Award-Winning Park Life to be First Green Neighborhood in Tirana

Set within a rolling <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/20/photos-new-public-park-opens-in-downtown-chicago/">green park</a> with expansive views of the city and nearby lake, Park Life is set to be the first <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/16/sonnenschiff-solar-city-produces-4x-the-energy-it-needs/">eco neighborhood</a> in Tirana, Albania. Designed by Rotterdam based <a href="http://www.joubertarchitecture.nl/">JA Joubert Architecture</a>, the masterplan won first place in an international competition to design a new community for the area, and their vision is now being developed to become a reality. The vibrant new neighborhood will feature a host of environmentally conscious features such as rain water catchment, grey water filtration and an awesome <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2009/05/13/natural-swimming-ponds-ditch-the-chemicals/">natural water swimming pool</a>.

Tirana is actually a city, but the site for Park Life is on its outskirts and is quite suburban.

However, with the density being so high, <a href="http://www.joubertarchitecture.nl/">JA Joubert</a> decided to defy what the classic definition of a suburb is with their design.

The result was a new type of community for all different age groups.

The neighborhood will have sports and health facilities, an integral solution for building and parking, restaurants and shops and outdoor living all encapsulated within a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/06/a-high-line-market-gains-momentum-in-harlem/">giant park</a>.

In order to make the water needs of the inhabitants sustainable, JA Joubert decided to connect the site to a nearby water canal.

Park Life will also feature systems for buffering water, collecting rain water and filtering it through a reed bed, and use of grey water for irrigation and cooling.

There will also be a beautiful natural water <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2009/08/11/pure-turns-swimming-pools-into-seafood-growing-wastewater-filters/">swimming pool</a> in the park instead of the traditional chlorine filled variety for the residents to enjoy.

A model of Park Life.