage of the villages of Rehova and Borova as part of 100 village's programme, which has a typical and traditional historical landscape. It is concluded that cultural heritage is an essential and potential element of a country sustainable, economic, social, cultural, and touristic development. A better result can be provided by developing and piloting sustainable tourism models and incorporating local characteristics into the tourism value chain.

Socialist architecture is the classification within the discipline, that developed from 1930 to the 90s in the so-called Eastern Block. As a result of ongoing political competition between the East and the West, the application and development of the discipline were characterized by a sinuous itinerary of numerous fluctuations that sometimes brought it closer and sometimes distanced it from the Western architectural tradition. In Albania, the communist totalitarian system shifted the country towards radical isolation from Western architectural culture. With its ups and downs, this period was initially characterised by a cultural openness to the Eastern Block and later towards complete isolation and the pursuit of self-sufficiency. The architecture of that time is the living proof of political developments. Despite the attempts to compare and classify Socialist architecture in Albania according to the stylistic canons of modernism, coherent to Western cultural realities - the real context of cultural isolation where it was applied can only be analysed by reflecting the particular political and social conditions of that time. Recently the architecture of the socialist period in Albania has been the focus of various studies. The new research area, especially during the last decade, presents various essential problems, which affect the itinerary and the studying method. Because of the lack of a real theoretical debate after the 90s during the transition period, the discussion is characterised by a politicised and descriptive concern, rather than a scientific and complete one. In deficient conditions and sometimes misinformation caused by the propaganda of the time, today the scientific matters orientation regarding architecture as a single discipline, has resulted insufficient to generate a theoretical debate about the architecture of that time. Meanwhile, a more comprehensive comparative approach that includes other study scopes and complementary disciplines of architecture offers much clearer and complete conclusions, thus becoming a useful research method about subjects that have not been previously discussed.

This paper contains results of the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) of both parts of the studies, the phase "before" and "after" implementation of EE measures in public buildings in Kosovo realized during winters 2015/2016 and 2017/2018. For this detailed study of the customer satisfaction assessment, the authors have a selected batch of 5 characteristic buildings from the group of 70 public buildings with 165 respondents to identify and measure the level of end user's satisfaction, the perception of indoor air and thermal comfort, the awareness of the EE measures, and the additional benefits of EE upgrades (e.g., reductions of sick leave days, increasing productivity, increasing budget for other priorities, etc.). During the investigations, authors have reviewed the Indicators of achievement, following a careful assessment of their feasibility, together with a proposal for their review/amendment based on findings of the actual conditions assessed on the field during both phases of the study final results.

Urban space has always been subject to constant modification. Depreciation, degradation, changes in people’s needs, and particular politics, requires that city squares go through transformations. Rehabilitation and modernization have made it possible to establish continuity between city squares and their use by the community in space and time. In many cases, modernization has produced conflicting situations between the preservation of identity and collective memory of urban heritage and the demands of new functions or modernizations. Urban space has always been subject to constant modification. Depreciation, degradation, changes in people’s needs, and particular politics, requires that city squares go through transformations. Rehabilitation and modernization have made it possible to establish continuity between city squares and their use by the community in space and time. In many cases, modernization has produced conflicting situations between the preservation of identity and collective memory of urban heritage and the demands of new functions or modernizations. This article’s focus is the analyses of rehabilitation and modernization of public squares in the inner city Tirana. A descriptive study of the three cases Skanderbeg Square, Piazza Italia and Avni Rustemi Square rehabilitation project is realised.

Industrial heritage sites are an important part of the built environment. They serve as tangible and intangible links to the past and have the potential to play an important role in the future development of the cities in transition. The transformation that the Albanian economy after the 1990s has resulted in a large number of unused, abandoned, degraded industrial buildings and sites, where many of them are in inappropriate environmental conditions. Nowadays, the phenomenon of industrial heritage that precedes the social and economic development of the country is not fully explored or neglected. This article aims to introduce the regeneration of industrial facilities as a measure of sustainable urban development. The goal is to highlight the adaptive re-use and redevelopment of industrial zones as a strategy for alleviating the adverse effects of climate change. The analysis of four case studies is focused on the industrial heritage of the communist dictatorship period in Tirana. Emphasis has been put on the new concepts of regeneration of industrial areas, which include land recycling, the application of ecological and sustainable solutions. It is concluded that industrial areas contain the potential to become important elements of the cities’ sustainable, economic, social, cultural development. The industrial heritage buildings do not deserve to be destroyed, but through adaptive re-use projects with economic, social, and environmental care must be transmitted to other generations.

Currently, there is an approach toward modern understanding or designing of the cities in general, including orientation to neuro-architecture principles. Taking into account the principle of the intelligent and sustainable city in general and especially the logic of creating space for the individual as a human being, the aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between the trinomial such as mental wellbeing, brain and built environment in terms of memory. Familiarizing with the theoretical basis that guides principles inspired by neuro-architecture towards the ideologies of placemaking, the study corresponding area. So initially, after analyzing general issues of neuro-architecture and placemaking, local context will be considered and eventually a possible solution in terms of making places to create a more spontaneous connection between design, the perception of space and the welfare. In conclusion, the main outcome would be the creation of human places by preserving from the past valuable concepts of space developments in traditional neighborhoods of Tirana, such as the preservation of neighbors' rituals and mentality.

The evolution of housing structures from 1929 to 1943 is quite evident not only in shape but also in content. This study, them. The investigation of typological transformation and evolution of apartments in the selected case studies of multi-family houses in Tirana applies a multi-layered methodological approach. The study is conducted by graphic analyzing of different types of apartments in order to detect the evolutionary characteristics of each example during this period. The primary purpose of this paper is to identify the process of development in an apartment plan based on typologies, functionality, and occupancy. The increase in a number of apartments per building from two apartments in a detached house in 1929 to twenty-eight apartments in multifamily buildings, in the years 1939-1943. The transformation process of the plans analyzed in this paper demonstrates that it is not merely the changing arrangement of rooms inside of each. In conclusion, the study reveals the topological transformation of the apartment plan and the exact way in which architects designed the residential buildings in each period.

This paper traces the evolution of housing typologies, focusing in Tirana, Albania. The study reviews the fundamentals of housing throughout the two historical periods, 1929-1932 and 1939-1943. The housing projects analysed are designed mostly by Austrian and Italian architects. The methodological approach is based on reviewing a number of case studies starting from one-family house to multi-family housing typology. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the process of transformation and development of housing based on the typologies, functionality, and occupancy. Also, particular elements of asthetics are analyzed and compared. This study highlights that the improvement of living conditions happened because of a better design and situation of housing in anurban context.

The public buildings such as high schools, kindergartens, nurseries, universities, dormitories and buildings in their service used by the general public are valuable assets, normally built with substantial investment in a long period of time. These assets are not always managed with the care that they require. As a result, depreciation and destruction in time reducing the ability of these buildings to fulfil their functions by reducing the time of use, durability. General usage costs will also be higher because of the buildings require costly renovations or replacements of materials frequently than might be necessary if they are maintained regularly. Limited funds are often considered as a reason for inadequate maintenance. Enough funds are needed, but very good results can be achieved with very limited budgets, if maintenance work is done in a systematic way with well-defined priorities. The paper tries to answer the question if the maintenance and rehabilitation of the existing public buildings is the most effective way for the improvement of their contemporary standards. In the first part after the background a theoretical description of the building performance management, maintenance and rehabilitation issue. A brief description of the building deterioration and depreciation is done. In the second part the performance the public buildings situation in Albania is given throw analyses of a big number of key studies. Analyses of the cons and pros of rehabilitation are followed by the analyses of costs and the feasibility. In the end is given the answer to the question: to rehabilitate or build.

In the transition period, Albania has assisted a crisis of heritage identity. That was
evident in degraded inner city heritage. The paper tries to deal with the problems of
preservation and rehabilitation of Shkoder urban heritage and tourism development. It
opens with defining cultural and heritage tourism, preservation and rehabilitation of
urban heritage. In the next section, it focuses on describing the main relevant contextual
factors, the historical context of urban development and national strategy for the
tourism development, which are necessary for understanding the evolution of the
cultural tourism market over the course of the economic transformation in Albania. The
third part of the paper focuses on describing the urban development of the old town of
Shkoder; the situation of the older building stock in the historic centre; the condition of
monuments in the city and the risks to which cultural heritage exposes. In the closing
section, we gave some recommendations to protect urban heritage through tourism
development.

This paper’s focus is the regeneration of the urban waterfront promenade, strengthening its role in the resolution of  specific seaside cities’ spatial and economic problematic. It is a descriptive and analytical study of the winner proposal for Vlora waterfront promenade, which aims to turn the city into a significant urban coastal area for regional recreation and tourism. It also strives to rely on a theoretical background on waterfront space redesigning, based on the European experiences in urban waterfront redevelopment and on the potential of their regeneration, as an instrument of economic development.
It concludes that since the waterfront redevelopment scheme is a complex, multi-actor and long-term program that has to cope with changing economic and political conditions, the planners should be very cautious of adopting elements of successful international examples, for reasons of uniqueness of local environmental, physical, economic and political preconditions

The study analyses the possible transformations of the Tirana river shore, foreseen by GrimShaw proposal, presented in the competition organized by the municipality for the master-plan of Tirana. Understanding and balancing different aspects of the project decisions in changing the vision of Tirana goes along with the emphasis of the desirable conditions of this specific riverside environment. The regeneration of the urban river waterfront is one of the main urban and design issues of our cities. It is seen as a potential for future urban transformations and attraction to investments, employment, industries, publicity, by focusing in a special case study: a self-made structure where people try to create their own model of living in the natural environment of Tirana. This descriptive and analytical work can serve to Albania's professionals on decision-making, but also to other cities of similar scale and nature of development as Tirana. The expectation of this research is to help...

The historic “conservation and rehabilitation of urban heritage.... in city centre represent a unique historical link with the past, a physical manifestation of the social and cultural traditions which have developed to give the modern city and society its meaning and character” (Steinberg, 2004). There is cultural heritage fragility where modernisation and globalisation have not been established in harmony with local traditions and histories. A driving force of heritage loss in many developing countries is economic transformation; which is related to changes in land use, population distribution, and income levels. The political aspect has a strong influence too. “Here, the appeal of modernisation often wins out over that of cultural heritage preservation, and even national-level heritage protection does not guarantee that a significant cultural asset will survive” (Global Heritage Foundation, 2010). The New Urban Agenda (NUA) (UN, 2016) recognises cultural heritage as an essential factor for sustainable urban development. According to NUA “the role of cultural heritage in developing vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive urban economies, and in sustaining and supporting urban economies to progressive transition towards higher productivity” (points 45 and 60). Within the rapid globalisation of the economy and cultural life in many developing countries, there is a lack of community awareness of the importance of preserving their cultural identities. Heritage sites and monuments are at risk of destruction due to interventions undertaken by local administrations for urban modernisation. Different administrations in Albania historically “have imposed their urban design visions...” for the city centre and in some cases “…have tried to erase the urban heritage of their predecessors” (Pojani, 2014). “In the transition period to the market economy, Tirana has assisted a crisis of heritage identity that is evident in specific urban situations and the inner city” (Nepravishta, 2019). The desire for ‘modernisation’ often led the decision-makers to believe that only new and ‘modern’ interventions were worthwhile. Old objects that have no value in relation to contemporary tastes and styles are destined to be destroyed or, at best, ignored. The research investigates how modernity is manifested in the public squares of Tirana. Tirana was chosen as the primary concern, because in its short history as the capital of Albania since 1920. It has been critically transformed due to its rapid development and the political culture of renewal and the reconstruction of public spaces by the various administrations that have run the country and the city. Skanderbeg Square modernisation selected as a case study in Tirana highlights the fragility of our collective cultural heritage. The study opens the discussion of the compatibility between urban culture and modernisation, adaptive re-use, and conservation of historic sites and buildings, globalisation and cultural diversity.

After the first edition of the IFAU 2017 – International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism organised in Tirana, and the second edition of the IFAU 2018 organised in Pescara, Italy, the Polytechnic University of Tirana – Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) is organising the third edition:
IFAU 2019 – International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism in Tirana, Albania on November 21 - 23, 2019, with the theme “Modernization and Globalization.”
IFAU 2019 – 3rd International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage within Modernization and Globalization trends of XXI century. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted for the Modernization and Globalization in the Cities in Transition.
The third edition is expanding the horizon by introducing a series of overlapping visions spanning the recently institutionalised Adriatic - Ionian Euroregion, now extended to the Balkan and South East European region. The Forum will concentrate on Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage located in contexts and territories that reveal their tendencies to Modernization and Globalization.
Modernisation and Globalization in Architecture, Urbanism and Heritage provide a multi-faceted analysis that is based on the understandings of architects and urban planners working in both the developed and developing countries traditions.
Globalisation is a broad concept not only concerning the diversity of regions, cultures, and actors but also concerning the diversity of analytical approaches that can be employed to study it. During the past decade, notions of globalisation have displaced familiar discourses of modernisation.
We consider Modernization and Globalization as a process that naturally links the past, the present and the future - as a bridge between the past and the future. Current events such as the cultural heritage protection crisis illustrate that the discussion should not be confined to specific geographic regions or narrowly defined analysis methods but in a broader and deeper search spectrum.
The research presented in this forum embraces the need to cover a variety of aspects and dimensions of Modernization and Globalization in Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, to see both its local and its global manifestations. From our perspective, globalisation studies imply research that is not just limited to the most popular spheres of globalisation but also includes the study of global problems such as sustainable development, cultural heritage, and so on. In summary, the distinctive character of the Modernization and Globalization is that it delivers a large international and multicultural thematic issues associated with Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, including their impact on particular cultural-geographic regions.
The Modernization and Globalization of territories and cities in transition is the object of this Forum.
Through contributions from colleagues and scholars from different international universities the intention is to explore different interpretations of contexts, to study processes of Modernization and Globalization in territories and cities in transition, to define strategies for urban transformation and to confront issues raised by environmental and architectural sustainability, all framed by an up-to-date and contemporary vision of the entire Adriatic-Ionian and Balkan region. Culture and the strength of ideas are viewed as the essential tools for building bridges between knowledge and for rediscovering, in a new relationship between Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, the key to interpreting the processes transforming territories and cities.
The Forum will be structured as a CALL FOR PAPERS/CALL FOR POSTERS subject to peer review by a team of distinguished professors from the promoting universities.
All accepted Papers and Posters will be presented during the FORUM and included in a peer-reviewed volume complete with an ISBN code.
Only the authors of the accepted Papers and Posters will pay an Early Bird Registration Fee by June 28th, 2019 and Regular Registration Fee by September 20th, 2019 following the indications stated below.

TOPICS

The conference program will include the topic of interest that include, but are not limited to:
1. GLOBAL / LOCAL MODERNIZATIONS
2. XXth CENTURY MODERNISM AND THE QUESTION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
3. PHENOMENA OF RE-GENERATION, REVITALIZATION, RECYCLE, REUSE
4. MODERNIZATION/ GLOBALIZATION OF URBAN PLANNING/DESIGN AND LANDSCAPES
5. MODERN HOUSING
6. MODERN DESIGNING AND DAILY LIFE / UNIVERSAL DESIGN
7. UTILIZATION OF FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES
8. SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ERA OF MODERNIZATION/ GLOBALIZATION

DATES AND PLACE
The IFAU 2019 – International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism- Modernization and Globalization will take place in Tirana (Albania) at the Polytechnic University of Tirana – Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) on November 21st- 23rd, 2019.

SECOND CALL
IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES
Abstracts submission for Papers and Posters                             June 30rd, 2019
Notification of Acceptance Abstracts                                         July20th, 2019
Submission of Final Paper and Research Posters                   September 05th, 2019
Notification of Acceptance Final Papers and Posters                   September 25th, 2019
Registration Deadline                                           September 28th, 2019
Early Birds Payment of Registration Fees                               July 18th, 2019
Payment of Registration Fees                                   September 28th, 2019
Forum Dates                                 November 21st- 23rd, 2019 Paper Submission for Publication                             December 20th, 2019


TEMPLATES are available in the DOWNLOAD section of this website:  https://fau.edu.al/deadlines-submissions-2/

Download IFAU19_paper/poster_abstract template at:
https://fau.edu.al/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/IFAU19_Abstract_template.doc

SUBMITIONS
2019.ifau@gmail.com

CONTACTS
All the information must be found at www.fau.edu.al
All enquirers must be submitted at 2019.ifau@gmail.com

Orikum area, with many natural and archaeological potential, is positioned in the meeting place of three water systems: the sea, the river and the lagoon with the wetland. The waterfront planning design aims the development of this site in harmony with nature and its history. The paper is oriented toward practical problems of the waterfront planning for sustainable development of Orikum. The specific issues which are addressed include changing the waterfront image by improving accessibility, linking and preservation of natural and archaeological heritage. An incremental approach to implementation is recommended, with emphasis upon principles of sustainable and environmental design for tourism development and the role of urban design guidelines for waterfront development and the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage, as well as to the development of the community. The results of research show that the waterfront planning concepts of sustainability and innovation will be h...

The paper examines the adaptive re-use projects for a heritage building of the first half of 20th century, designed by famous Italian architects Gherardo Bosio, in Tirana. The study of the interventions has more to do with the notion of dynamic change in the concept of preserving the architectural heritage and the collective memory. Analyzes way these changes are needed and how are managed specifically by Petreschi Architects, which redesign this building that is part of Tirana’s cultural heritage.

AIM: Tirana is a city that in transition period has been changed and transformed both architecturally and in its urban form.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Unavoidable changes in an urban rush: from unregulated spontaneous development and without infrastructure it has gone through the urban redevelopment planning and architectural projects.
RESULTS: Some of the most famous European studios, from Bolles+Wilson to MVRDV, AtenaStudio, Bjarke Ingels, Archaea Studio, Grimshaw, Daniel Libeskind, are facing Tirana capital that has claimed the international architectural culture’s attention.
CONCLUSION: This article draws a view of contemporary architecture produced by domestic and international architects and planners in a city looking through the new century with a will of renewal throw contemporary planning and design.

The industry as one of the sectors of economic development in Albania has been one of the main engines of growth in the period of communism. After the 1990s, industrial areas suffered major structural changes that were associated with the closure of many economic activities especially the industries that failed to resist to the new market economy. Inappropriate industrialization caused many environmental problems. Abandoned industrial heritage areas have been transformed into centers of urban degradation. These areas need sustainable regeneration to recall their importance for the community, but in a way not to lose their use. The purpose of this paper is to assess industrial heritage areas, to develop a clear picture of the existing situation, as well as the potentials and possibilities for their regeneration. It deals with the typological analysis and morphological development of industrial facilities, the extent of their damage and disconnection with the urban structure of the city. It analyzes three case study proposals of industrial brownfield regeneration and adaptive re-use that aim the protection of historical heritage, as well as the sustainable development of these areas. It is argued that regeneration and adaptive re-use of industrial facilities are seen as an opportunity and a new tendency to turn attraction to this heritage.

The study examines the adaptive reuse and restoration project of the Bank of Albania building in Tirana, an Italian architecture heritage. Analysis of the intervention has more to do with the notion of dynamic change in the concept of preserving the architectural heritage. It analyzes how this change is managed specifically by architects who redesign these buildings that today are part of the Albanian architectural heritage. The paper provides some answers to the questions: Was the intervention necessary? Can we accept the interventions as a positive influence? How the architects have managed it? What is done to ensure the preservation of esthetics and cultural heritage values?
In the end, is concluded that after having followed the way of respecting and preserving the inherent values of the building the project results were successful. The intervention that realizes the best use of the historic buildings sometimes is the only way to care properly and preserve the architectural heritage.

The "Grand Café" building, the masterpiece of architect Kol Idromeno, was declared in 2007 by the Institute of Cultural Monuments, as a monument of culture of the first category. The monument represents a construction of the beginning of the 20th century with the proper social - cultural functions as café/ restaurant and hotel. The monument is known for a clear functional scheme and for the exterior decorations, being rated as one of the most representative prototypes of this period. Today the building has lost its usability as a consequence of a deep depreciation and lack of systematic maintenance. The fast intervention to preserve and revitalize it is needed.
Hypotheses and facts presented in this article about the history and the construction phases of the "Grand Café"  derive from the results of the research of historical documentation, detailed morphology of the spatial structures, architectural survey of geometric proportions, construction, finishes, details, etc.. The study begins with understanding the breakdown of the history of the monument and its designer. Continue with a careful investigation into the object to determine the phases of construction and diagnosis of the pathology that has really obsolete it. Based on all the studies and research work, the article allows the identification of the architectural values and construction phases, building pathology and restorative interventions in order to maintain the historical presence, its morphological and typological characteristics.
The work of Kole Idromeno, has given the meaning of the urban development of the Inner City of Shkodra, through his architectural and the urban design creative works. The architect of the "Grand Café" also played a significant role in the artistic and cultural life of the city. The combination of these dimensions and their influence on his work, is presented in the first part of the article and is followed by a careful investigation of the building to determine the construction stages and diagnosis of pathology that has actually stuck the it. Based on the study and research work, the article enables the identification of architectural values and construction phases, building pathology and the restoration interventions in order to maintain the historical presence, typological and morphological characteristics of it. Project idea of the restoration of the building aim at the improvement in the use of space, the sanitary conditions of the hotel, based on the fact that the intervention need to improve and not change the original structure of the monument.
The study concludes that the building "Grand Café" has lost its traditional use for deep depreciation, lack of systematic maintenance, substantial damage to the exterior, interior and somewhat constructive structure and immediate need for restoration and re-evaluation of the monument. Its proving that Idromeno  has re-used an earlier structure built with stones that had the same use. Also, in the stylistic terms, the building represents only outstanding values of the main facade decorated with care which is not true of other facades.

This paper focuses on the recently completed workshops on the specific issues of urban planning for
sustainable development of heritage sites. It analyses specific didactic cooperation perspectives with the
participation of the High School of Landscape Architecture Engineering (hepia) of Geneva, Classical
Archaeology Unit of University of Geneva, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Polytechnic University of
Tirana and Albanian Center of Archeological Research. Those institutions having previous experiences in
similar projects were the base of this international teaching cooperation. Each of the participating institutions
had its specific approaches and targets in the framework of the “SCOPES”.
The study reflects the rich exchange of the interdisciplinary workshop in natural and archeological
heritage sites, but also transcribes and leaves a trace of the joy of this adventure. This workshop addressed
the relations between territorial developments, architecture and landscape. The paper will retrace the origins
of the Oricum case study interdisciplinary projects and the history of the social encounters and the support
required for their completion. It will also present the educational processes set up to coordinate the workshop
and several courses within each partner school. This study compares different perspectives of teaching for
sustainable architecture and Urbanism in the respective countries.
Finally, this paper concludes with the lessons learned from the didactic process in both organizational
and implementation features, as well as in aspects of contents and final results.

The mass transfer of state rental housing to the private properties has been one of hallmarks of the transition to a market economy for Albania. This mass transfer of wealth has provided to be a problem for the Albanian government because of scarce possibilities for housing the homeless peoples. The development experience in Albania proved that the government alone was not able to provide and manage housing rental sector. It has to co-operate with the private housing sector for providing housing for homeless people. To succeed the public and private sector must overcome many complicated legal, financial and organizational problems.
The paper analyses: the tenure of rental housing market in Albania; the housing policy; the factors that influence the performance of the public sector and the private sector in providing rental housing; and the legal, financial and regulatory problems affecting the public and private rental housing sector. Investigate whether the partnerships approach could be appropriate in providing better environment and facilitating rental housing as an alternative for homeless people. Finally gives some recommendations for an optimal mix of tenures and an optimal structure of the supply side of the housing market in Albanian situation that best suited to serve the different groups of households.

There are many problems of fortification military heritage in Albania related to spatial and landscape impacts. These areas of formerly military functioning character after 1992 remained non-active and lost their attention and the routine maintenance. They also lost their function and consequently were suffering physical deterioration of both external and internal structures, becoming a barrier for populations facing them. The questions posed by the sustainable development of brownfield sites have opened the discussion of new ways of recovery of military sites by introducing new life. The scope of the paper is to show by means of a cold war tunnel case studies, how the military brownfield areas can be used for civil purposes. The paper opens by describing the main relevant contextual factors that influence the building of these structures in Albania and follows with the theoretical background. The next step towards cold war tunnel rehabilitation is the identification of case studies, evaluation of the existing situation, assessment of civil development potentials, and finally, presentation of research results with the aim to promote and raise awareness about the problems and potentials of these military neglected areas. The research shows that the adaptive reuse concepts will be highly strategic and operative to reach successful urban regeneration in the military brownfield places.

The socialist realism principles, similar to other Eastern European countries, guided the construction and architecture in Albania from 1945 to 1990. The research done on various case studies of socialist architecture constructed in this period in Tirana tries to shed light on the topic of great interest nowadays regarding this style as part of the Albanian heritage. The paper describes the history of socialist realism and the influence of the Albanian Communist Party on the development of the architecture during the socialist period. It demonstrates how the Albanian architecture development was radically changed by the socialist ideology and how this style was supported by the post-war architects. It is argued that the socialist realism style was predominant in the Albanian architecture of that period, and this heritage needs to be preserved for next generations.

In the transition period, Albania has assisted a crisis of heritage identity. That was evident in the degraded inner city. The paper tries to deal with the problems of preservation and restoration of Shkodra urban culture and tourism development. It opens with defining cultural and heritage tourism, conservation and restoration of urban heritage. The next section focuses on describing the main relevant contextual factors, the historical context of urban development and the national strategy for tourism development, which is necessary for understanding the evolution of the cultural tourism market over the course of the economic transformation in Albania. The third part of the paper focuses on describing the urban development of the old town of Shkodra; the situation of the older building stock in the historic center; the condition of monuments in the city and the risks to which cultural heritage exposes. In the closing section, we gave some recommendations to protect urban heritage through tourist development.

This publication has gathered many leading scientists, scholars, and academic scholars from different countries to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Architecture, Urbanism, and Cultural Heritage within the trends of Modernisation and Globalisation of the XXI century. It also offers an interdisciplinary book that presents and discusses the latest innovations, trends and concerns, practical challenges encountered and adopted solutions for Modernisation and Globalisation in cities and urban settlements. The book expands the horizon by introducing a series of overlapping visions spanning the recently institutionalised Adriatic - Ionian Euro-region, now extended to the Balkan and Southeast European regions. The research topics are concentrated on Architecture, Urbanism, and Cultural Heritage in contexts and territories that reveal their tendencies to Modernisation and Globalisation. Modernisation and Globalisation in Architecture, Urbanism and Heritage provide a multi-faceted analysis based on the understanding of architects and urban planners working in both developed and developing countries' traditions. Globalisation is a broad concept concerning the diversity of regions, cultures, and actors and the diversity of analytical approaches that can be employed to study it. During the past decade, notions of globalisation have displaced familiar modernisation discourses. Modernisation and Globalisation is a process that naturally links the past, the present and the future - as a bridge between the past and the future. Current events such as the cultural heritage protection crisis illustrate that the discussion should not be confined to specific geographic regions or narrowly defined analysis methods but to a broader and deeper search spectrum. The research presented in this book embraces the need to cover various aspects and dimensions of Modernisation and Globalisation in Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage to see its local and global manifestations. From our perspective, globalisation studies imply research that is not just limited to the most popular spheres of globalisation but also includes the study of global problems such as climate change, overconsumption, population growth, human impact on the environment, water scarcity, conflict-related global issues, global catastrophic risk, global health issue, sustainable development, and cultural heritage protection. In summary, the distinctive character of Modernisation and Globalisation is that it delivers a significant international and multicultural thematic issue associated with Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, including their impact on cultural-geographic regions. The Modernisation and Globalisation of territories and cities is the object of this book. Through contributions from colleagues and scholars from different international universities, the intention is to explore different interpretations of contexts, to study processes of Modernisation and Globalisation in territories and cities, to define strategies for urban transformation and to confront issues raised by environmental and architectural sustainability, all framed by an up-to-date and contemporary vision of the entire Adriatic-Ionian and Balkan region. Culture and the strength of ideas are essential for building bridges between knowledge and rediscovering a new relationship between Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, the key to interpreting the processes transforming territories and cities. The book comprises six chapters: 1. Global and local modernisations. 2. Modernisations and cultural heritage. 3. Phenomena of regeneration, revitalisation, and adaptive reuse. 4. Modernisation of urban planning, design, and landscape. 5. Housing modernisation. 6. Future design and technologies.

A booklet on sustainable ideas aiming to provide comprehensive investigations and proposals for Tirana to become a greater and more livable city. It address five key areas that have significant impact on the environment and the quality of life of its inhabitants: water, energy, mobility, material, and waste management. The Resource Efficiency in Architecture and Planning (REAP) program at HafenCity University Hamburg and the Master Program in Architecture and Urbanism at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU), Polytechnic University of Tirana (UPT) collaborated to facilitate knowledge exchange for students. This provided insights into the unique challenges of implementing resource-efficient, climate responsive, and environmentally sound planning and public engagement in diverse cultural, geographical, socio-economic, and path-dependent urban contexts. The exchange program focused on the challenges faced by Tirana in the post-socialist era, including informal development and settlements, with particular attention paid to the development of “Resource Efficient Planning in Tirana”. The program focused on the North Boulevard area and the development of the Tirana River waterfront in the northern part of the city. Although the new Boulevard has been partially completed, it is crucial to consider integration and regeneration strategies instead of expropriation or displacement for any future development in the area. The regeneration of the Tirana river waterfront remains largely unexplored, with little progress made toward this objective. This presents an opportunity for further research and development in this area. The exchange project between HCU and FAU brought together students who developed varying concepts for future urban development, each reflecting their one expertise and interests but also the distinct expertise and approaches of their master studies and their respective instructors. While the concepts differ in their focuses and goals, there is no evidence of contradictory ideas. Sustainability, efficiency, recycling, reuse, renewable energy, and water management are all emphasized as essential elements for future development toward a more sustainable future. The exchange project provided a platform for knowledge sharing and the development of new strategies, creating opportunities to explore and implement innovative solutions for urban development. Overall, this collaborative academic project provided an opportunity for students and lecturers to explore novel contexts, understand their unique challenges and opportunities, and develop individual approaches to facilitate sustainable urban development.

This publication offers a first glimpse of two different housing solutions in Tirana and Hamburg, built under different cultural, geographic, socio-economic and path dependent conditions, through the visual and oral narratives of residents, workers and visitors. These narratives reflect upon the historical development of each housing solution, highlight considerations and/or neglect for resource efficient planning, pinpoint current challenges and opportunities and discuss opportunities for participation as well as the efficiency of implemented measures. The photos and interviews featured show two characteristically different urban realities which were planned, designed and built at the second half of the 20th century and until the early beginning of the 21st century.

After the first edition of the IFAU 2017 – International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism organised in Tirana, and the second edition of the IFAU 2018 organised in Pescara, Italy, the Polytechnic University of Tirana – Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) is organising the third edition: IFAU 2019 – International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism in Tirana, Albania on November 21 - 23, 2019, with the theme “Modernization and Globalization.” IFAU 2019 – 3rd International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage within Modernisation and Globalisation trends of the XXI century. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary Forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered, and the solutions adopted for the Modernisation and Globalisation in the Cities in Transition. The third edition expands the horizon by introducing a series of overlapping visions spanning the recently institutionalised Adriatic - Ionian Euroregion, now extended to the Balkan and South-East European regions. The Forum will concentrate on Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage located in contexts and territories that reveal their tendencies to Modernisation and Globalisation. Modernisation and Globalization  Architecture, Urbanism and Heritage provide a multi-faceted analysis that is based on the understandings of architects and urban planners working in both the developed and developing countries traditions. Globalisation is a broad concept concerning the diversity of regions, cultures, and actors and the diversity of analytical approaches that can be employed to study it. During the past decade, notions of globalisation have displaced familiar discourses of modernisation. We consider Modernisation and Globalization as a process that naturally links the past, the present and the future - as a bridge between the past and the future. Current events such as the cultural heritage protection crisis illustrate that the discussion should not be confined to specific geographic regions or narrowly defined analysis methods but in a broader and deeper search spectrum. The research presented in this Forum embraces the need to cover various aspects and dimensions of Modernisation and Globalisation in Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, to see both its local and its global manifestations. From our perspective, globalisation studies imply research that is not just limited to the most popular spheres of globalisation but also includes the study of global problems such as sustainable development, cultural heritage, etc. In summary, the distinctive character of Modernisation and Globalisation is that it delivers an extensive international and multicultural thematic issue associated with Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, including their impact on particular cultural-geographic regions. The Modernisation and Globalisation of territories and cities in transition is the object of this Forum. Through contributions from colleagues and scholars from different international universities, the intention is to explore different interpretations of contexts, to study processes of Modernisation and Globalisation in territories and cities in transition, to define strategies for urban transformation and to confront issues raised by environmental and architectural sustainability, all framed by an up-to-date and contemporary vision of the entire Adriatic-Ionian and Balkan region. Culture and the strength of ideas are viewed as the essential tools for building bridges between knowledge and rediscovering, in a new relationship between Architecture, Urbanism and Cultural Heritage, the key to interpreting the processes transforming territories and cities. The conference program will include the topic of interest that include, but are not limited to: 1. Global/local modernisations; 2. XXth century modernism and the question of cultural heritage; 3. Phenomena of regeneration, revitalisation, recycling, reuse; 4. Modernisation/globalisation of urban planning/design and landscapes; 5. Modern housing; 6. Modern designing and daily life/universal design; 7. The utilisation of future technologies; 8. Sustainability in the era of modernisation/globalisation.

This publication comes as a study in the framework of series of books on the impact of different design cultures in Albania, highlighting the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the development of the country in the early 20th century. The work was carried out under a cooperation project between the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) of the Polytechnic University of Tirana (PUT) and the Arkivi Qendror Teknik i Ndërtimit (AQTN). This research puts light on the influence of Austria-Hungary in the period after the independence of Albania in the years 1916-1935, before the strong Italian influence in Albanian society, not only to record the technical projects realized at that time but also to present the contribution given during the period of Albanian identity. The publication identifies some of the most prominent design projects of Austro-Hungarian engineers and specialists in the field of urban planning, architecture and artworks in infrastructure, based on the documents provided by the AQTN fund and from the research of various publications that handle this period. The book is structured in four main chapters that reflect in general the contribution of Austrian architects and engineers in the design field based mainly on the documentation that has been archived in AQTN. The first chapter of the book deals with urban planning starting with a brief history of Tirana’s development under the Ottoman influence and the first design of its plan in 1917, not as a regulatory plan, but as the first survey plan that was in support of military forces. In order to proceed further with the 1923 regulatory plan of Wolfgang Köhler, the study of the centre of 1928 by Frashëri, Castellani and Weiss, regulatory plans of Köhler for the Ministerial Complex and New Tirana neighbourhood in 1928, the regulatory plan of Tirana in 1929, as well as his contribution to the regulatory plan of Tirana of 1929 with co-authors Esheref Frashëri and Florestano Di Fausto. In the second chapter are presented housing prototypes designed mainly by Wolfgang Köhler as residential modules, located in the area of New Tirana, where today some of them, results to be built near the river Lana. The third chapter is about the work and contribution of Austrian architects and engineers, where architect Wolfgang Köhler again distinguished. The interventions are related to some of the social facilities located in the major cities of Albania, such as Tirana, Shkodra, Durrës and Berat. However, the first appearance of this influence comes with the regulatory plan of Tirana in 1923. In addition to the proposal for the redevelopment of the southwestern part of the city, are some of the works of the regulatory plan, such as the project for the Albanian Parliament building, the project for reconstruction and additions to the Villa of Princess Sanije, in collaboration with Italian architects, etc. The influence of Austrian architects and engineers was not well expressed in architecture but remained an aid to the newly formed Albanian state due to various political, economic, socio-cultural or religious factors. In architecture, the influence of the neoclassical style on the projects of the Austro-Hungarian architects in decoration and functionality was not evident except in the case29 of the proposal by architect Köhler of the train station in Tirana (1927). Many proposals remained in simple primary forms. This is most distinguished in the social building design that lacks the emphasis on decorations as well as in the compositional schemes where the need for functional spaces and not high architectural quality is evident. The fourth chapter of the book deals with the design of some of the infrastructure artworks such as bridges and inter-city joining routes. Beyond urban and architectural planning, Köhler and ing. D.V. Weiss have left the legacy and projects of some of the artworks on road infrastructure. An essential contribution to the design of some of the most famous bridges of Albania has given ing. D.V. Weiss, ing. Skrubanek, ing. Herbert R. Hassl, ing. Lehmann, ing. Berk, etc. The documentation found at the Arkivi Qendror Teknik i Ndërtimit (AQTN) consists mainly of project sheets realized and archived during this period by Austrian architects and engineers working in Albania. The biography of designers along with other works derived from them remains to be explored in the Austro-Hungarian archives.

Industrial heritage sites are an important part of the built environment. They serve as tangible and intangible links to the past and have the potential to play an important role in the future development of the cities in transition. The transformation that the Albanian economy after the 1990s has resulted in a large number of unused, abandoned, degraded industrial buildings and sites, where many of them are in inappropriate environmental conditions. Nowadays, the phenomenon of industrial heritage that precedes the social and economic development of the country is not fully explored or neglected. This article aims to introduce the regeneration of industrial facilities as a measure of sustainable urban development. The goal is to highlight the adaptive re-use and redevelopment of industrial zones as a strategy for alleviating the adverse effects of climate change. The analysis of four case studies is focused on the industrial heritage of the communist dictatorship period in Tirana. Emphasis has been put on the new concepts of regeneration of industrial areas, which include land recycling, the application of ecological and sustainable solutions. It is concluded that industrial areas contain the potential to become important elements of the cities' sustainable, economic, social, cultural development. The industrial heritage buildings do not deserve to be destroyed, but through adaptive re-use projects with economic, social, and environmental care must be transmitted to other generations.

This publication comes as a study in the framework of series of publications on the impact of different design cultures in Albania, highlighting the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the development of the country in the early 20th century. The work was carried out under a cooperation project between the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) of the Polytechnic University of Tirana (PUT) and the Arkivi Qendror Teknik i Ndërtimit (AQTN). This research puts light on the influence of Austria-Hungary in the period after the independence of Albania in the years 1916-1935, before the strong Italian influence in Albanian society, not only to record the projects realized at that time but also to present the contribution given during the period of Albanian identity. The publication identifies some of the most prominent projects of Austro-Hungarian engineers and specialists in the field of urban planning, architecture and artworks in infrastructure, based on the documents provided by the AQTN fund and from the research of various publications that handle this period. The book is structured in four main chapters that reflect in general the contribution of Austrian architects and engineers in the design field based mainly on the documentation that has been archived in AQTN. The first chapter of the book deals with urban planning starting with a brief history of Tirana’s development under the Ottoman influence and the first design of its plan in 1917, not as a regulatory plan, but as the first survey plan that was in support of military forces. In order to proceed further with the 1923 regulatory plan of Köhler, the study of the center of 1928 by Frashëri, Castellani and Weiss, Köhler’s, regulatory plans for the Ministerial Corps and New Tirana neighbourhood in 1928, the regulatory plan of Tirana in 1929, as well as his contribution to the regulatory plan of Tirana of 1929 with co-authors Esheref Frashëri and Florestano Di Fauston. In the second chapter are presented housing prototypes designed mainly by Wolfgang Köhler as residential modules, located in the area of New Tirana, where today some of them, results to be built near the river Lana. The third chapter is about the work and contribution of Austrian architects and engineers, where architect Wolfgang Köhler again distinguished. The interventions are related to some of the social facilities located in the major cities of Albania such as Tirana, Shkodra, Durrës, etc. However, the first appearance of this influence comes with the regulatory plan of Tirana in 1923. In addition to the proposal for redevelopment of the southwestern part of the city, some of the works of the regulatory plan, such as the project for the Albanian Parliament building, the project for reconstruction and additions to the Villa of Princess Sanije, in collaboration with Italian architects, etc. The influence of Austrian architects and engineers was not well expressed in architecture but remained an aid to the newly formed Albanian state due to various political, economic, socio-cultural or religious factors. In architecture, the influence of the neoclassical style on the projects of the Austro-Hungarian architects in decoration and functionality was not evident except in the case of the proposal by the Köhler architect of the train station in Tirana (1927). Many proposals remained in simple basic forms. This is well seen in the social building design that lack the emphasis on decorations as well as in the compositional schemes where the need for functional spaces and not high architectural quality is evident. The fourth chapter of the book deals with the design of some of the infrastructure works such as bridges and inter-city joining routes. Beyond urban and architectural planning, Köhler and D.V. Weiss have left the legacy and projects of some of the art works on road infrastructure. An important contribution to the design of some of the most important bridges of Albania has given and ing. D.V. Weiss, ing. Skrubanek, ing. Herbert R. Hassl, ing. Lehmann, ing. Berk, etc. The documentation found at the Arkivi Qendror Teknik i Ndërtimit (AQTN) consists mainly of project sheets realized and archived during this period by architects and Austrian engineers working in Albania. Biography of designers along with other works derived from them remains to be explored in the Austro-Hungarian archives.

While living, working and contributing in our cities, it is quite impossible not being confronted with the frenetic development of their [our cities] reality. This is often an uncontrollable development, which is deeply connected with important economic, social and cultural factors, but at the same time connected with many complex problems. Therefore, they deserve the special attention of researchers, especially the researchers in the fields of architecture, urbanism and urban planning and development. In this regard, IFAU Tirana 2017 – 1st International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism: “Cities in Transition” have been an important contribution, which transforms these complex problems in constructive debates, studies and scientific research, and by proposing sustainable and scientific solutions. On the other side, IFAU Tirana 2017 have been a very good opportunity for the Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, to identify and present the best values of the scientific studies and research, not only in the fields of architecture and urban planning, but also in regards of the doctoral school attached to the Faculty, through these three important research topics: Sustainability, Formal and Informal Settlements and Memory of Places. The most important merit of IFAU Tirana 2017, stands in the fact that the topics and problems raised in this forum were part of a solid collaboration and partnership with international partner Universities and researchers in Europe and beyond. IFAU17 has gathered scientists, researchers and scientific academics to exchange and share their experiences, their research results in relation to broad aspects of Architecture and Urbanism, but also to present and discuss over innovations, new trends and concerns, challenges, encountered practices and solutions approved for cities in transition. My sincere appreciation comes for all the researchers and scientists, Albanian and international ones, and for their valuable scientific works, selected by a very competent International Scientific Committee, composed of Albanian and international prominent personalities in the fields of architecture and urban planning. Gratitude, respect and encouragement for the organizers of IFAU Tirana 2017 – 1st International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism “Cities in Transition”, for their maximum dedication, and their competence in the successful organization and progress of this forum. For all the above reasons, I express my highest considerations for this publication with the best papers presented in the IFAU Tirana 2017 – 1st International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism: “Cities in Transition”, and for all the great work done with professionalism, passion and dedication, and most importantly with a high level of scientific research, which deserves not only higher appreciation, but it gives faith and encouragement to continue organizing further successful scientific research activities in these fields. Prof. Dr Andrea MALIQARI Rector of Polytechnic University of Tirana

Sono gli atti del Convegno sull’architettura italiana in Albania negli anni 1920-1940, che si è svolto a Tirana il 5-6 dicembre 2011, organizzato dal Dipartimento di Architettura – disegno, storia, progetto della Facoltà di Architettura dell'Università di Firenze in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Architettura e Urbanistica della Facoltà di Ingegneria Edile, parte dell'Università Politecnica di Tirana. La pubblicazione mette in luce alcuni aspetti importanti: l'importanza dei valori materiali e concettuali urbanistici e architettonici che la generazione degli architetti italiani degli anni 1920-1940 ha prodotto e consegnato al territorio albanese fino ai giorni nostri. Dopo oltre mezzo secolo, è necessaria a mente fredda la rivalutazione di questa architettura, prendendo in considerazione i pregi e le qualità di queste opere, ormai parte molto importante delle città albanesi e parte del patrimonio comune dei nostri popoli; L'importanza degli interventi e del materiale iconografico inedito ritrovato negli archivi dell'Istituto Luce, rendono la pubblicazione una pietra miliare nello studio dell'architettura albanese del Novecento.

Il lago di Scutari è il più grande lago della penisola balcanica. Situato al confine
fra l’Albania e il Montenegro, questo lago prende il nome dalla città di
Scutari,la più importante città dell’Albania del nord sul punto di vista storico,
turistico ed economico. La storia della città di Scutari risale prima dell’età di
bronzo( V-IV a. C.), per continuare poi con la costruzione del grande castello di
Rosafa. Il legame con la città di Venezia, secondo alcune ricerche, si ritrova
nella struttura dell’origine della città e nella sua architettura, nel modo di costruire,
nei colori e nel rapporto con l’acqua. Scutari ha una natura e un clima
meravigliosi. La posizione della città è molto favorevole non solo per la presenza
del lago,del fiume Buna e più in basso del mare, ma anche per il fatto di
trovarsi come un nodo importante al confine con il Montenegro, sull’asse
Nord-Sud che parte dalla Croazia e finisce in Grecia.
Obiettivo di questo studio è la rivalutazione dei valori storici , architettonici e
urbanistici della città di Scutari. Gli elementi del patrimonio storico ereditato
diventano punto di riferimento per il futuro della città, in funzione dello sviluppo
del turismo.
Il progetto intende concentrarsi nello studio degli elementi di base necessari
per la realizzazione di un piano di sviluppo delle risorse turistiche e culturali
della regione di Scutari.

IFAU 19 -3 rd International Forum for Architecture and Urbanism Modernization and Globalization
Challenges and Opportunities in Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage

After the first edition of the IFAU 2017-International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism organized in Tirana, and the second edition of the IFAU 2018 organised in Pescara, Italy, the Polytechnic University of Tirana-Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) is organising the third edition: IFAU 2019-International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism in Tirana, Albania on November 21-23, 2019, with the theme: "Modernization and Globalization."
IFAU 2019-3 rd International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage within Modernization and Globalization trends of XXI century. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted for the Modernization and Globalization in the Cities in Transition.

IFAU 2018 - 2nd International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, and scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects related to Landscapes, Cities and Architecture within FRAGILE TERRITORIES. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted for the Fragile Territories in Cities in Transition. --- IFAU 2018 - 2nd International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism ha lo scopo di portare a confronto docenti, ricercatori e studiosi per condividere e scambiarsi le proprie esperienze e risultati di ricerca su tutti gli aspetti legati a Paesaggi_Città_Architetture all'interno di TERRITORI FRAGILI. Ha anche lo scopo di offrire un foro interdisciplinare per ricercatori, professionisti e docenti per presentare e discutere le innovazioni ed i trends più recenti, problemi e sfide affrontate e le soluzioni adottate per i Territori Fragili nelle Città in Transizione.

IFAU Tirana 2017 – 1st International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Architecture and Urbanism. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted for the Cities in Transition.

The forum aims to address various aspects of the urban development of cities in transition. Of particular interest for the conference are sustainability development, formal and informal settlements and memory of the cities. These cities are undergoing one of the fastest rates of development in the world. However, this rapid, often erratic, and sometimes traumatic growth has not occurred without unwanted consequences in the built environment. The theme of the conference is “Cities in Transition”. It aims to provide a forum to examine and discuss solution-oriented, practical methods for implementing sustainable development, and to stimulate more ideas and useful insights regarding architecture and urbanism within the context of sustainable development. It will be organized into three parallel sessions:
- Sustainability
- Formal and informal settlements
- Memory of places
The event will feature international prominent Key Speakers, Academic Sessions, Roundtable Discussions and other interactive discussions, to ensure that all participants will greatly benefit from this conference and its international format.

IMPORTANT DATES

Abstract Submition Extended Deadline  October 11, 2017
Structured Paper Submission   November 26, 2017
Early Registration Deadline October 10, 2017
Registration Deadline                 December 03, 2017
Conference Date                         December 14-16, 2017
Full Paper Submission         February 28, 2018

Following European recommendations and directives towards low carbon cities and nearly zero energy building stock, in the proposed paper the urban solar lighting is examined as one of the technological improvements that are still experimentally present in the cities of Montenegro, Albania and Serbia. Modernization interventions in the built environment could be aesthetical, technological, social, economic, etc., or some of these aspects together. This study focuses on the technological modernization of the built environment, with significant economic and aesthetic implications. It examines photovoltaic (PV) integration in the built environment by introducing solar street lighting. Integration of PV technology in urban areas represents a kind of modernization, predominantly in terms of production of the so-called “green energy”. In technical terms, it is a challenge of reliability, durability, and maintenance. The main issues, in general, are the PV system cost and reliability. Equally important for integration in the built environment is the character of the environment in which the PV street lighting system is integrated. In this study, we analyse and compare the use of PV technology in three countries of the Western Balkans – Serbia, Albania and Montenegro, in terms of the application of PV systems in street lighting. The examined sample vary from small samples in Serbia to equipment and running street-wide in the capital of Albania and in the city of Cetinje in Montenegro. This research resulted from cooperation within the PEARL-PV project, which is one of the COST Actions, CA16235, funded by the EU.

IFAU 2019 – 3rd International Forum on Architecture and Urbanism aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Architecture, Urbanism, Cultural Heritage within Modernization and Globalization trends of XXI century. It also provides the premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted for the Modernization and Globalization in the Cities in Transition.