February 20, 2020

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ZA and local Albanian firm Varka Arkitekturë have partnered to masterplan a new mixed-use neighborhood for the earthquake-afflicted Albanian city of Fushë-Krujë, Albania. The project is being commissioned by the National Territorial Planning Agency of Albania, in cooperation with the Albanian Ministry of Culture and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, and will provide facilities for housing, education, healthcare, commerce, and recreation to approximately 210 families displaced by the November 2018 earthquake. With roughly 32,000 people still homeless, emphasis is being placed on the use of pre-fabrication technology for design and construction processes. In order to house the maximum number of citizens before temperatures drop to near-freezing levels, the initial phase of single-family homes is targeted for completion by October 2020, with later phases expected to be complete in incremental stages through 2021. The project will be implemented by the Albanian Development Fund, with financial support from the international community. Based on the Post Disaster Needs Assessment undertaken by the United National Development Programme, the European Union, World Bank, and various agencies of the Albanian Government, a $1.08 billion appeal was made at a donors conference in Brussels this month. As a result, $1.25 billion in humanitarian aid has been pledged by NGOs and governments from around the globe to cover reconstruction costs, with long-term goals focused on investing public infrastructure investment, educational facilities construction, disaster-preparedness improvement, and helping local economies.‍

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Note: Prior to ZA being officially commissioned by AKPT, Peter Zuroweste (PZ) worked with the Albanian government as a representative of Dutch Architecture firm Mecanoo. With Mecanoo's support, PZ visited Albania in December 2019 - January 2020 to collaborate with representatives of various Albanian agencies to investigate damaged sites, develop initial reconstruction concepts, and strategize phases for demolition and construction. This initial phase (see images below) was completed as a humanitarian pro bono contribution from Mecanoo to the Albanian reconstruction effort, and was completed by PZ with the mentorship of Mecanoo's Creative Director Francine Houben.