It is not a fact that you will be surprised, but the concept of mixed-use buildings is quite historical. In the European cities of the pre-industrial era, citizens usually set up trade benches or craft workshops, that is, their business, on the lower floors of their houses, while living on the upper floors: the symbiosis of the commercial and residential parts of the house was born already then. Separation of functions occurred with the onset of the industrial revolution, when craft and production workshops were moved to separate buildings - factories and factories. New types of settlements have also appeared - monotowns, built, so to speak, from scratch around one enterprise. The principles of town planning were reduced to a simple axiom: "one function — one building."
The concept of multifunctional design was discussed again at the end of the last century, when industry fell into decline. City dwellers reaped the benefits of accelerated industrialization, and city-forming enterprises lost their importance. In the current post-industrial era with the consolidation and growth of the urban vertical axis, the idea of mixed use of buildings is especially relevant. It is most effectively implemented in residential quarters of multi-apartment buildings. "Today we are building complexes of five hundred thousand square meters. Such quantitative changes entail certain consequences. One of them is that now we are dealing with multifunctional buildings, since a construction of such a scale can no longer serve any single purpose," says architect, theorist, urbanist Rem Koolhaas.
Nine Elms area, visualization. The curved building in the foreground, the green gardens on the roof of the former Battersea coal-fired power station and a series of high-rise complexes around it will be completed in 2023 by the team of Norman Foster and Frank Gehry. Photo: © 2020 Nine Elms on the South Bank
Developers and architectural bureaus strive to give an adequate answer to the rapidly changing requests of residents for the urban environment, to satisfy everyone's interests. And if earlier they proposed mixed-use projects, following the fashion trend and the demand for "all in one", today they approach the issue selectively, trying to make each project special. For competition in the market, a simple mix of functions in one object is no longer enough: in order to compete for the "honorary title of an object of high quality of life" you need the very highlight that will attract a potential tenant, buyer, or lessor. Today, as a rule, a whole program for the development of the territory and the future community is attached to the new residential complex. That is, they are viewed not as an autonomous enclave, but as a zone of influence.
Let's look at Western and domestic examples of how project organizations and development companies diversify mixed-use proposals.
South bank of the Thames
In the southern part of London, between Lambeth Bridge and Chelsea Bridge, the Nine Elms ("Nine Elms") district stretches out - the last remaining industrial area on the south bank of the Thames. Today, this is an actively developing territory of 227 hectares and 16 new houses. Apart from the reconstruction of the former Battersea coal-fired power station, which started in 000, it all started with the plans of the US Embassy to move here, announced back in October 2010, and the event itself happened already in 2008. Later, the embassy of the Netherlands in London, and according to rumors, the Chinese one too, announced that they intend to change Hyde Park Gate to the south bank of the Thames. Therefore, the local council supported the initiative of the international development company Ballymore Group to develop 2018 acres of land around the new ambassador's residence. The Embassy Gardens project includes up to 15 new homes, as well as shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, business centers, a 1-seat hotel, a health center, children's playgrounds and sports grounds. £982 billion was invested in it, and the first 100 apartments overlooking an outdoor pool under the sky between the two high-rise towers of the complex, completed in 2,5, easily went for a million pounds each. After the "ambassador gardens", projects appear one after the other, attracting billions of investments in the regeneration of the entire area. The largest of them is the extension of the Northern Line of the London Underground. When it is completed in 25, it will take just 2017 minutes to reach the City and the West End. About 2021 mixed-use facilities are currently under construction. It is this format that attracts creative youth, advanced citizens and the headquarters of well-known companies.
"Now we are dealing with multifunctional buildings, since a structure of this scale can no longer serve a single purpose." - Rem Koolhaas
Last year, Sir Norman Foster's office completed the construction of The Corniche, a multipurpose complex of three rounded towers along the Albert Embankment, in Nine Elms. This is an allusion to the second Corniche — the same picturesque road along the sea on the French Riviera that connects Nice and Monte Carlo. And although here, instead of the Mediterranean azure, there are only gray waters of the Thames, the view is no less impressive: directly opposite, on the other side of the river, the outline of the Palace of Westminster and the famous Tate gallery are visible, and the gigantic "London Eye", the skyscraper The Shard by Renzo Piano and high-rises Cities are the same part of the panorama.
The height of The Corniche buildings varies from 15 to 27 floors, and their architecture is defined by large semicircular bay windows and balconies. They have 253 apartments, including affordable housing for the elderly, as well as offices, restaurants and a bar for residents of the complex, a gym, a swimming pool and a SPA. It also includes restaurants and quiet gardens that are screened and protected from the road by a landscaped water feature and recreation areas. The combination of workplaces with new public spaces, public facilities and exceptional housing combined with a dynamic mix of different activities will significantly revitalize and transform this part of the waterfront in central London.
The Corniche
Location: London, United Kingdom
Area: 33 square meters. m
Height: 85 m
Number of apartments: 253
Object status: completed in 2019.
Architecture: Foster + Partners
Construction: Davies, Maguire + Whitby
Landscape architecture: Townshend Landscape Architects
Client: St James Group Ltd.
Environmental Engineer: Hoare Lea
Functions: apartments, offices, restaurants, bar, gardens, gym, SPA, swimming pool, underground parking
Multifunctional complex The Corniche. View from the Thames. Architecture: Foster + Partners, 2019. Photo: Design Curial. www.designcurial.com
"While studying, I studied not only buildings, but also public spaces - Piazza del Campo in Siena, the main square of Verona, even Shepherd Market here in Mayfair, Bath Circus," says Sir Norman Foster. — I was interested in public superstructures, what we usually call infrastructure, public space. My interest was never limited to a single building. This does not mean that I, as an architect, am not interested in their design. But I can't separate it from the immediate environment, which can explain why it rises up if you look at any tall tower - Hong Kong or Shanghai Bank. The public space seems to spread under them. If you take the headquarters of Commerzbank in Frankfurt, it interacts with the city: there is, say, a common restaurant for the citizens and residents of the house. I could go on. So this is more than just a separate building. The idea is to give something back to the community of which the object is a part."
By implementing The Corniche, Foster's team contributed to the large-scale regeneration of the Nine Elms area — the largest urban initiative of its kind in Europe. In 2023, together with the office of Frank Gehry, they plan to complete the third part of the reconstruction of the Battersea power station - the main street Electric Boulevard, which will connect it with the extension of the Northern line of the subway and 1 new homes in two zones on both sides of the boulevard, including 300 units of affordable housing. as well as a hotel with 103 rooms, shopping areas, restaurants and entertainment venues. By the way, the architectural office of Sir Norman himself is located in the same area, in Battersea Park, and the architect's family lives right there, in a penthouse, where the office occupies the three first floors, and the middle five are apartments.
View of the right bank of the Thames from one of the balconies of The Corniche, visualization. Photo: Berkeley Group
"If you look at the relationship between cities and how much they consume energy, you will see that the more compact the cities are, the less energy they consume. Traditionally, the most attractive cities for life are very compact. For example, many are in love with Venice. There are no cars, the city is very compact, and it has many public spaces. Or London: Belgravia, Kensington and Chelsea are also very compact. They are also the most attractive areas for life, and real estate here is the most expensive in the city. There are no individual parks here, but there are many beautiful public parks and squares. Therefore, the trend of building very compact and densely populated cities, regardless of whether there will be skyscrapers in them or not, will continue. I am sure that compact cities are an environmentally friendly choice, and they imply a higher quality of life."
The Singapore miracle, or the Testaments of Lee Kuan Yew
In August 2007, in his annual address to the nation, the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, announced the launch of a large-scale development plan for Punggol, a region in the north-east of the country, previously known only for fields with ylang-ylang. "Punggol 21+" is part of the concept of the development of new cities in Singapore, which has been implemented ever since Lee Kuan Yew began to fight against slums, poverty and backwardness in the country. According to the plan, the Sangei Punggol and Sangei Serangoon rivers surrounding the city will be dammed to create a fresh water reservoir. It was planned to lay a 4,2 km long artificial waterway through the territory, which would connect both arteries. It also included the construction of 18 units of public housing and private houses, as well as 000 new apartments annually. In the long term, 3 real estate units will appear here, and the entire center will be built up with mixed-use facilities. The plan is being implemented by the Singapore Housing and Development Board (HDB). Punggol is currently home to around 000 residents in 96 HDB flats.
Oasis Terraces
Location: Panggol, Singapore
Area of the territory: 27 square meters. m
Object status: completed in 2018.
Architecture: Serie Architects
and Multiply Architects
Construction: Rich Construction Company
Interior design: MultiPly Interiors
Landscape: WNE Integrated Design
Functions: public center, polyclinic, retail trade facilities, educational centers, public food outlets
A view of Oasis Terraces from a high-rise across the canal. Photo: Hufton + Crow
Garden terraces close-up. Photo: Hufton + Crow
HDB recently discovered that densely populated public housing estates lack community centers to serve them. The London office of Serie Architects and their Singaporean colleagues from Multiply Architects proposed a new model of such centers, combining them with a polyclinic and a terraced garden overlooking the canal. Last year, their Oasis Terraces project won the World Architecture Festival (WAF 2019) in the "Complete Mixed-Use Building" category.
Oasis Terraces is located on the waterfront and includes utilities, restaurants and shops, as well as a state clinic. The open facades of the building resemble the design of the surrounding residential areas and are designed to give the building a feeling of lightness and openness, which emphasizes its public purpose. "Our solution is based on open frames, commonly found in the facades and corridors of Singapore Housing and Development Council apartment buildings in the 1970s and 1980s," says Serie Architects head Christopher Lee. — We have transformed this regularity into a light and open frame that fixes and accommodates various programs for the community surrounded by the landscape. This is an architectural basis for the development of public life."
Oasis Terraces. Above is the plan of the first floor, below is the section. Series Architects
At the very heart of the community center are cascades of garden terraces that descend directly to the water and accommodate a variety of amenities, including meeting spaces, playgrounds, and a natural amphitheater. Rooms and outdoor areas located around the gardens are used for public catering, restaurants, educational centers and clinics.
Some premises, for example, the restaurant and waiting rooms of the clinic, connect directly to garden terraces, so visitors can sit outside, and clinic guests can admire the greenery and water. And at the very edge of the water there is a four-story free space with tall columns, serving as a closed public square of 800 square meters. m. All traffic routes through the site cross it. By the way, it is perfectly suited for holding various public events.
Oasis Terraces Rooftop Gardens is a collective horticultural project that unites local residents
Part of the premises of the center is directly connected to the garden terraces. Photo: Hufton + Crow
The facades of the building and the veranda are covered with plants, which create an ecological filter between the external and internal space, allowing daylight and air currents to pass through the open structure of the building. Extensive landscape design on the roof of the center includes planting beds that local residents can use for urban agriculture, which, according to the architects, serves as an additional element of socialization of the local community. "Gardens play not only an aesthetic role in the community; they represent a collective horticultural project. By bringing residents together as they plant, care for, and enjoy them, gardens help strengthen community bonds," says Christopher Lee.
Our experience. The developer as a social aggregator
In recent years, domestic architecture, especially metropolitan architecture, tends to follow the advanced trends of the West. Therefore, objects of the category of mixed use are actively appearing on our real estate market. In the portfolios of almost every large local architectural office or developer there are mixed-use projects. According to market analysts, even at the beginning of the year, that is, before the pandemic, the demand for such a format was 70% of the total, and after the end of the spring quarantine, the share of sales of this type of objects varies between 80-85% and will be expected to grow. This is explained by the fact that the mixed use of the building allows the developer, speaking in economic terms, to obtain excellent profitability and diversify risks, since financial income comes from different streams: the residential part of the real estate, for example, can be sponsored by private investors - home buyers, and even before the foundation is laid , due to which the developer has the opportunity to develop a commercial component. In the conditions of scarcity and high cost of the main valuable resource — land, especially in the city center, and with the imperfection of our legislation regarding land and cadastral policy, the combination of several functions allows the developer to effectively distribute and save these same resources, despite the fact that the process of creating a mixed-use object quite time-consuming and requires substantial capital investment and serious, carefully thought-out project documentation.
CITY HUB
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Customer: construction company "Intergal-Bud"
Start of construction: IV quarter of 2019
Functions: apartments, service facilities, supermarket, parking, kindergarten, sports and children's playgrounds with a climbing wall, green recreation areas, concierge service
Transportation (car):
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Art. "Vokzalnaya" city - 10 min.
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Art. "University" city - 17 min.
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"Kyiv" airport — 10 minutes.
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Boryspil Airport — 35 minutes.
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Yuzhny railway station - 4 min.
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Central railway station - 10 minutes.
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Historical and cultural places within walking distance
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Green zones and parks around the complex
CITY HUB residential complex
The second factor that made the combination of functions popular in our country was the need to develop former industrial zones after the relocation of production outside the city limits. In Kyiv, there are between 100 and 140 such zones, and large mixed-use centers are needed there like air, since they carry the minimum necessary infrastructure. In our country, this approach is most widespread in modern high-rise residential complexes — the whole city within one residential complex with its own infrastructure, which covers practically all functions: from business and entertainment to educational and shopping. By the way, the construction industry is one of the few where it was possible to get out of the quarantine vicissitudes relatively smoothly. Even in the conditions of restrictions, construction, at least in Kyiv, practically did not stop.
In the capital, one of the freshest examples of a multifunctional residential complex is the CITY HUB residential complex, which is currently being implemented by the construction company "Intergal-Bud" at 10 Kudryashova, which is a ten-minute walk from the Yuzhny railway station. Once upon a time, this place was part of Mokra Street, named after the river of the same name, which flowed along the bottom of the Kuchmin ravine nearby. It has long been hidden in a collector under the street, but the territory has preserved its green part. It was a careful analysis of the potential of the location that allowed the developer to determine that the most attractive object for investment in this place would be a new mixed-use residential complex. A stylish modern building in the spirit of minimalism, standing out against the background of typical Soviet buildings of the 1970s. with its correct geometric shapes and interesting accents, will become a focal point for the residents of the Solomensky district.
A stylish modern building against the background of a typical building of the 1970s. will become the focal point of the district
The CITY HUB residential complex occupies a plot of almost one and a half hectares and includes two houses with a height of 19 and 20 floors, respectively. Its construction began at the end of last year, and at the moment seven floors of the first building have been completely completed. About 80% of the complex is occupied by the residential part, and the rest is commercial real estate of various uses, including a supermarket, restaurants, a fitness center and other facilities. The main feature is the stylobate uniting both structures. On top of the horizontal plane, green recreation areas, children's and sports playgrounds with a climbing wall, as well as all the necessary infrastructure will be placed, which will make it possible to use the available area as efficiently as possible. And inside it will hide a parking lot for 330 spaces with provided charging points for electric cars, that is, the moment when the cars of the residents of the residential complex interfere with each other or the residents of neighboring houses, cluttering the yards, is initially excluded.
CITY HUB residential complex
Land plot area: 1,4891 ha
Number of houses: 2
Number of floors: 19-20
Number of apartments: 471
Building 1: 255 apartments
Building 2: 216 apartments
Number of parking spaces: 330
Near CITY HUB there are supermarkets, offices, green parks and recreation areas, sports fields and fitness centers, all kinds of entertainment facilities, including the popular "Ultramarine" with the "Butterfly" chain cinema, not to mention the proximity of the subway and the main train station. In addition, the Solomensky district, where the complex is being built, is considered one of the most well-developed in the city. It is constantly developing and enriched with recreational areas, and its educational institutions are included in the list of the best in the capital. In other words, buying a home here is a promising capital investment. However, profit is not all that a developer expects. The "Intergal-Bud" company considers CITY HUB as a key link in the formation of new socio-cultural ties between the residents of the area, a close-knit local community, which is sorely lacking in the current quarantine-pandemic period. And therefore, the word hub (translated from English - "concentrate", "node") in its name is not accidental.
Variants of apartment layouts in the CITY HUB residential complex, visualization. Image provided by "Intergal-Bud" company
Monolithic-frame construction technology, environmentally friendly materials that meet all European standards, hinged ventilated facades made of porcelain stoneware, insulated with a safe non-combustible material - a mineral wool plate made of basalt stone, double-chamber double-glazed windows with argon inside and special spraying that prevents heating of the glass (almost half as warm as standard double-glazed windows ), all this is aimed at making the project energy efficient. The use of complex energy-saving technologies in this project will allow residents to save 50-60% of heat and about 30-35% of utility costs. Yes, it increases the cost of a square meter by about 15% compared to typical residential buildings, and such savings may seem insignificant at first glance, but in the long term it looks very attractive (payback according to experts - eight seasons). At the same time, it is nice to realize that the house you live in has a minimal impact on the environment and is involved in the sustainable development of the city. By the way, the own boiler complex eliminates any load on the city heating networks and allows buildings to be heated autonomously.
The external and internal walls of CITY HUB are made of solid ceramic bricks, and the partitions are made of ceramic blocks. On the facades, interesting accents are added with the help of a Corten steel texture, polished marble with veins, matte graphite-colored concrete, a cross-section mesh or a perforated sheet of metal. Special attention is paid to noise insulation of both residential areas and common areas. The developer minimized any noise pollution — no noisy neighbors, no loud elevators. Both houses are scheduled to be completed and commissioned in the second quarter of 2022.
good Suppose the developer gets his profit, but what will the townspeople get in return? For an answer to this question, we turned to the commercial director of the Intergal-Bud company, Anna Laevskaya.
PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: In your opinion, what exactly will the construction of CITY HUB bring to the city and its residents? How will its appearance affect the development of the area? Socially? Economically?
Anna Laevskaya: CITY HUB is a business-class residential complex with modern architecture, diverse apartment layout and multifunctional infrastructure, which will become the new dominant of the Solomensky district. Thanks to the well-thought-out concept and competent zoning of the space, the complex harmoniously combines the private territory of residents with many functions (a yard closed from cars and outsiders, a sports ground with exercise equipment under the open sky, leisure zones and children's playgrounds) and a commercial component represented by retail premises of various functional purposes for the development of the infrastructure of the complex and the district.
Anna Laevskaya, commercial director of "Intergal-Bud" company
Architects and designers have carefully worked on the areas, planning solutions, structural features of the premises so that tenants and owners do not have any difficulties: high ceilings, good views and advertising opportunities - panoramic windows, large window groups and access to the traffic pedestrian artery.
Not only residents of the complex, but also of the neighborhood will be able to use the services of trade and service facilities. As developers, we always carefully approach the selection of tenants and owners in order to create the most comfortable ecosystem for future residents. This will make it possible to qualitatively improve the social and household infrastructure in the building area.
"I don't get tired of repeating that one of the key characteristics of modern development is social stability," - Anna Laevskaya
Among other things, I never tire of repeating that one of the key characteristics of modern development is social stability. It is impossible to build on a plot, abstracting from the needs, requirements, and features of the neighborhood. When we studied the location near the CITY HUB, it became clear that the rain collector on ul. Kudryashova is in a deplorable condition and requires reconstruction. We developed, coordinated the project and actively started work. There are many issues related to engineering communications, the condition of roads, and street lighting, which the city cannot or does not want to solve on its own. However, we do not build separately: it is impossible to create a comfortable environment for life and a greenhouse ecosystem from which a person, leaving the territory of the complex, ends up in a slum. That is why the development of engineering infrastructure, investment in reconstruction and creation of public squares and parks, improvement of reservoirs is one of the top priorities for the Intergal-Bud company. Over the past five years, the amount of our non-refundable investments in the development of Kyiv amounted to over UAH 370 million.
The complex is designed to bring novelty to the urban landscape of the Solomensky district and become a socio-cultural center of the local community
Another significant, but perhaps not obvious to everyone benefit from the construction of a new complex is connected with the CITY HUB architectural project. The complex is designed in such a way as to bring novelty to the urban landscape of the Solomensky district. We chose clear facade lines, a large percentage of glazing, correct geometric shapes, expressive, but not pretentious colors. Our goal is to create a harmonious space for life, where every detail corresponds to the level and lifestyle of a modern person in a big city. With our projects, we set the trend in residential construction, and CITY HUB is no exception. We show what modern housing in Kyiv can be like: first of all, it is functional, thought out to the smallest detail and, of course, human-centric.
