Trends in the development of housing development in Ukraine in recent years have been changing more qualitatively and for the better. These changes are also felt in our city of Rivne. In particular, in the construction market, developers are no longer trying to compete only with built-up square meters, but also attach an important role to the architectural image. Arranging the space around the houses, creating a cozy yard and comfortable living conditions for future residents and streets around.

Thus, the concept of own housing goes from a separate apartment to the entire entrance, house, yard and even the area where you live. From a professional point of view, these trends are very pleasing to us as an architectural workshop, because they allow us to approach the design in a more comprehensive way and, as a result, get a better result both from the side of the developer and from the side of the future residents.

The MOST workshop was given the opportunity to develop the general concept and design of the facades of the improvement of 2 newly built quarters in the residential complex "Na Shchaslyvomu". It is worth noting that the residential complex "Na Shchaslyvomu" is a new district in the southern part of the city of Rivne, which has been actively developed for the past 7 years. When we started solving the task, sections of buildings and engineering structures (transformer substation and hydraulic fracturing) were already under construction. Therefore, they were not able to intervene in the placement and configuration of these buildings. But at the same time, they set themselves the task: to develop a new composition of residential buildings and the external environment, changing the approach to the division of facade planes and the planning of the territories of the blocks themselves, in contrast to the already built residential groups in the district.

The concept of redevelopment was based on the principle of a clear division of the territory by function: a public service area adjacent to commercial premises, a semi-private area of ​​residents - yards, and other areas - parking, engineering networks and garbage dumps. The public area of ​​the quarters is adjacent to commercial buildings and has wide sidewalks with street furniture (benches, bike racks) and landscaping. Its purpose is a public space near future food and retail establishments, focused on the active transit of residents, the possibility of taking away tables of cafes, coffee shops, that is, a place that will shape and concentrate the active urban life of the quarter. It should be added here that previously our workshop developed the general concept of the district, which is beginning to be developed. The structure of the streets, passageways and building spots that should appear and integrate them with the already built area and the city as a whole were highlighted. In particular, we predicted that the main axis of the district will be Studentska Street - the corso of the district - as an active city street with commercial buildings, a convenient pedestrian zone, a bicycle network, parking spaces and public transport. We hope that we will be able to implement the planned plans and the street will become one of the exemplary approaches to planning in the city. Despite the complex topography of the site and differences within the yard up to 2 m, barrier-free access to the entrances to houses, commercial premises, and descents within pedestrian crossings was provided.

You can make a first impression only once - this rule applies not only to a person, but also to everything that surrounds us. Having changed the approach to the division of facade planes with architectural solutions, we created a new composition of the existing facades of two newly built quarters, which will become a business card of their residents. In addition to the different storeys of the sections, a feature of these blocks is the dynamics of the building line with protruding parts of the outer walls, which attracts attention and creates an interesting silhouette.

We had limited tools: in terms of materials - plaster, in terms of form - already built architecturally indistinct sections. With the help of color and its combination, adding dynamics, new facades appeared, which we divided by color into vertical blocks. The tandem of bright and pastel shades, which are superimposed on a dark background, visually united and at the same time divided the form, which makes the facade interesting and emphasizes its versatility. The idea of ​​combining such colors was to make each color read independently, and to unite separate parts of the facades (now accentuating the entrances to the porches). The composition of the upper floors involves the use of black, which visually reduces the height of the building, while the colored areas of the facades simultaneously add visual volume and expressiveness to the architectural forms. The use of a dark color between the windows unites them in height as a background, which creates the effect of a lower level. To emphasize this effect, it was also necessary to partially change the line of already bricked parapets. In general, such composite solutions of facades not only look harmonious, but also perfectly combine with the surrounding space.

Each of the quarters has a separate yard, within which there are no parking spaces (they were provided for in the general plan previously developed for us), and there is access for emergency service vehicles to deliver materials. Instead, the courtyards provide an opportunity for all residents to rest safely: communicate, meet with neighbors and friends, children play, learn to ride bicycles, do sports, meditate, sunbathe, etc. The courtyards have a similar filling, but a different planning structure: one - sharp geometric, the other - a smooth rounded shape of paths and platforms. Filling the courtyards: a children's space, a recreation area with tables and benches, and a small workout area. They tried to fill the children's space with elements in the same color scheme and use natural materials (wood). The elements were selected from the point of view of the development of children's creativity and encouragement to play. In particular, there are various types of lasagnas, as well as elements for playing with sand: a whole complex with sieves, hinges, shutters and movable mechanisms, and a toy excavator, which is popular not only with children, but also with adults.

In the landscaping project, not only a decorative approach is thought out, but also a functional one. In the courtyards, a combination of groups of trees (birch), decorative flower beds of perennial grasses (perovskia, sage, oats) and a curtain of bushes (horizontal juniper) is used. Along the streets, driveways and parking lots - large trees (linden, maple), which in the future will shape the street, create shade and protect against noise. Along the public zone on the side of Studentska Street, planting of decorative flowering trees - paradise apple trees is planned.

The quarter is adjacent to Studentska and Berezovaya streets. When designing these streets within the blocks, sidewalks, bike paths and a bike lane (downhill on Berezova Street) and longitudinal pockets for parking were provided. At the intersection of the streets, a ring of medium diameter is provided (sketch project - "Maisternia MOST", working documentation - "Rivnedorproekt"), which is a safe type of intersection (cars at the entrance reduce the speed of traffic) with bicycle and pedestrian crossings. Road pavements made of chipped cobblestones are installed to calm traffic within pedestrian crossings: a simple and effective solution to reduce speed. All parking spaces are separated into separate parking lots and placed along the driveways. In this way, it was possible to reduce the number of conflict points between drivers and pedestrians, to form full-fledged pedestrian yards for residents to relax, and to provide more than 75% of apartments with parking spaces.

In general, the development of the quality of construction for the residents of "Na Shchaslyvo" is more than noticeable. Interesting new solutions with the number of floors of buildings, the color range of facades, landscaping of yards, well-thought-out recreation areas. This is an example of the fact that, when creating a quality home, it is important to think through every detail. We are glad that construction is moving to a new, better level, work is appreciated, and working in tandem with the customer brings fruit and development.