Design Studio Tirana River

The interlinked design studio Entwerfen Tirana River and the module Urban Design in Southeast Europe examine the corridor of the Tirana River and the adjacent urban area as interconnected landscapes, shaped by ecological change, migration, informality, infrastructure, and heterogeneous urbanization.

Rather than treating them as peripheral fragments, we understand them as part of an evolving system in which environmental pressures, social conflicts, and historical processes overlap. An open research structure combining field research, interviews, films, discussions, and counter-mapping uncovers dynamics such as the climate crisis, environmental pollution, and suburbanization — both from a distance and on site. Lectures and debates sharpen the students' research focuses as the basis for their design projects.