Best Kept Secret – Donskoy 5th Proezd

Despite the positive qualities the location offers, it has also some difficulties. At the moment the site is more or less just a backyard surrounded by the backsides of the existing buildings that have their fronts towards the streets.
One of the strongest points of the new development area is that there are only two points where the inner area connects to the public road. As a consequence of this, the area will always have an introvert character. Here a self-sufficient, distinctive living environment can be created where it will be pleasant to live, work and play, either inside or outside the buildings.

The courtyard structure leaves ample space around the housing ensemble to create a buffer zone that neutralizes the presence of the surrounding buildings and at the same time it is wide enough to incorporate the two connecting roads that we introduce to the area. These roads will have the quality of boulevards where parking places for visitors, squares and ongoing pedestrian zones offer the appropriate ambiance for the commercial facilities in the plinth. At the eastern road a triangular square can be found that forms the ideal ambiance for the relocated war memorial plate.
Alongside the cemetery and the former APC- now Onix Bank-building, we introduce a green buffer zone. In this zone we incorporate the school as well as the kindergarten. According to the rules they are located outside the boundary line around the cemetery that indicates where no educational facilities can be built.

The character of the green zone will benefit greatly when the required sports fields are situated in this area.

The total amount of program puts pressure on the site. Besides a built program of nearly 163,000 m², following regulations, there is also a demand for over 10,000 m² of outdoor programmed areas. The image shows the program volume in volumes of 16m wide and 50 m high (the initial height limit).

Within the housing development the courtyards play a central role. Looking at the perimeter of the location it is logical to create two courtyards, one square in the South, one rectangular in the North, together 0.8-hectare. These courtyards are interconnected and give onto the streets and the green zone through strategically placed passages. With their rich design the courtyards offer a 3D landscape in which playgrounds for kids and places for relaxation are embedded in the most natural way.
For residents of the building complex this will become a magical, personalized place, which can be reached from all apartments, because the main entrances to the lobbies are always connected to the courtyards. It is also one of the big advantages of this concept that the commercial spaces on the ground floor can be simultaneously orientated towards the streets and towards the courtyards. Every commercial enterprise has the opportunity to connect to the street, to the courtyard or to both at the same time.
With the amount of people living and working here we can imagine that small local facilities, like a coffee shop or a ‘green’ restaurant for healthy fast food can open their business in the plinth. These activities will stimulate a lively atmosphere on the boulevards and collective activities in the courtyards.