KOZIN

KIEV, 2008

Kozin is a neighbourhood of Kiev situated along the Dnepr river 20km south of the city center. The neighbourhood is one of the most expensive suburban housing areas in Kiev for the upper class of Ukrainian society. The site is an island of 23ha surrounded by small streams leading to the Dnepr river. On this site Maxwan was asked to project a minimum of 2000 dwelling units. Maxwan succeeded by proposing a unique perimeter block typology of limited height that preserved and enhanced the benign natural qualities of the site.

The site was already rich with great nature. Our attitude was to preserve the natural qualities of the site, by intensifying the urban qualities of the site. Two general zones were created. An intensely urban zone was created along with a medium density area snaking through the nature of the site. This provided an intensely urban waterfront, a more natural water edge, and a more natural interior landscape.

This urban ring strategy also diversified the site by providing a range of housing typologies. It diversified the range of users on site, allowing the site to house young couples, to families, to retirees. Each typology also allowed each unit to engage with the site in a variety of ways – from being in a mid-rise with long views to being a low rise sitting amongst the nature and the trees. And by varying the users, and embracing the existing nature of the site, a rich range of public spaces could be developed. They range from truly lively urban spaces to extremely intimate natural zones.

The ring of development solved a few other site issues. This ring formed a parking dike. Averting a costly underground solution, this could be built above ground and use landscaped hill leading up to the units. Additionally, this move created a dike enclosing the development and thus solving the flooding issues on the interior of the site.

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