The final presentation on February 20, 2025, marked the end of an intense and insightful semester. The students presented their final designs, showcasing the diversity of their approaches to the complex challenges of the transformation of Matiçan. Each design reflected an individual engagement with the semester’s themes, displaying creative and innovative solutions. The discussions and suggestions will resonate far beyond the semester, providing valuable impulses for future planning processes.
A particularly enriching aspect was the active participation of guest professors Sharif Kahatt and Meti Spahiu. Sharif Kahatt, an architect and professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, contributed his expertise in sustainable urban development. Meti Spahiu, an experienced urban planner from Kosovo, enriched the discussions with valuable insights into local transformation processes. Their feedback and perspectives gave the students new insights and comprehensive feedback on their projects.
All groups worked through a fluid process encompassing both large-scale urban concepts and specific, detailed interventions at the neighborhood level. For instance, issues such as building density, green spaces, and infrastructure were addressed alongside targeted interventions considering individual daily life´s character, usage distribution, and specific needs. The key difference lay in the choice of the project area and its position within Matiçan, which led to different approaches and solutions. Each group selected an area that varied not only in size but also in its specific focus. The semester was distinguished not only by the quality of the final designs but also by the new insights the students gained throughout the process. The field trip to Pristina and Matiçan played a crucial role, enabling the students to reflect on their theoretical ideas through direct interaction with local stakeholders and better understand the specific urban context. These experiences were directly incorporated into the urban designs and significantly contributed to the depth of the projects.