An example of modern residential development that meets the challenges of our time is the Oxford residential complex in the village of Chaiky, Kyiv region, built by the capital's developer Royal House.

Since 2022, the real estate market in Ukraine has changed significantly. Full-scale invasion, occupation by Russian troops, uncertainty and instability of the hryvnia initially almost froze this market, and later changed its vector. For example, in 2021, Ukrainians purchased 631,000 properties, but in 2022, this figure fell to 234,000. In 2023, the number of properties purchased increased, but still did not reach pre-war levels.

Currently, the number of homes purchased is increasing every month. This has been influenced by government programmes for compensation for destroyed housing (eVidnovlennia) and lending (eOselya).

However, the criteria for choosing new housing have changed. Ukrainians are primarily looking for housing with easy access to shelters. Another requirement is energy independence, due to power outages. The demand for ready-made housing is also growing, with buyers increasingly paying attention to the speed of construction. Before the full-scale war, Ukrainians often bought real estate at the foundation stage to save money and were willing to wait several years. Now, few are willing to buy housing and wait more than a year for it. Therefore, fast construction is another new trend.

An example of modern residential development that meets new challenges is the residential complex Oxford in the village of Chaiky, Kyiv region, from a capital city developer Royal House. 

In the suburbs of Kyiv, a developer is building a new residential complex that will become a ‘city within a city’ and meet the most important needs of its residents.

Construction of the first building began in May 2024, with a total of 16 nine-storey buildings planned for the complex. Next to the residential complex, a state school for 1,200 students is being built, which is scheduled to open next year. An alley will be built from the Oxford residential complex to the school. Local authorities also plan to create a park next to the new residential complex. In addition, there is a public transport stop near the Oxford residential complex, with regular buses running to the Zhytomyrska metro station.

Speed of construction

The first building in the new residential complex began construction in May 2024. Its construction was completed in seven months. Currently, all construction work has been completed, workers are busy landscaping the surrounding area, and the developer has submitted an application to commission the building. Two more buildings are in the final stages — one is completely built, with interior work ongoing, and the third has most of its floors built.

This pace of construction was achieved thanks to Royal House being the developer of a technology for producing wall modules with an energy-efficient insulation system.

The company has received an EU certificate confirming that the characteristics and composition of the wall module comply with European Union standards and legislative documents. In 2024, the company received a patent for the modules in the United States and has already implemented three projects in Slovakia and one in Austria using these modules.

These modules begin to be manufactured at the company's factory while builders are still laying the foundation for the future building. It takes four to six days to manufacture the materials for one floor. The finished modules with windows and doors are delivered to the construction site, where they are used to build houses. These processes run in parallel, which significantly speeds up construction compared to monolithic frame technology. In addition, a significant part of the construction work takes place directly at the factory, so cold or wet weather does not interfere with or slow down the work.

According to Alexei Bilokon, commercial director of Royal House, in wartime conditions, people are not prepared to wait years for construction. A certain percentage of investors who have already purchased apartments in the new residential complex are internally displaced persons who need housing as soon as possible.

Safety

The issues of safety and accessibility of shelters are extremely important for residents of any part of Ukraine. It is not surprising that this criterion becomes one of the key factors when choosing an apartment or house.

The issues of safety and accessibility of shelters are extremely important for residents of any part of Ukraine. It is not surprising that this criterion becomes one of the key factors when choosing an apartment or house.

The premises are designed for the comfort of residents: several separate rooms with chairs, bathrooms and showers, a mother and child room with toys, a high chair and bright pictures on the walls. The shelter even took care of pets — a separate room was also made for them and their owners. In addition, the premises have everything necessary for long-term use — a small kitchen, containers with drinking water supplies and a pantry for storing food.

Barrier minimisation has also been taken care of here: there are Braille markings on the stairs and tactile tiles on the floor for people with visual impairments, and a lift for people in wheelchairs has already been purchased and is planned to be installed.

Energy independence

The current realities of life in Ukraine require developers to ensure the energy independence of their buildings. Nowadays, providing residents of a complex with uninterrupted electricity supply is a fundamental task.

At the Oxford residential complex, backup power systems are already being installed during the construction phase to ensure the operation of essential life support systems.

Diesel or petrol generators, which are installed for each building, will be activated during power outages and will maintain the operation of lifts, lighting in common areas, water supply and drainage.

Oleksiy Bilokon says that during power outages, people will not be forced to sit in their apartments or climb stairs to the upper floors, which causes significant discomfort for people with children and people with reduced mobility.

Access to generators will also be available in shelters, so if the power goes out during an air raid, residents of the building will be able to start up an alternative power source.

Autonomous double-circuit boilers are installed in each apartment. Therefore, during prolonged power outages, people can independently install batteries for uninterrupted heating in their apartments.

In addition, Royal House uses an energy-efficient insulation system that helps save on heating in winter and ensures a comfortable stable temperature in apartments at any time of the year.