A Ukrainian architect and designer has won a prestigious international award for the interior design project of a Kyiv apartment.
In December, Viacheslav Balbek, 32, won the sixth Global Excellence Award, an international annual design contest launched by the International Interior Design Association, for his design.
The 32nd Apartment project created by Balbek’s 2B.group architect bureau took first place in the Residences Multifamily category.
For Balbek, the victory was not a complete surprise.
“The contest is prestigious and it attracts strong designers from all over the world, so I was not sure that our project would win,” the designer said. “But deep in my mind I was hoping for it, because I knew that our project was not just a beautiful picture. It has a concept.”
The two-bedroom apartment with a dining room, walk-in wardrobe and living room is located on the 16th floor of a building in central Kyiv. It offers a stunning view of the Dnipro River and the golden domes of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the famous Orthodox monastery.
The lighting table were one of the features noted by the jury of the Global Excellence Award. (Andrey Bezuglov)
The apartment is designed as a minimalist loft. Glass partitions divide the space into several functional zones. Industrial pendant lighting and bare concrete walls make the lodging feel intimate and rustic. Curtains can be drawn over the glass walls to break up the open space.
Vera Reinke, senior director of marketing and communication of the International Interior Design Association, said the Ukrainian 2B group beat design agencies from 32 countries.
The dinner table were one of the features noted by the jury of the Global Excellence Award. (Andrey Bezuglov)
“32nd Apartment stood out from the other entrants in the multifamily residences category due to its simple sophistication,” she said. The association’s judges noted the use of well-integrated materials and color to create a clean and practical, but beautiful space. Reinke praised the way the designers used glass walls, natural lighting, and a “sizable dining table that anchors the room.”
It took Balbek a year to complete the design.
“That was the second time in my career when a customer did not interfere in the design process,” Balbek said. “He was pleasantly impressed when he saw the result and said he expected something similar.”
Balbek said he has a personal approach to design.
“We create a design for a specific person,” he said. “In this case, a loft was suitable. A classic style would probably fit best with other clients.”
The online portfolio of Balbek firm is dominated by lofts and high-tech interiors.
Balbek graduated from the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture in 2006 and started his design firm a year later. Most of his clients are middle-class. His most expensive office design project cost $30,000 for materials.
“My best projects were the cheapest ones. Lack of money stimulates creativity,” he said, adding that he designed the 32nd Apartment for free, since the client was his friend.
Balbek and his colleagues will collect their award in Paris at a ceremony on Jan. 23.
