Karin Dom

The Karin Dom Foundation, with the support of the VELUX Foundation, Varna Municipality, the Chamber of Architects, and the Union of Architects in Bulgaria, held an international competition for a new Karin Dom building—a conceptual design.

With the new building and the adjacent courtyard, Karin Dom aims to create an environment for early childhood development that supports children and families, provides comprehensive services for children with special needs and their families, creates a learning space for children, parents, students, and specialists, to be a center for knowledge exchange and research with universities and service providers from Bulgaria and abroad, and to be a venue for events and campaigns that promote the spirit of goodwill and tolerance. The requirements were related to accessibility, safety, sustainability, adaptability, health and comfort, and sensory impact.

The international competition was open and anonymous, and the project ideas were evaluated by a nine-member international jury. The winner was the project by the German-Bulgarian studio UNAS, which was awarded the right to develop a TECHNICAL and WORKING INVESTMENT PROJECT.

According to the authors, nature serves as a pedagogical element and a good connection is established outside and inside the building. Another important aspect of their decision is the creation of suitable spaces for interaction, such as the atrium, which are welcoming to children, teachers, and parents.

The project was successfully completed and the new building was opened in September 2022.