Studio
An architect and interior designer working between the Balkans and Europe.
Valza Zhushi is an Albanian architect and interior designer. She works on private houses, apartments and small hospitality projects, and prefers to carry each one from the first sketch to the last piece of furniture.
Her work is calm and led by material: natural stone, lime plaster, solid timber, and light treated as a building material in its own right. She draws on the building traditions of Albania and Kosovo, from fitted stone walls to the courtyard house, and reinterprets them for contemporary life.
Approach
The site comes first
Before any drawing, time is spent on the site at different hours, noting where the light falls and what the land wants.
Few materials, used well
A small palette of honest materials, chosen to age gracefully and be repaired rather than replaced.
Made by hand, nearby
Stonemasons, joiners and metalworkers from the region, whose craft is part of the design.
What she designs
- ArchitectureNew houses and extensions, from the first site visit to the last detail.
- InteriorsComplete interiors for homes, apartments and hospitality spaces.
- RestorationCareful work on historic houses, using the materials they were built with.
- Furniture & objectsPieces designed for a single room and made by local craftspeople.
Materials
Limestone · Lime plaster · Chestnut · Walnut · Oak · Linen · Bronze · Terracotta
