Little is known about place attachment in the Balkans. This study aims to start filling this gap. After a contextualization of place attachment studies in the Balkans and its relevance for research and practice, a brief review of theory is offered. Then the methodology of the empirical part of the study is clarified. Over 300 citizens living in seven different neighborhoods of Tirana have been interviewed on place attachment issues such as sense of belonging, familiarity, self-identification and neighborhood experience. The results of the empirical study show that place attachment in Tirana is quite positive. The findings and analysis indicate that place attachment indicators do not vary significantly according to educational level, gender and age, but do correlate with length of residence. It also appeared that place attachment indicators are higher in well-established neighborhoods compared to the new high-rise areas. The study concludes with recommendations for follow-up research, specifically qualitative research on citizens' meanings of place attachment and study on place attachment related to responsible behavior.

In primitive societies, houses were built using local materials. In Albania, the highlands often used stone whereas the lowlands and valleys, particularly those close to the coast, were more likely to employ adobe and bricks. In the coastal plain, due to the shortage of stone sources and the ease of accessing mud material nearby, mud bricks were largely used both for urban and rural buildings. Most of the earth architecture in Albania dates back to the Ottoman era. Other structures made of mud bricks were built up to the early 1990s. The majority of them have been demolished, abandoned, and fallen into ruin. Nowadays, traditional adobe building techniques are vanishing, because they are no longer used in modern constructions. Examining the theoretical foundations and structural components of Albania's traditional earthen architecture is the main goal of this study. The classification of earth architecture techniques used in various traditional building typologies is achieved by examining the spatial distribution of housing typologies, the structural components, and construction systems in different geographical locations. This study reports an assessment that is based on extensive in-situ research, including field survey, archival research, comprehensive pictures, recording of various adobe building types in Albania, and a literature review. Based on the collected data and critical assessments, this study intends to offer and document various earthen building typologies in Albania according to their spatial distribution in the plan, volume, construction methods, and material combinations. This knowledge may be subsequently utilized as vital information for new vernacular buildings or temporary structures. It aims to provide specific architectural principles and technical criteria for the use of earth in new structures or restoration of existing historical buildings. This study serves as a starting point for further research with the aim of producing an easy-to-follow guide with plans for earthen buildings, from little dwellings to larger ones, by employing several case studies across Albania. Due to the historical, social, and cultural significance of adobe architecture in Albania as well as its advantages in terms of the economy and environment, revitalizing, restoring, and preserving adobe architecture by improving its construction conditions can be an added value for sustainable future development.

In traditional societies, building construction was related with local materials available in situ. In Albania, traditional architecture is especially built with adobe in the lowest areas, especially near the coast and with stone especially in the mountains. The scarce resources of stone near the coast and the facility to build with mud bricks, has made possible its implementation both in urban and rural dwellings. The greatest number of adobe constructions belongs to the Ottoman period and lasted until the first decades of nineties. This paper focuses in analyzing the design principles and the constructional elements of the traditional earthen architecture in Albania. Through the documentation and study of the local traditional adobe construction systems, it would be more interesting to understand its potential use today. This paper’s analyses are based on large-scale in-situ research made with students in the framework of the restorations course at Polis university, which includes field survey, archival research, detailed photographic recording of the remaining traditional buildings mainly in central Albania and literature review of the main causes of deterioration of adobe structures. Analysis of spatial distribution of housing typologies, basic structural elements, and different construction systems influenced by the geographical position highlight specific earth architecture techniques used in different traditional building typology. Based on the collected data and critical analyses, this paper will provide some useful suggestions concerning the typology, form, and the construction techniques of traditional earth buildings, and it will guide us in finding some techniques currently used for the restoration and preservation of traditional adobe buildings and the use of new earth buildings construction in particular locations.