Identification and assessment of resident-driven façade interventions in prefabricated large panel buildings: the case of Tirana

Abstract
Prefabricated concrete large-panel buildings, built over 50 years ago, have undergone numerous interventions during their life span, which were often carried out without technical criteria or standardized guidelines. These interventions have significantly impacted the façade layout and its performance, as well as the overall functioning of the buildings.
This paper aims to identify and analyze resident-driven interventions in these buildings, located in selected areas of the city of Tirana. The main objectives are to identify the most common types of interventions, assess the extent of façade modifications, and evaluate their potential impact on structural behavior. The study addresses the level of informal interventions and their possible implications for building performance. The working hypothesis assumes that 3D extension on the façade significantly alters the original building configuration and may introduce structural risks.
The methodology is based on visual field inspection and photographic documentation of the identified interventions, which are classified according to a basic typological scheme. The collected data are compared with the original drawings of the buildings, provided by the Central Technical Construction Archive.
The study's results are expected to identify the most frequent types of interventions carried out in these buildings, the degree of modification of the main facades, and the potential of these interventions to influence the structural behavior of the buildings.

Keywords: large panel buildings, unregulated interventions, façade alterations, structural performance, integrated rehabilitation