An investment by the German government through KfW and the EU, through the Investment Instrument for the Western Balkans, launched three years ago, will improve the quality of life in dormitories for over 3,000 students in Tirana.
Melisa Shaqiri, the student from Elbasan who attends the branch of "Business Administration" at the Faculty of Economics in Tirana, has come to see up close the new buildings of the "Student City". Currently, she lives in buildings that are waiting to be reconstructed. "Rents are very expensive and often unaffordable for students. I decided to live in the dormitory, because with the new conditions, it seems easier to focus on studies".
In "Student City" No. 1, the reconstruction of five buildings of the first phase of the joint project between the German government and the European Union has been completed.
"The German government has given more than 30 million euros in the form of grants and a loan through KfW to this project, while the EU's Western Balkans Investment Instrument has given a grant of about 5 million euros through KfW" - says Florion Ferro, representative of the German Development Bank.
"We demolished the walls and redesigned the rooms"
Maja Studovic, project manager at the German company "Fichtner Gmbh Consulting" has seen the old buildings since the first moments when the work started. She says that most of the engineering work done in the first phase was the demolition of the walls from scratch and the design of rooms with toilets and showers inside, in contrast to what they were before, where the showers were mainly in the basements and in the very small number.
"Do you understand what it means to crawl down from the fifth floor of the dormitory, go to shower in the basement and climb back up again, even in freezing temperatures?" - says Studovic to DW.
She emphasizes that the need to rebuild environments as suitable as possible for students changed the philosophy of KfW, which in the implementation of its projects uses 50% of the budget for energy efficiency and the rest for the structural part. "Usually, KfW funding is basically reconstruction, but in this case 70% was devoted to the restructuring of the rooms of the first five buildings, with the aim of extending the lifespan of the buildings and increasing the comfort for the students who will live here."
Basically a very basic condition, in-room showers in Tirana were considered a luxury until the reconstruction of new buildings. "Toilet inside the room and sharing the shower only with the roommate seems very comfortable to me" - confirms Melisa, the student from Elbasan.
Solar panels on the roofs of the dormitories
Taking advantage of the favorable climate and sunny days for most of the year in Tirana, the project has also included the installation of solar panels in order to reduce costs for students as well as the use of renewable energy.
"In addition to improving the living conditions for students, the effective renovation of energy during the first phase has contributed to the reduction of about 40% of energy consumption in the reconstructed buildings, making the management of the "Student City" less costly and more stable" - emphasized the representative of KfW, Ferro.
Heating and cooling systems have been installed in all the reconstructed buildings that will be built in the coming months, another necessity that was lacking in the Student City dormitories.
The project will be finalized after four phases, with the complete reconstruction of 19 buildings of "Student City 1" and with the accommodation of over 3000 students.
Elona Elezi (DW)
