dc.description.abstract
After the last war, Prishtina underwent a period of rapid urban development, yet this growth was marked by poor planning. Especially in the city center, numerous neighborhoods were built without a clear urban vision. This uncontrolled expansion deprived essential educational and cultural institutions of the space necessary for their proper development. Rather than integrating seamlessly into the city’s educational and cultural districts, they emerged in isolation, often following impractical layouts.Key institutions such as the municipal opera, the musicschool, or the academy of arts were either never realized or were relocated to buildings that failed to meet their functional and spatial requirements.Access to educational institutions is still severely hampered by an outdated and over burdened infrastructure,which has a significant detrimental impact on the quality of education. Numerous elementary schools operate in two or even three shifts, which reduces class time and makes it more challenging to provide a comprehensive curriculum. Particularly in Prishtina, where population growth is exceptionally rapid, the present infrastructure is approaching its breaking point.However, this issue impacts not just the educational system but also the city's intellectual and cultural life.Higher education and cultural institutions are crucial for fostering innovation, creativity, and intellectual development.They provide opportunities for personal growth,promote social interaction, and serve as hubs for intercultural dialogue. Prishtina's absence of an institution dedicated to artistic education not only hinders students'creative and artistic potential but also reduces opportunities for innovative teaching practices in this field.This thesis aims to develop a strategy for a sustainable,circular art school in Prishtina. It is designed to be both an educational institution and a cultural hub. The primary objective is to establish a cutting-edge learning environment that goes beyond conventional schoolmodels, fostering a dynamic space where interdisciplinary collaboration thrives and innovative, adaptable education can flourish. The art school's open and welcoming layout will allow it to fit in well with the city while providing a space for artistic experimentation, cultural activities, and community meetings.This thesis' main research topic investigates how anart school's architecture might be planned to fosterstudents' creative growth as well as new, sustainable teaching methods. The project looks at architectural and spatial ideas that foster creative learning and assesses how sustainable building practices, especially timber architecture, may help create adaptable and forward-thinking learning environments. It also explores the learning landscape concept's possible use in the urban fabric and its suitability for an art school.To address these questions, an interdisciplinary research approach was adopted. The methodology includes an extensive review of literature and case studies on sustainable educational buildings and innovative art schools worldwide. To ensure optimal integration of the art school into the city, this is complemented by an urban and social analysis of the site in Prishtina.Furthermore, experimental design processes were conducted, developing and evaluating various architectural concepts based on their modularity, flexibility, and resource efficiency.The proposed architectural concept is based on modular timber construction, chosen for its ecological and functional advantages. As the primary building material,wood meets high sustainability standards and, due toits flexibility, allows for long-term adaptation to future educational needs. The art school is designed as an open spatial framework with adaptable learning areas that support various creative processes, ranging from individual work to collaborative projects. Special attention is given to natural lighting, acoustic design, and the integration of green spaces to establish a stimulating and inspiring learning environment.The findings of this study highlight the significant impact that sustainable architecture, innovative learning environments, and strong urban integration can have in enhancing the success and functionality of an art school in Prishtina. The proposal creates a dynamic culturalspace in addition to an educational institution by fusingecological, economic, and social sustainability with open and flexible learning. By doing this, it fosters the creative potential of the city and establishes the groundwork for Prishtina's sustained cultural growth.
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