About

Modelling Architecture is fascinated by the interplay of different levels of scale and thinking: the scale of the city and that of mankind; thinking in abstraction and thinking in tangibility. The cohesion of these levels is not to be found in one compulsive dogmatic theme, but rather in different concepts and concrete projects.

The exploring attitude is not to find definitive answers, but to raise questions in order to continue the reflective and research working method for the future innovations of the common worldwide society. Established in 2020 as the continuation of DEA Studio (2000–2020), MA Studio & Partners works across architecture, urban planning, landscape and interior design from its studio in Tirana, Albania.

Our story

  1. 2020
    MA Studio & Partners

    The studio is founded, working across architecture, urban planning, landscape and interior design from Tirana.

  2. 2022
    Placeholder milestone

    Placeholder — add the 2022 milestone here once you've decided what to highlight (a landmark project, a new discipline, an award or a partnership).

  3. 2026
    Today

    Architecture, urban planning, landscape and interior design — in Albania and beyond.

Our services

Planning how whole areas and cities grow — where homes, roads, parks and public spaces go, so a place works for the people who live there.

Designing the spaces between buildings — squares, streets and waterfronts — so they feel safe, beautiful and easy to move through.

Designing the buildings themselves, from the first idea all the way to the detailed drawings used to build them.

Designing the outdoor spaces — gardens, parks, greenery and terrain — around and between buildings.

Designing the inside of a space: the layout, materials, lighting and furniture, so it works and feels right.

The technical backbone that makes sure a building stands safely and is built to last.

Designing buildings that need less energy to heat, cool and run — lower bills and a smaller footprint.

Inspecting an existing building to find exactly where it wastes energy and how to fix it.

More about us

MA Studio & Partners Ltd. was established in February 2020 as the continuation of the renowned design office DEA Studio Ltd (2000–2020), founded by partners Ervin Taçi and Klodiana Emiri Taçi. National and international experience meets new design challenges under one constant “open-mind” philosophy. From the start, both partners were drawn to the interplay between scales of thinking—the city and the dwelling, the abstract and the real. Rather than forcing these into a fixed dogma, the studio explores them through distinct concepts and concrete projects. Continuous research is not about definitive answers but about raising the questions that move society forward.

Building on the legacy of DEA Studio (2000–2020), MA Studio & Partners has delivered 200+ commissioned projects for Albanian and international public institutions and private clients, with 160+ realized works spanning masterplanning, public buildings, culture, hospitality, and large-scale residential design (700,000+ m²). Selected realized works:

  • General Local Plans of Vlora, Saranda, Himara, Konispol, Libohova, Delvina & Finiq
  • Kashar Masterplan (240 ha)
  • Tirana Olympic Park Masterplan
  • Durana — Tirana–Durrës Economic Corridor (Lot 3)
  • Lushnja city-center revitalization
  • Qeparo, Dhërmi, Jala & Livadh waterfronts
  • Saranda coastal promenade
  • “Feti Borova” Sports Palace
  • Albanian Olympic Committee building
  • Maliqi Theater
  • Medieval Museum of Korça
  • Korça historical bazaar restoration
  • “Andon Zako Çajupi” Theater, Korça
  • “Jan Kukuzeli” Art School & “Jusuf Puka” High School, Durrës
  • Gjirokastra historical bazaar restoration
  • Germia Concert Hall & Prishtina Arena, Kosovo
  • Zvernec Masterplan (500 ha)
  • “Univers City” Masterplan (45 ha)
  • LIDL Balkan hub, Porto Romano
  • Ebolowa Education Masterplan (220 ha), “Bantu” Museum & University of Art, Cameroon
  • Shkodra Cultural Center
  • “Reiffeisen” Administrative Center
  • “Downtown 1” tower (40 floors), Tirana
  • Porto Romano Hydrocarbons Terminal
  • Hotel Hilton (200 rooms), Tirana
  • Hotel Intercontinental (150 rooms), Riga
  • “Turgut Özal” College & Memorial International School of Tirana

MA Studio & Partners carries the know-how of its founders’ collaborations with leading international practices:

  • Hijjas Kasturi Architects
  • MVRDV
  • HLT
  • Studio Gang
  • Oppenheim Architecture
  • Sauerbruch Hutton
  • Bolles+Wilson
  • l’AUC
  • JDS Architects
  • Atena Studio
  • TPA
  • NOA

First prize in 18 national and international open competitions, including the “Durana — Tirana–Durrës Economic Corridor” and the “Borea Ski Resort” in Peja, Kosovo. Further placements: 2nd — Germia Concert Hall, Prishtina; 2nd — Prishtina Arena; 3rd — New Parliamentary Complex of Albania; 3rd — Tirana Train Station Towers.

Honors carried from the founders include the BIG SEE Architecture Award 2019 and the ICONIC Award 2019 (Innovative Architecture) for Tirana Olympic Park; two nominations for the EU Mies van der Rohe Award 2019; an Architizer A+ Award 2019 nomination (Tirana Olympic Park); and a Grand Prix nomination for the Korça Medieval Art Museum (Culture, 2018).

  • “Tirana Olympic Park” — SHARE Forum, Tirana 2018
  • “Tirana Olympic Park” — SHARE Forum, Budapest 2018
  • “Ebolowa Education Campus Masterplan” — SHARE Forum, Bucharest 2022
Workplace Consultancy

We begin by helping clients evaluate their needs—across residences, workplaces, schools, hospitals, and cultural and civic buildings. Analyzing context at scale, we align the value of place with the client’s goals before proposing concepts and solutions.

Project Management

Our in-house group delivers an integrated service across a project’s lifecycle—concept, construction, completion—covering budgeting and cost control, programme and resource management, and contract administration, on time, on budget, and to the highest quality.

MA Studio & Partners operates as a living, open academy where knowledge circulates freely. A horizontal ethos keeps hierarchy as a framework for clear decisions, not a constraint—every voice is a potential catalyst, and younger team members are relied on for fresh cultural and technological perspectives. A culture of productive tension and “artistic urgency”—spontaneous sketch competitions and rapid conceptual studies—keeps the studio experimenting and continually redefining its own boundaries.