{"id":238,"date":"2026-01-24T13:07:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/24\/berdenesh-hills-noa-plans-contemporary-citadel-along-albanias-southern-coast\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T13:07:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T13:07:55","slug":"berdenesh-hills-noa-plans-contemporary-citadel-along-albanias-southern-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/24\/berdenesh-hills-noa-plans-contemporary-citadel-along-albanias-southern-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"berdenesh hills: NOA plans \u2018contemporary citadel\u2019 along albania\u2019s southern coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

noa unveils terraced homes on the mediterranean<\/h2>\n

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Berdenesh Hills by NOA<\/strong><\/a> in Saranda, Albania<\/strong><\/a>, is a residential<\/strong><\/a> and hospitality development set along the southern Mediterranean coastline, where hillside terrain and sea views guide the project\u2019s architectural logic.<\/p>\n

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The project occupies a sloping site within a quieter rural landscape outside Saranda. Approaching the area, the road traces low hills marked by scrub vegetation and exposed stone, with the sea appearing intermittently before opening fully toward the horizon.<\/p>\n

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NOA distributes the program across a group of terraced volumes that step with the topography. The ensemble reads as a compact development, shaped by the slope and oriented toward long views across the water and the distant outline of the Greek island of Corfu.<\/p>\n

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visualizations \u00a9 Aleksey Mokhov (unless otherwise stated)<\/p>\n

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a clustered neighborhood for a new ‘citadel’<\/h2>\n

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In designing its Berdenesh Hills project, the architects<\/strong><\/a> at NOA keep in mind the context of Southern Albania, which carries a layered architectural history. Here, remnants of castles and fortified settlements are scattered across the landscape. These structures often occupy elevated positions, their forms shaped by defensive logic as well as by the terrain.<\/p>\n

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The new development draws from this legacy through the idea of a contemporary citadel, interpreted as a clustered neighborhood rather than a closed perimeter.<\/p>\n

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Buildings are arranged around a central piazza that acts as the social and spatial core of the project. From this shared space, paths extend outward toward homes and gardened terraces. Meanwhile, the perimeter remains visually porous to maintain views of the surroundings.<\/p>\n

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Berdenesh Hills occupies a sloping Mediterranean site along the coast of southern Albania<\/p>\n

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the stepped architecture of berdenesh hills<\/h2>\n

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The architecture of NOA’s Berdenesh Hills relies on stepped roof planes and varying building heights to mirror the slope of the site along the coast of Albania. Volumes rise and fall in section, creating a rhythm that feels closely tied to the terrain. From above, the roofs form an articulated surface that blends into the hillside, while from below, the terraces emphasize horizontality without dominating the view.<\/p>\n

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Facades are finished in warm, earthy plaster tones that echo the colors of the surrounding soil and rock. Subtle projections and recesses animate the surfaces by catching light differently throughout the day. This modulation reduces the visual weight often associated with multi level residential construction in Saranda.<\/p>\n

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the project organizes housing and hospitality as a compact hillside development<\/p>\n

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private terraces for sweeping sea views<\/h2>\n

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Outdoor space plays a central role across the development. Each apartment includes a private terrace, designed as an extension of the interior living area. Along the edges of the buildings, these terraces widen, offering large exterior rooms oriented toward the sea. Parapets are lowered and detailed with slender metal elements to maintain open sightlines from inside the apartments.<\/p>\n

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At the center of Berdenesh Hills, the main square unfolds across multiple terraced levels, accommodating circulation, gathering, and a small community pavilion. A Mediterranean park weaves through the site, planted with species adapted to the coastal climate. Together, these shared spaces reinforce a sense of collective life while preserving privacy within individual dwellings.<\/p>\n

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Preliminary design approval has been secured and construction is planned to begin in 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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terraced volumes follow the terrain and preserve long views toward the sea<\/p>\n

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a central piazza structures movement and shared life across the site<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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\"noa-berdenesh-hills-albania-designboom-06a\" <\/p>\n
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private terraces extend living spaces outdoors | visualization \u00a9 NOA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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warm plaster facades respond to light, stone, and plantlife<\/p>\n

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\"noa-berdenesh-hills-albania-designboom-08a\" <\/p>\n
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the architecture draws from historic fortified landscapes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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name:\u00a0<\/strong>Berdenesh Hills<\/p>\n

architect:\u00a0<\/strong>NOA<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0@we.are.noa<\/a><\/p>\n

location: <\/strong>Berdenesh, Saranda, Albania<\/p>\n

local architect:\u00a0<\/strong>Atelier 4<\/a> | @atelier4studio<\/a><\/p>\n

status:\u00a0<\/strong>preliminary design approval<\/p>\n

visualizations:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a9 Aleksey Mokhov, \u00a9 NOA<\/p>\n

The post berdenesh hills: NOA plans ‘contemporary citadel’ along albania’s southern coast<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

designed by NOA, berdenesh hills is a terraced residential project that draws from historic mediterranean citadels of albania.
\nThe post berdenesh hills: NOA plans ‘contemporary citadel’ al<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sandrafoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}