ADAPTIVE SUSTAINABLE REUSE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES OF ABANDONED BUILDINGS IN MALESIA E MADHE DISTRICT, ALBANIA

Abstract

Since ancient times, agriculture in Albania has been one of the most pivotal industrial sectors that drives the economy of the country consisting of various advantages regarding trade and commerce. However, this sector has been facing several problematics in terms of its organization and financial situation. “Malesia e Madhe” district in Albania is selected in this study in order to create a bottom-up approach to improve district the agricultural sector of the entire country. Based on the feedback gathered from questionnaires and statistical data from INSTAT, one of the main factors that influence the downgrade of the agricultural sector is indicated to be the absence of a well-organized trade. Several proposals are conducted on this study for the implementation of Agro-Logistics centers activity in old abandoned traditional dwellings of the district. As a result of the building materials and techniques on this building typology, the selected structures are very beneficial in terms of energy performance. The proposed structures are derived from simulations computed in this study by means of Design Builder software. Variables such as the air temperature, relative humidity, building orientation, agricultural context, building materials and techniques are used utilized in order to perceive the most efficient simulation results. The outcome of the study indicates that this building typology associated with the proper retrofit measurements, can consume up to 65.8% less energy than a typical warehouse.