Project
From Nature to Nature

Category 
Best Project of Public Building or Facility

About the project
The return of people to nature is inevitable. Therefore, we must keep in mind that when designing projects, our aim must be to be in harmony with nature. Such an approach was also used in this project, where with the greatest care for the beautiful nature of the locality, several objects were designed that are almost nature itself, but which manage to meet the needs of visitors.
The Visitor Center is the main building with several functions such as a restaurant, exhibition space, bookstore, training center, and ticket office. All these functions are distributed along the Rammed Earth retaining wall, which is also the structure of the building.
Meanwhile, there are 3 types of observation points designed with ecological materials, Rammed Earth structures, birch fence walls, and wooden interiors. The first observation point is on the ground, the second observation point is an elevated observation point for long-distance observations, and the third observation point on the water.

Location
Tuscany, Italy

Project design year
2021

Extra visual materials (photos, videos etc.)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WH7fsw-5jJAtMbauXWE_3fSKKxOUZfel?usp=sharing

Applicant and authors of the project
Genc Blakaj, 27 years old from Kosovo: «I have a master's degree in Architecture from the University of Pristina. During these first years of my professional career, I have been involved in many types of architectural projects and have been awarded in several international competitions.»
Project by Genc Blakaj, Arjana Suka

Status of the project
Conceptual design