The 5th Ukrainian Construction Congress and the first All-Ukrainian Yellow 2025 Product Design Award took place on November 21 at the Parkovy Exhibition Center in Kyiv, bringing together representatives of the development market, investment funds, local government bodies, and industry experts, according to the event organizers.
According to the organizers, the Congress was attended by 3,474 participants. The event discussed issues of infrastructure restoration, the shortage of construction personnel, the rising cost of materials, and the need to update construction and project management standards. Participants presented case studies on the modernization of the industry and market development scenarios for the next two years.
Among the key events of the forum were the opening of the All-Ukrainian Yellow 2025 Product Design Award and a performance by musician Yevgen Kharchyshyn (Druga Rika), which concluded the business program.
During the panel discussion “The Evolution of the Developer: Me, You, Society,” the transformation of the role of the developer from a builder to a manager and community partner was discussed. Representatives of the analytical portal LUN.ua presented an updated overview of the real estate market, which participants described as “an essential planning tool in conditions of uncertainty.”
A new educational platform, DevelopStudy, created by MIB and Real Estate Business School, was also presented, aimed at training specialists in the development sector.
Among the main conclusions of the Congress, the organizers noted the following:
– the market is in a state of turbulence due to the rising cost of construction work, labor shortages, and investment restrictions, but there are no signs of stagnation;
– Ukraine’s recovery requires large-scale projects to modernize infrastructure, transition to modern technological solutions, and energy-efficient standards;
– the role of developers is expanding and includes resource management, improving service quality, and strengthening buyer confidence;
– The real estate market in 2026 will be focused on quality, transparency of processes, and sustainable brands.
– Communities are becoming key players in the recovery, as the quality of project preparation determines the prospects for attracting investment.
– Modernization of vocational education and raising industry standards are seen as a necessary foundation for further market development.
As part of the Yellow 2025 award, the jury selected the winners from among 126 submitted works. The award is focused on the development of product design and the formation of quality standards.
The event was organized by the DMNTR media group. The general partner was Kreator-Bud, the premium partner was Spatium Group, and the general sponsor was HutJet.
Interfax-Ukraine was the general information partner of the Congress.
The festival brought together architects, developers, urbanists, investors, cultural figures, and city residents — more than 3,500 guests spent the day in discussions, networking, excursions, and the atmosphere of a big city celebration.
Among the main events of the festival were:
◽️ Panel discussions in four halls — from investments in renovation and revitalization to the future of urban infrastructure;
◽️ Presentation of the new issue of DMNTR magazine;
◽️ Excursions to sites from leading developers;
◽️ A gala evening with a performance by Yevgen Khmara and a jazz band featuring Oleksiy Kogan.
Comments from participants:
Oleksiy Baranov: how city spaces are being rebooted
The general sponsor of the festival was Oleksiy Baranov, CEO of A Development. He participated in a professional interview entitled “Restoration and revitalization as an act of rebooting space” and conducted an exclusive tour of the A-Station space for partners and speakers.
Read the full interview with Oleksiy Baranov – https://share.google/pILaOIoTySJK96KGE
“Concept and location are two factors that drive real estate. We must create projects that change the face of the city and make Kyiv a modern European capital,” the developer emphasized.
Pavlo Somov: Restorative infrastructure is about people
EcoBud Building Group founder Pavlo Somov took part in two key discussions:
“Reconstruction through the eyes of a developer: is it profitable to invest in the restoration of the old city?”
“Restorative infrastructure: investment in restorative social infrastructure as a driver of sustainable urban development.”
“Restorative infrastructure starts with people. It’s not just buildings or parks, but above all, human potential, the ability of society to regenerate and create new spaces.”
Roman Ivanenko: Architecture of trust instead of fences
Roman Ivanenko, managing partner of Urban Development Group (UDG), presented the project “Architecture of trust: a park instead of a fence” and shared his experience of working on revitalization and new residential complexes.
“I want there to be no more fences around residential complexes in Kyiv. Fences do not provide security; they separate. If we build a city with fences, it will no longer be a city.”
One of the key themes of the festival: How has the demand for new buildings changed?
“Today, the key criterion for customers is confidence in the developer and their ability to deliver projects on time. In times of turbulence, trust becomes the decisive factor,” emphasized Boris Tsomaia, marketing director at RIEL.
The festival brought together key ideas about the future of cities:
◽️ Renovation and revitalization are the main tools for creating new value in abandoned properties.
◽️ Veteran spaces are becoming a priority in restoration — from rehabilitation centers to venues for entrepreneurship and community.
◽️ The investment attractiveness of urban projects directly depends on partnerships between business, communities, and government.
◽️ Development and architecture must work for people, creating sustainable and inclusive solutions.
Panel discussion: “Renovation. Revitalization: developers’ investment strategies for the future of cities”
Key points:
◽️ A new approach to urban development — developers face difficulties due to limited mechanisms for interacting with authorities, even when they have good ideas.
◽️ Revitalization “for the soul” — there are projects that are interesting to implement even without economic benefits.
◽️ Lack of urban planning policy — developers are ready to build, renovate, and restore, but are waiting for the right rules of the game.
◽️ Investment mechanisms — traditional instruments are high-risk, and there is no infrastructure for tokenizing assets. Legislative changes could significantly boost investment.
◽️ Cities after the war — the war may encourage the state to change its attitude toward urban planning.
◽️ An example of successful urban development — Vinnytsia has demonstrated effective cooperation between architects, the municipality, and the mayor.
◽️ The dream of a cultural project in Podil — the elevator could become a hotel and cultural center, similar to Silo in Cape Town.
September Fest 2025 proved that Ukraine’s new urbanism is emerging at the intersection of architecture, culture, economics, and lively dialogue.
Tel.: 044 461 91 28
www.ubc-ua.info/september-fest
Organizer: DMNTR
General Sponsor: A | DEVELOPMENT
About us:
DMNTR Media Group is a team with 25 years of experience in creating professional events for the architecture, construction, and investment audience. Our key projects include: Ukrainian Construction Congress, Ukraine Investment Congress,
All-Ukrainian Interior of the Year competition, Ukraine Urban Awards, and Creator of the Year architecture and development award.
We also publish the leading architecture and design magazine DMNTR and actively develop social media, where we publish daily insights, news, reports, and photo reports from all our events.
Link to the photo report – www.ubc-ua.info/september-fest
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Interfax-Ukraine – information partner
