In the rapidly-developing historic Vellusha area of central Pristina, the walls of an existing 1970s house were retained in this project for two apartments, one on each of two floors, and a small basement. To extend the interior spaces, the glass façades of each apartment give onto the long, narrow site landscaped as an urban garden with a water channel, a typical feature of traditional Kosovar architecture. Reinforced concrete columns and slabs form the new building structure, with brick infill; the roof is wood and metal, and an exterior spiral staircase in iron provides access to the upper apartment. An optimal arrangement of the compact interior spaces and careful attention to detail characterise the low-budget project.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture