Liven Builds First Rental House, Apex Architecture Bureau Wins Design Competition

Real estate developer Liven is preparing to build its first rental building with commercial spaces, and Apex Arhitektuuribüroo OÜ won the architectural competition held for the Juhkentali 48 property. With the new rental building rising near Tallinn's central bus station, Liven aims to influence the entire market to offer more distinctive rental homes.

"A developer can offer more than just square meters in a rental home. For Liven, a rental home is not simply a temporary residence, but a real home with its own character and quality. If we demonstrate with the Juhkentali building that a rental home can truly provide a good living environment, it could direct the entire rental market toward more distinctive offerings," said Andero Laur, CEO of Liven AS.

According to Andero Laur, Liven has been considering entry into the rental market for several years, and the Juhkentali 48 property proved to be suitable for this. The area has high development potential and is located in a significant place for the public, in the immediate vicinity of Tallinn's central bus station. Taking this into account, the building was designed to include commercial spaces in addition to rental homes.

"The Juhkentali 48 surroundings meet all the conditions necessary for rental homes. We are building high-quality developed and managed homes for those who want to live in the city flexibly, without the obligation of home ownership. At the same time, a rental home could be a convenient springboard for those who are just preparing to acquire their own home," noted Andero Laur.

Among the four offices that participated in the architectural competition, Apex Arhitektuuribüroo OÜ was selected as the winner with the competition work "Jauch". The solution stood out with smart planning and thoughtfully designed common areas and outdoor spaces that residents can use in different seasons as a natural extension of their living spaces and for leisure.

"The building's scale and location were awe-inspiring in the development of the ideal solution – we had the opportunity to define the nature of one of the city's crucial nodes and the continuation of the street in a currently characterless urban environment. A pleasant innovation in the participation process was the project brief, where Liven, as an experienced developer, had left architects to solve primarily just the icing on the cake - facades, courtyard landscaping, and as interior architecture the foyer and common area solutions," said Olavi Kukk, architect at Apex Arhitektuuribüroo OÜ.

The Juhkentali 48 property is 5,092 square meters in size and is planned to have an eight-story building with an underground parking lot. The architectural competition included ARS Projekt OÜ, Apex Arhitektuuribüroo OÜ, Dokk Architects OÜ, and Lumia OÜ. The jury included Mihkel Tüür from the architectural office Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid OÜ and representatives of Liven. In addition to the architectural and outdoor area solutions, the jury also evaluated the sustainability of the solutions, taking into account, among other things, the building's maintenance needs.