The project began when the client sought to transform an existing, underutilized structure in historic Petrelë into a serene domestic sanctuary. From the outset, the client’s vision demanded a design that embraced the sloping topography and lush greenery of rural Tirana, rather than leveling the site.
Through an iterative design process, the residence was bifurcated into two distinct functional volumes. This conceptual gesture negotiated a subtle, semi-private threshold with the terrain. A tactile material duality—pairing crisp white stone cladding with weathered corten steel—rooted the building naturally into the hillside, while liberating the interior for versatile, contemporary living.
The finished villa offered the client an elevated living environment balancing domestic intimacy with open landscape views. For the community, it serves as an inspiring benchmark for architectural regeneration, showing how adaptive reuse honors local context without disrupting natural topography.
