We decided to approach the topic in the same comprehensive way that Vlasne Misto approaches its projects: to find out the motivation of the initiators, to learn the opinion of an experienced competition organizer, and to understand why architects are often alienated from real construction. We heard the opinions of young and experienced architects, technical experts: can a well-organized competition become a win-win formula — fill the gaps in academic education, give architects a platform to realize their ambitions, and help developers get a project that is profitable and realistic to implement? We also explored how interdisciplinary cooperation, clear standards, and an innovative approach can turn a bright visualization into comfortable housing that works for both residents and investors, increasing its value in the long term.
I. Yaroslav Korniachenko: why Vlasne Misto is betting on open competitions
Usually, a developer is associated with numbers, sales plans and deadlines, but in the case of Vlasne Misto, everything is different. This is a team that builds a cluster city, and in parallel with this, a unique complex ecosystem, where architects, engineers, landscapers, urbanists and managers work as a coordinated mechanism. PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA has already talked in detail about the content and essence of the experimental Vlasne Misto project for Ukraine in previous articles, which can be found on our website. At the center of this process is the company's CEO Yaroslav Korniachenko, who thinks in categories of the quality of the environment where people will live.
Vlasne Misto consciously chooses a strategy of maximum transparency of processes: open rules, clear evaluation criteria, clear communication with the public. The company is convinced that this is the only way to build trust - without it, no project, even the most beautiful, will receive the necessary support. This is an approach that works for the image and long-term capitalization of the facility.
Yaroslav Korniachenko, CEO of Vlasne Misto
In a conversation with PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA, Yaroslav Korniachenko explains how Vlasne Misto managed to combine the creative freedom of architects with rigid economic and engineering frameworks, turning them not into restrictions, but into a tool for increasing the value of the project. This approach requires constant dialogue, the courage to trust young professionals and the willingness to involve different points of view, even if they do not coincide with the established vision. We talk about how ambitious architectural ideas are born, what is needed to hold fair and effective architectural competitions and why for Vlasne Misto, participation in the International Exhibition of Real Estate Professionals MIPIM 2026 is not just prestige, but a strategic step to bring Ukrainian development to a new level.
Developer as a conductor: how to assemble a team into one orchestra
PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: Your intention to launch an architectural competition is very intriguing, but first I would like to find out your motivation and understand how the work process is organized in your multidisciplinary team. How do you manage to build such a work model, where the creativity and ambition of architects are combined with the expertise of engineers, and the result is projects that increase the capitalization of real estate?
Yaroslav Korniachenko: All projects should be creative and ambitious, but for us this is better formulated through the concept of expertise. But the level of expertise combined with creativity is exactly what the architects we work with are about. We give them a chance to create, because they have studied for it, they have a talent for it. This is the first point. The second is that we help them with our expertise and the expertise of related designers, in particular network engineers or designers. This team synergy creates, step by step, opportunities to realize the creative ambitions of the architects together with the expertise of the entire team.
“We maintain synergy through motivation. I try to inspire the team to create, because I want our city to be alive, adaptive, and relevant at all times and for any generation,” — Yaroslav Korniachenko
Often, capital costs at the start either create added value to the project as a whole or reduce operating costs in the future. For example, if we use good architecture, we never forget about shading. By the way, today's energy efficiency of buildings actually requires more attention to cooling, because buildings have long become warmer than the norms. Our holistic strategy is to reduce costs using existing landscape elements or even landscape elements and environmental programs that we have designed. They generate the environment into which the architect implements the building. This creates a limitless space: it opens from the inside of the building to the external environment where this building is located.
Today, we are working with a limited number of architects, but we are trying to expand this circle. A developer of this scale should not form his own monovision or the monovision of an architect with whom he can be comfortable throughout his life. The consciousness of generations is different. That is, it is necessary to use the works of young architects, as well as support the creativity of young artists. Give them a chance to learn, to make mistakes. There is a problem: where can a young architect get experience? Every specialist goes through light bullying in professional growth. When I was young, still at university, they asked me: “Who are you, boy, to tell us something?” Although I had good ideas, and I brought them to 2012 and realized that it is worth starting to do it myself, and not to lecture some leaders of Ukrainian development.
The Vlasne Misto office is a hub and laboratory where you can come with your idea. Photo: Vlasne Misto
PM: You work with a large team, with people from different backgrounds and generations, and you plan to expand this circle even further. If you compare architects to musicians in a large orchestra, then engineers and contractors are also its members. How do you make this orchestra play harmoniously, even if there are already notes - master plans?
Y.K.: It may sound a little funny, but at school I was literally an “orchestra man.” We had a school orchestra. My older brother played the accordion, the keyboards were taken, so I got other instruments. And the orchestra leader said more than once: “You can count on me,” because I could play the flute, pick up a part on the spoons, hit the xylophone or triangle in time. This taught me that being a team leader is not easy.
The organizer of such an “orchestra” as the Vlasne Misto project must not only understand the technical side, but also go through a certain psychological path. You need to be able to restrain yourself when you want to stop the arguments and say: “Enough!” Because often these are not even conflicts, but working discussions. I cannot evaluate us as a customer - it is better to ask the members of our project group about this. But from what I feel, we maintain synergy through motivation. I try to inspire the team to create, because I want our city to be alive, adaptive, relevant at any time and for any generation.
It is also important to understand which architect is the top in their field: someone in commercial projects, someone in residential projects. In our in-house team LAWA Architects, we also clearly divided the roles.
PM: What principles do you follow when managing a team?
Y.K.: I am guided by three principles: first, to move consciously, clearly understanding what you want to achieve; second, to allow people to make mistakes: I was not given such an opportunity at one time, and I know how important it is to have the right to make mistakes; third, to make decisions quickly. I thank my partners for their trust: we determine quite quickly what we can afford and what we cannot.
We are compiling our experience into an internal handbook for new team architects. The handbook clearly states what not to do and provides ready-made components and solutions that have already been tested in practice. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. If new solutions appear, we add them. This way we create a methodical work system — from "A" to "Z."
Yaroslav Korniachenko: "The most important thing is our willingness to invest in the design stage before entering the construction site. Errors should be corrected in different iterations of the project, not when it has already been presented."
Working moments in the Vlasne Misto office. Photo: Vlasne Misto
No process can be based solely on intuition or the opinion of one specialist. As one honored architect of Ukraine, who is almost 90 years old, said, "architecture and urban planning are an encyclopedic profession." You have to know about everyone and everything in order to understand all aspects of people's lives and needs as much as possible. Sometimes you even have to delve into a separate area - sometimes through your own experience. For example, my family had serious experience communicating with medical structures. Therefore, in our projects, we allocate a special place for partnerships in the field of healthcare, the creation of geriatric and rehabilitation centers. Such a deep immersion in the topic also forms both the team and the approach to development.
PM: You say that your team members have the right to make mistakes. But does your methodical work help you avoid serious problems?
Y.K.: Yes, of course. We used the eight years leading up to the first public exposure of the project for exactly that: to structure the process and avoid critical mistakes at the start. Of course, small mistakes happen, but they do not threaten the safety of residents. These are more like “signals” — markers that show where the solution can be improved, especially when it comes to materials, energy-efficient technologies, or structural components.
We often receive such signals when an already implemented product is undergoing expertise or when it is commented on by international partners and experts. We make sure to convey these cases to the team: "Look, here we did this, but we will not repeat it again."
Every week we have an internal “scientific conference” — a discussion of mistakes and ways to avoid them. Previously, such meetings were separate: I would communicate with designers separately, look for rational solutions, then pass this on to architects. But when the number of architects increases, new people may not know about the solutions already found. Now we systematically explain everything and fix it in a reference book.
But most importantly, we are willing to invest in the design phase before we even get to the construction site. Mistakes should be fixed in different iterations of the project, not when it is already presented to future residents or employees. And, of course, the estimated cost should not be a surprise at the moment of construction.
Exterior of the Vlasne Misto sales center. Photo: Vlasne Misto
International jury and long deadline: how Vlasne Misto prepares for an architectural competition
PM: How does the process of attracting young architects to your team work in practice? Do you look for them in competitions, find interesting projects on the Internet, or do you work differently?
Y.K.: We have constantly open vacancies. But today people do not change jobs or places of residence so easily. That is why now we are growing faster due to teams that we engage on subcontracting. There is a team, it has its own manager — a conditional “conductor” — and we work with it directly. He receives a clear technical task from us, and then he organizes the work to be done by his team. It is more convenient — the risks are shared.
But there is a nuance here: each team has its own style and methodology. It is difficult to retrain them to suit yourself. We can only agree that we do not ask you to do worse, on the contrary - we give you the opportunity to prove yourself. Moreover, we offer not just to complete the task, but to implement the project you have planned together with us.
We are currently contacting the Union of Architects and several foreign colleagues to launch an open competition for a private facility. But not just for one house or building, but for a quarter-wide planning, when the architect has all the initial information: functional zones, "red lines", external networks, accessibility to already designed facilities. And he can choose what to do: design a commercial, educational facility or the entire quarter.
We want to give more space for imagination. We guarantee the winner the purchase of his work both at the sketch and at the subsequent design stages. I think this will be a new but very positive experience for us. Because the city should grow not only quickly in terms of construction, but also quickly in terms of design. Now it takes from half a year to several years to develop a project.
Today, if you have seen, architectural competitions are held only by municipalities and the state, and they are treated skeptically: we constantly hear about incomprehensible solutions, incorrectly written technical specifications, corrupt competitions where the same ones win. Why not hold competitions for private projects? This is already in the DNA of European countries, there are good implemented projects in the hotel sector, medicine, not only in public facilities or public museums. Commercial residential complexes are put up for competition, and the purchase is made based on the results of the competition.
This is the chance: to try to win, and if it doesn’t work out now, then for the next quarter or year. In this way, we are trying to instill more and more confidence in architects, to make them smarter, more persistent in finding themselves and their own development as experts. To compete with people with 20–30 years of professional experience and to share their knowledge, because everyone should have a chance. Young people probably lack a little experience, they have gaps in their practical approach, but they have something very valuable in them — an understanding of the lifestyle of future users. Experience needs to be stimulated and shared. I had a good conversation at the Union of Architects of Ukraine, and even the president of the National Union of Architects (NUA), Oleksandr Chyzhevsky, admitted that those design institutes that were a forge for young architects of his generation and a little younger, no longer exist. And business doesn't want to take risks: they only hire experienced architects who can help and make money right away. So what should young people do?
Therefore, our initiative to introduce a private architectural competition for cluster town facilities provides an opportunity not only for architects, but also for engineers to develop their creative ambitions.
PM: Are you still negotiating with the Union of Architects at the idea level or do you already have a preliminary technical brief for the competition?
Y.K.: We have already formed the technical task and are finalizing it in the process - in particular, after communicating with the future jury, which we are currently selecting. Our first step is to involve experienced architects in the jury. We are still determining whether this will be a joint competition under the brand of the Union of Architects or under our banner. Because the Union itself now has a task - to work more with young architects, to involve them in panel discussions, to exchange experience.
As of today, we already have the consent of four international architects who are ready to join the jury, and we plan to add at least two or three more from Ukraine. After that, we will finally form the task and officially announce the competition. It will definitely not be “today for tomorrow” - we will give participants enough time to submit their works.
Working moments in the Vlasne Misto office. Photo: Vlasne Misto
"Our initiative to introduce a private architectural competition for cluster town facilities provides an opportunity not only for architects, but also for engineers to develop their creative ambitions," — Yaroslav Korniyachenko
Moreover, one person will be able to submit several projects. Because even in our in-house team, we see that someone is strong in hospitality, someone in housing, and someone in public spaces. For example, we have an architect who has long wanted to design a chapel. And he did it at a very high level — with deep knowledge of the topic and respect for the task.
PM: So this competition is planned specifically in the context of cluster towns?
Y.K.: Yes, but there is an important clarification here. We are not holding a competition for the master planning of the entire cluster town. This is a more complex work, where you need to look deeply at financial models, do an audit, and analyze the territory.
Our competition is rather about something else - about involving architects in specific objects, in particular in the private sector. And at the same time, about developing the initiative itself. We must be realistic: according to current legislation and in the administrative sense, an architectural object is considered to be anything that is built, even if there was no architecture as such. This is a huge problem. Because people will then have to live or work in such buildings.
Therefore, our competition is not about a beautiful picture, but about practice. Today, you can simply buy a project on the Internet, without even knowing the author, and then replicate the mistakes embedded there. In the end, this turns into a negative experience for people, especially when it comes to affordable housing. A person saves on some engineering part, but in the future loses tens of thousands of dollars - just because he did not know how to properly involve a specialist, and did not have the opportunity to understand what could be done differently.
MIPIM is about sustainability: what attracts investors in comprehensive plans
PM: In this article, I would like to hint at the upcoming MIPIM 2026, in which your team will participate. Which of your cases do you plan to present there?
Y.K.: A platform of this level as MIPIM has given me a clear understanding over several years of visits: it is important to be consistent in your proposals. That is, not to come every year with something new just because it "didn't work" last year, but to demonstrate consistency in decisions and in the project itself.
MIPIM has been around for over 30 years, and today it is not easy to attract investments there. The reason is that the level of expertise of countries has increased significantly. And trust in a particular project grows along with trust in the country. If a country or city demonstrates transparency and sustainability, investors see this as a guarantee.
For example, when Uzbekistan brings a large-scale project of the new capital Tashkent to MIPIM as a public-private collaboration, it makes a strong impression. Because investments attracted by the state are a multiplier for the economy. Another example is the city of Riga, which presents all its projects at one stand. This immediately signals: there is a development strategy here, here the investor understands that tomorrow they will not be told "permit revoked."
The first phase of Vlasne Misto will see the construction of a 600-seat school. Image courtesy of Vlasne Misto
Vlasne Misto is a city-forming project. Our task is to prove that a hybrid system of investing in a holistic city, built on the principles of sustainability, with autonomous networks, product programs, social and environmental initiatives, is the main product worth investing in. Yes, we have been advised more than once: “Break the project down, separately attract investors for energy, then for medicine, then for housing.” But in reality, this does not work if we are talking about attracting attention to the comprehensive and correct implementation of the city.
PM: If you look at the lists of MIPIM graduates, most of them These are comprehensive development plans, master plans for urban areas or entire cities. Is it this large format that attracts investors?
Y.K.: Yes, this is confirmed by the experience of Guy Perry, who spent four years at MIPIM with the comprehensive Wilanów project (previously, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA wrote about how Guy Perry, an urbanist and architect, author of the Miasteczko Wilanów concept, became the supervisor of Vlasne Misto). He built trust gradually, and only in the fourth or fifth year, as he himself says, "sold everything he had in the format of lots."
But what is a lot in this context? It is a clearly formed investment strategy within one large project. It can be a combination of several clusters for investment, which already at the basic stage of implementation create sustainability of development. In fact, this is a hybrid model - when different directions reinforce each other.
We are preparing for 2026, but we intend to continue to represent Ukraine at MIPIM systematically, in cooperation between the state, business and municipalities. Only in this way, together, can we attract large investments. The government-to-government format, which we saw this year at the URC in Rome (the 3rd Ukraine Recovery Conference since 2023), is a good initiative for certain areas. But if the country's economic development occurs separately from business, we can only get an increase in debt obligations, not real economic growth.
“Our competition is not about a beautiful picture, but about practice. You can simply buy a project on the Internet, without even knowing the author, and then replicate the mistakes embedded there. In the end, this turns into a negative experience,” — Yaroslav Korniachenko
We also plan to launch our own investment office, hopefully this year. We will publicly show all financial indicators and present a number of projects, including in the format of public-private partnerships. We must be realistic: it is possible to repay loans received from international investors only by creating conditions for the activity of its residents and businesses. They are what fill the economy and create a stable financial foundation.
II. Marian Kardash: balance of idea, function and norms
There are several people in the Ukrainian architectural community who have earned a reputation for being able to organize a competition in such a way that after it there remains not only a beautiful visualization, but also a real chance for the project to be implemented. Maryan Kardash is one of such specialists. The founder of the contest.com.ua project, he has been preparing and conducting architectural competitions of all levels for over ten years - from international to local. The Ukrainian context adds special challenges to this process. Maryan has seen how the situation has changed: from the era of quick, commercially motivated decisions to the gradual formation of a reputational component in development companies and the interest of customers in fair competition.
Maryan Kardash, founder of the contest.com.ua agency
To find out the root of the problem of unrealistic competition projects from the organizer's point of view, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA talked to Maryan about what an architectural competition looks like from the inside, what distinguishes a successful project from a failed one, why an honest jury is not just a formality, and what to do to get not a compromise "something in between" at the end, but a living idea ready for implementation.
PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: Maryana, why do most architectural competitions in Ukraine produce unrealistic projects that provoke public discussion but remain on paper? Is there something wrong with the participating architects? Or with the customers?
Marian Kardash: Everything is fine with the architects. And with the initiators or customers of the competitions — too. The problem is not in the people, but in the processes. It is also worth noting that in recent years the quality of competitions has increased significantly, and accordingly — trust. Competition practice is becoming more and more familiar to everyone.
Of course, the topic of the competition itself is interesting: not every object is worth submitting to the competition. If it is a typical residential complex in a residential area, there is no point. The competition should be about interesting, ambitious and socially important projects that can give architects space for creativity and the realization of ambitions. This is an obvious condition.
But the main reason for non-implementation is an incompletely thought-out, unprofessionally formulated task. Professional preparation of the task itself, from urban planning and planning requirements to clear technical characteristics and volumetric and compositional parameters, is a kind of art. On the one hand, it is to set frameworks and critical limitations, on the other, to leave room for the architect's creativity. It is this balance that determines the quality of the competition result.
The technical task of the competition should balance the interests of all parties: the municipality, the investor (if we are talking about a private competition) and the city community. And when it comes to objects in the urban environment - and most of them are - the interests of each beneficiary must be taken into account. There are also large investment projects outside the urban environment - this is closer to the design & build model, as in the USA, when the investor immediately considers both the economy and the architectural and stylistic solution.
When competitive projects do not take into account the requirements of all parties, the result often remains on paper, so communication with the community is also very important from the very beginning, especially when it comes to public spaces, memorials or monuments. It is necessary to understand from the very beginning how people will perceive the function and appearance of the future object. Sometimes after that it makes sense to change the task or even the function. It should be a dialogue.
A model of the winning project at the All-Ukrainian Open Architectural and Urban Planning Competition for the Best Development Project for the Territory Along Pohulyanka Street in Lviv. Photo courtesy of contest.com.ua
"When decisions in competitive projects do not take into account the requirements of all parties, the result often remains on paper, so communication with the community is very important from the very beginning," — Maryan Kardash
In a broad sense, the technical task must take into account two groups of requirements. The first is urban, in a broad sense: how the municipality sees the development of the space/object in the context of the urban "canvas", what are the functions, height restrictions, adjacencies, connections between open and closed spaces, etc. The second is the technological and economic requirements of the investor or customer.
The customer does not always have a professional service capable of setting a clear, balanced task, especially if it is not about housing, but about public or commercial functions: retail, hotels, mixed-use facilities.
Often, after the competition, when they receive the results and begin to understand what exactly happened, involving new specialists or moving on to detailed design, it turns out that a number of points were missed. Sometimes these omissions are fatal. If the customer himself is not ready to make key decisions and transfers this to the architects, diametrically opposed concepts may appear. This is also a problem for the jury, because then it is no longer a question of choosing the best idea, but of different interpretations of the task itself.
PM: But you can often hear that at competitions, architects are "overloaded" with unnecessary details, conditions that the customer has included in the technical task. Where, in your opinion, is the line between necessary information and excessive complexity of the task?
M.K .: It is important to adhere to the "golden mean" - the optimal balance between requirements and creative freedom. The task should not be overloaded, but it cannot be too general either. After all, the competition is primarily a search for the main idea, sustained within all the limitations and requirements of the beneficiaries.
Jury meeting of the All-Ukrainian Open Architectural Competition for the Best Design Proposal for a Residential Complex, Lviv. Photo provided by contest.com.ua
The idea should take into account key points of standards and building codes. For example, if the standards require three evacuation exits in the facility, not two, this will seriously affect the composition. Here everything depends on the competence of the architect. Those who have at least once gone through the full cycle of implementing a facility — from the initial technical specifications to commissioning — are already well-versed in the standards. And with experience, conditionally 5–7 years, you also begin to understand the commercial aspects — how this real estate works on the market.
For me, true art in architecture is when a function works flawlessly and at the same time is “wrapped” in a unique architectural idea. Otherwise, without a function, it is just a beautiful wrapper without content. Function and ergonomics should be primary, because architecture is the formation of space for people, without diminishing the role of the idea, which is our “music in space”. If the space is uncomfortable, the price of such architecture is a penny. And, unfortunately, there are more than enough examples of unsuccessful solutions in our public spaces of past years.
I won't get into specifics, lest this come across as criticism, but the fact is: there are public spaces that work like a magnet and attract people, while there are those that are completely "dead." And this doesn't depend on the location, or on pedestrian flows, or on the budget. They just don't attract — that's all.
Trust as a fundamental condition
PM: The composition of the jury is probably of great importance. How do you form a jury that all parties trust?
M.K .: Previously, trust in architectural competitions in Ukraine was very low. There were often fears from customers that the processes could become uncontrollable, and the customer or municipality would not be able to “come to an agreement” with the winner. This provoked a desire to “play their own game.” Such scenarios are “read” by architects and have little chance of a high-quality result.
In recent years, our trust in architectural competitions has grown significantly. This is a strategy of “small victories”: first a smaller competition with a successful result, then a larger one, even larger. For me, the Heavenly Hundred Memorial competition in Lviv was a key one. It was a kind of turning point in my work — the moment when I decided to do this professionally and commercially.
As an ingredient of success, trust is the foundation on which everything rests. Its importance may not seem obvious at first, but without it, the perfect procedure is worthless. You can paint everything like the Germans, "up, down, and diagonally," but if you are not trusted — neither by the participants nor the jury — there is no point. Trust does not appear at the moment of the competition, it must be built in advance, through your own actions and reputation.
Jury meeting of the All-Ukrainian Open Architectural Competition for the best design proposal for the restoration of a building on Svobody Avenue, Lviv. Photo provided by contest.com.ua
PM: Even if you avoid corruption and ensure the most authoritative jury, choosing the winner is still a subjective assessment. What exactly motivates architects to participate in competitions?
M.K .: Architect judges are interested in participating in a procedure where, as we joke, you can "play academic architecture" - without personal responsibility. This is an opportunity to come to the meeting, evaluate the works, and give tolerant, specific recommendations for further development of the winning project. Evaluating a whole palette of solutions submitted for one task is a professional passion. The jury is one side of the barricade. If the jury is strong, then it turns into a real workshop with top architects who generate many valuable ideas: how to implement the object, how it should function. Everyone brings their own colossal experience, and this creates incredible energy. After such a process, customers begin to understand how valuable it was.
And for the participating architects, the competition is a drive and a challenge that motivates no less. Trying your hand at it and internally organizing a team in extreme conditions is already valuable. And I'll tell you: even such famous studios as Zaha Hadid's or Norman Foster's bureaus have not always won competitions.
Marian Kardash: "It is important to adhere to the "golden mean" - the optimal balance between requirements and creative freedom. The task should not be overloaded, but it cannot be too general either."
Yes, a competition is always a subjective choice to some extent. The subjectivity here is that we have a creative product that is chosen by specific people, on a specific day and with a specific mood. It is impossible to avoid this. There have been cases when 3–4 works on the shortlist were on the same level of quality, and then the dilemma in the discussion between schools and generations became especially acute. I always practice having architects from different schools and generations on the jury — it is extremely interesting. Their arguments sometimes open up completely new facets of vision.
Prize money or contract - which is more important?
PM: What about the prize fund? Should we really strive for international competitions so that more buildings designed by world stars appear in Ukraine? Is it financially feasible?
M.K .: The prize fund is not a decisive argument for a quality competition. It should certainly be with respect for the architects. You can't give a few thousand hryvnias and expect a serious result.
In Europe, there is an unspoken recommendation: at least third place should cover the cost of participation. Often they pay even more, adhering to the ratio of 100% - 75% - 50%. But in reality, architects are more interested not so much in the prize fund itself, but in the contract for implementation. The situation is similar in our country, but with nuances regarding budget financing. In Ukraine, state construction standards regulate prices for design, and they are often debatable: not everything can be covered. And the expectations of architects who have not worked with budget projects are sometimes far from reality.
As for foreign architects, there are almost no chances here, the difference in fees is in the range. All international competitions with budget funding in our country have actually come down to the fact that we cannot pay for the design work and fees that European or American architects expect. Everyone has ambitions, and almost every customer dreams of an international competition. But I will be honest: our architects are not at all inferior. They have excellent command of modern tools and are deeply immersed in the local context. And this is critically important in our conditions.
For example, competition concepts may receive high marks from the jury, but the public does not accept them. For the implementation of an object in a public space, communication with the community is key. There are venues or topics that are perceived without resistance, but there are also those that cause heated discussions.
In Europe, there are many examples where the community said “no” for years, and the process lasted decades — with colossal investments and expenses. For Germany or Poland, this may be normal. Our expectations are different: we need a quick result. As soon as the project encounters the first difficulties or a negative assessment by the community, investors often abandon it. Most do not want to go through a long and complicated process of public communications and approvals that is mostly incomprehensible to the customer. And in vain. The project can receive very valuable added value.
Jury meeting of the All-Ukrainian Open Architectural Competition for the best design proposal for the restoration of a building on Svobody Avenue, Lviv. Photo provided by contest.com.ua
"Long money" and reputational evolution
PM: In your opinion, how has the Ukrainian market and investors' willingness to "long money" changed? Can we say that a new understanding of the value of the environment has already been formed in Ukraine?
M.K .:
Our state is very dynamic: the cycle of change of power is 4–5 years. Big money is oriented towards this horizon: if it was in time, it was not. “Long money” appeared only in the last 10–15 years, and then mainly thanks to international cooperation and “white” investments. Before that, everything worked on the principle of “fast money”: they stamped the residential complex, quickly sold it, took out the cash register — and “goodbye”. Few people thought about long-term reputational stories then.
Over the past 10 years, I have seen in competitions how the reputation component began to form before my eyes. Using the example of the Lviv environment: several companies, having entered the premium segment, realized that quality and brand are the key. This began to raise the level of quality in the market as a whole, so some other developers also began to work on reputation. The market gradually began to demand reputation and quality.
The buyer has also changed. The "easy" money of migrant workers who took all the square meters without realizing it has disappeared. The middle class - conditional, but already more aware - began to ask the question: "What environment do I live in? How does this reflect on me? How will I be perceived?" That is, the reputational component has also appeared on the client's side. This is part of the larger process of the evolution of society. And it is in such an environment that real "long money" began to appear. Society is already ready to work with strategies based on the environment and urban principles, which 10-15 years ago we saw only in books. And today they talk about it at the commercial level. The client wants it, the consumer wants it. And this is actually very pleasing.
