Slava Balbek

architect, founder CEO at balbek bureau

curator, architect RE:Ukraine System

founder, creative director at propro

co-owner of Dyletant, Dubler, Vartsab and City Eatery cafés

author and lector of ARCHICOURSE and 'How to tame apenguin'

co-founder of the charitable organization Kyiv Volunteer

founder and curator at SIDAA

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balbek bureau

Architecture & interior design

Slava is the driving force behind balbek bureau. As the studio's CEO, he is in charge of developing the company's strategic vision. Slava also works as a creative director, crafting big ideas and design concepts with his team. His most notable projects include the Kyiv Food Market food hall, the Kyiv hub for Grammarly, and the 'Home. Memories' art installation for the Vernadsky Antarctic research base.

INTERIOR DESIGN’s Best of Year 2020
Category: Designer
Award: Best of Year Rising Star

Elle Decoration International Design Awards 2019
Award: Interior Designer Of The Year

RE:Ukraine System

Social initiatives

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine, Slava and his team have been working on RE:Ukraine System of social initiatives. The first project under the RE:Ukraine umbrella brand was RE:Ukraine Housing initiative, offering dignified temporary accommodation for IDPs; RE:Ukraine Monuments protection system and RE:Ukraine Villages housing restoration tool followed.

RE:UKRAINE HOUSING / dignified temporary housing system

RE:UKRAINE MONUMENTS / monument protection system

RE:UKRAINE VILLAGES / online tool for rural housing restoration

propro

Product design

Slava Balbek is the founder and creative director of the Ukrainian furniture brand propro. He is responsible for creating new designs, shaping the brand's standards, and reviewing marketing campaigns. propro's product line is not limited to furniture: the brand also reimagines board games by designing modern handmade concrete chess, checkers, and other sets.

Dyletant, Dubler, Vartsab, City Eatery

Hospitality projects

Having designed multiple cafes and restaurants, Slava has always wanted to take a peek at the other side of this industry. Alongside his partners, Slava сo-owns two neighborhood cafes (Dyletant & Dubler), Vartsab street food joint, and the City Eatery in Kyiv.

Kyiv Volunteer

Charity organization

In the very first days of the invasion, Slava and his hospitality fellows founded a charity organization called Kyiv Volunteer. During the first weeks of the full-scale war, the volunteer community, uniting two dozen restaurants, was serving up to 13 000 hot meals on a daily basis. At present, Kyiv Volunteer focuses on civilian humanitarian aid and supports Ukrainian defenders.

ARCHICOURSE and How To Tame a Penguin

Educational programs

Slava gladly shares his knowledge with others. In 2016, he created the ARCHICOURSE educational program, which has since been completed by more than a thousand designers and architects. In 2023, Slava also launched a creative team management course titled How To Tame a Penguin alongside balbek bureau's COO Borys Dorogov and CFO Julia Kolesnykova.

SIDAA

Non-profit city design projects

SIDAA (Social Impact Design and Architecture) is a non-profit initiative established by balbek bureau to make Ukrainian cities more comfortable for their inhabitants while considering their historical and cultural heritage. As SIDAA's founder and curator, Slava has been directly involved in creating the ‘Accessible Environment’ handbook and the COVID pack project.

01 Accessible Environment

‘Accessible Environment’ is a handbook that incorporates government accessibility guidelines and regulations, which will be helpful to architects and contractors.

02 Covid Pack

Covid Pack is a collection of informative multimedia materials highlighting the importance of social distancing in an accessible and aesthetical way.

03 Sport Spot

Sport Spot is SIDAA’s proposal to revitalize abandoned urban spaces, transforming them into sports grounds and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Public appearances

Slava is a frequent public speaker with FORTUNE Brainstorm Design and Oxford Human Rights festival appearances under his belt. Over the last few years, he has been invited to lecture for the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, University of Melbourne, and Sveriges Arkitekter (Association of Architects of Sweden). In 2022, balbek bureau's founder presented RE:Ukraine Housing initiative at Clinton Global Initiative.