Zaha Hadid Architects Reveals Low-Carbon Residential and Hotel Wings in Tirana

Zaha Hadid Architects designed the Nest and Cascades developments for the Kodra e Diellit community in the southern hillsides of Tirana. Commissioned by local developer AgiKons, these projects introduce new apartments and hotel facilities into an existing hillside neighborhood of villas, walkways, and woodlands. The design prioritizes passive environmental systems and material efficiency to serve a diverse resident demographic, including young professionals and families.

The Nest development comprises four buildings that respond directly to the Mediterranean climate of the region. Life Cycle Assessments for the project indicate an embodied carbon intensity of 471 kgCO₂e/m², a figure significantly lower than the regional average. The project team achieved this through the selection of recycled aggregates and specific cladding materials that mirror the local terrain.

Architects selected varied finishes for each volume to create a dialogue with the landscape. Two buildings feature a fawn-colored palette, while the third uses terracotta. The fourth volume utilizes a deep red stucco, referencing the iron-rich soil of the adjacent hillside. This material strategy ensures the new architecture remains grounded in its physical and geological context.

Passive systems and site-cast panels optimize performance

The Cascades serves as an extension to the existing Arka Art Hotel. This phase includes a 120-room hotel wing and a separate wing for apartments, both situated on a podium of local limestone. The design team utilized Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) panels for the facades, casting them on-site to minimize transport distances and structural loads. These thin-profile panels reduce raw material consumption by up to 70% while reflecting solar radiation.

Operational efficiency also defines the project’s technical systems. The site manages water via a closed-loop system that harvests rainwater for irrigation and filters grey-water for on-site reuse. Dedicated solar arrays provide renewable energy, supporting the development’s low-carbon goals. These infrastructural choices facilitate a walkable lifestyle within the urban planning framework of the hillside community.

Resource-aware interior finishes regulate humidity

The resource-aware approach extends to the interior design of the residential units. Lime-based stucco naturally regulates indoor humidity levels, removing the need for synthetic paints. The team also specified sustainably harvested chestnut flooring to provide a durable and natural surface underfoot. For the exterior balconies, cast bronze balustrades provide a long-lasting solution that requires no chemical maintenance coatings.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Nest and Cascades projects represent a significant shift in Tirana’s residential expansion by prioritizing measurable carbon reduction over formal expression. Zaha Hadid Architects leverages site-cast Glass Reinforced Concrete and regional limestone to reduce the environmental footprint of the hillside extension. By achieving an embodied carbon intensity well below regional benchmarks, the project demonstrates how technical material selection and passive Mediterranean design principles can upgrade existing urban fabric. This intervention effectively integrates high-density residential and hospitality programs into a wooded topography, using a closed-loop water system and local civic amenities to foster a low-carbon, walkable residential model.