The design concept aims to preserve the identity of the housing row while further developing the large-scale uniformity and monotony of Serie 94 through functional extensions and communal spaces. The replacement building reinterprets the defining balconies of Serie 94 as angled projections, creating a vertical articulation of the façade. Urbanistically, the building is set back from the adjacent residential tower and connected to the neighboring row via a shared courtyard with pathways. A permeable pavilion extends the ground floor with flexible-use spaces.

The building is accessed both from the street and from garden spaces at the courtyard side, each assigned to a stairwell community and providing washing facilities. The ground floor houses commercial and communal functions within the projecting volume – such as a workshop, a fitness room, and workspaces. The first two upper floors accommodate regular 2.5- to 4.5-room apartments alongside duplex units with six to seven rooms and access to the roof. Three apartments share a communal loggia opening to the park, offering everyday interaction spaces. Apartments are entered through the kitchen, feature through-living spaces with loggias on both sides, and equally sized individual bedrooms.

Regional natural stone serves as the primary load-bearing material, complemented by timber beams and ceilings of recycled cross-laminated timber. The façade and non-load-bearing interior walls are insulated with hemp-lime and clay plaster. Roughly broken stone blocks are used as a design element on the façade, combined with parapets made from reclaimed panel elements. Where necessary, recycled concrete is used. The goal is a hybrid construction that respects the properties of each material.

Serie 2025 – Transformable Houses

Over the past decades, a specific culture of multifunctionality and adaptation has developed in Ukraine. Due to housing shortages in the Soviet Union, it was common for rooms not to serve a single function but to be used differently throughout the day. Another characteristic is the high rate of homeownership, which results in lower mobility. Rather than moving to a new apartment as life circumstances change, residents adapt their existing homes, creating new rooms or merging existing ones.

The capacity for adaptation – to grow, shrink, and appropriate space – is already embedded in the building structure: load-bearing partitions of limestone blocks form the framework of Serie 2025. Defined openings allow spatial relationships to shift throughout the day, accommodating changing needs for privacy and communal living. Switchable rooms between apartments enable flexible reassignment, while areas near stairwells can be used independently. Dual vertical circulation cores facilitate easy reconfiguration of individual units, and flexible ceiling panels allow for vertical expansion. All apartments can be adapted to be fully accessible.

Serie 2025+++

Serie +++ consciously follows the footprint of the existing building and adopts the rhythm of the surrounding “slabs” as a guiding design motif. The structure is divided into three sections, responding to the urban context.

A central aspect is the material: locally sourced natural stone, which articulates the building through cross-shaped and column-like elements. It combines robust, durable construction with visible craftsmanship. Every joint, cut, and surface conveys a tangible atmosphere. The treatment remains raw and honest, making the architecture legible as a handcrafted work rather than an industrial product.

The stones taper toward the base, lightening the building’s mass and creating an inviting, human-scale ground floor. At the same time, a subtle sculptural tension emerges within, linking material, form, and scale. The gradual tapering follows structural logic, saving material while giving the interior depth and expression.

The hybrid construction allows for apartments of varying sizes, creating a diverse mix. The building can flexibly respond to different needs and adapt to new uses over time. The galleries on the southwest side provide communal spaces, create niches for lingering, and foster social interaction among residents.

Serie +++ thus becomes a lively, flexible, and socially sustainable residential space, combining tradition, craftsmanship, and modern living quality, conveying humanity and enabling a future-oriented community.