After years of construction, the international holding company Kusto Group is finalizing its Koktobe City housing project in Kazakhstan.
Kusto Group, which is led by Yerkin Tatishev, is expecting to finish the project along the Almaty Eastern bypass road in 2023.
Koktobe City is a city within a city on the outskirts of Kazakhstan’s capital, Almaty. It consists of multiple residential buildings, supermarkets, restaurants, a school, kindergartens, a pharmacy, gyms, a dance studio, sports facilities and a park with a playground, among other things.
Kusto Group aims to create a neighborhood with everything that families need so that they do not need to spend time in traffic getting from A to B.
Koktobe City is inspired by German cities such as Munich and Berlin and only consists of low-rise houses.
According to Yerkin Tatishev and Kusto Group, the low-rise buildings give Koktobe City the small town feel that they strive for where everyone knows each other.
Furthermore, the low constructions do not block out the sun as tall buildings do.
Koktobe City becomes first in Kazakhstan to get expert certificate
With low-rise buildings, Kusto Group also ensures better seismic resistance in Koktobe City.
Seismic activity can develop into earthquakes. Therefore, about 10% of the price of the apartments in Koktobe City goes to seismic resistance.
The Almaty region of Kazakhstan is often hit by earthquakes. Therefore, Kusto Group teamed up with the Japanese earthquake specialist Kazuo Watanabe, who is a member of the Japanese state commission on earthquakes and buildings.
The expert guided Yerkin Tatishev and Kusto Group on the technical design and building structure of Koktobe City in order to make it as resistant to earthquakes as possible.
Low-rise buildings played a pivotal role in that puzzle.
After implementing Kazuo Watanabe’s requests, Koktobe City became the first housing project in Kazakhstan to receive a Japanese expert certificate on earthquake safety.
Kusto Group finds inspiration in Europe
Yerkin Tatishev and Kusto Group were inspired by Germany regarding Koktobe City’s looks and architecture, but they also added many more European elements to the project.
The elevators, climate systems, cables, engineering equipment, door fittings, pumps, metal-plastic pipes and door fittings are all imported from Europe.
“Our elevators are designed and manufactured in Greece, and the façade clinker tiles are purchased from one of the best manufacturers in the German market. The pipes for water supply and heating are also made in Germany. We do not want people to experience problems with pipes, ventilation and water after some time, as happens in other new buildings,” the CEO of Kusto Group’s construction arm, Kusto Home, Murat Utemisov, said.
Yerkin Tatishev introduces new school concept in Kazakhstan
Koktobe City’s school also has its roots in Europe, as it is based on Finnish educational principles.
The school is slated to have classrooms for specific subjects, such as rooms for playing instruments, singing, martial arts, drawing and sports, among other things.
During school hours, the rooms will be used by pupils, while the public can utilize them after hours.
“Today, every family has to travel a lot around the city because children attend many additional activities such as swimming, drawing and music. We decided to bring it all together under one roof,” Kusto Group’s Murat Utemisov said and added:
“Therefore, the buildings of our school include separate blocks for preparatory and secondary schools, the Budokan sports and arts center with a 25-meter swimming pool, a multifunctional gym, equipped music and choreography rooms as well as pottery and sewing sections.”
Yerkin Tatishev also weighed in on the usage of the school facilities.
“In Finland, school infrastructure, like sports halls and sports fields, is for students until 6 PM, and after that, they are for everyone. Here, the residents of the complex will have the opportunity to engage in art or sports,” he explained.
Kusto Group saves Koktobe City residents 1,000 hours in traffic
While one of the main ideas of Koktobe City is that families will have everything they need within reach, Kusto Group knows that people will have to go out of the neighborhood sometimes.
By being located in the eastern end of Almaty, Koktobe City residents will go against traffic in rush hours, saving them up to 1,000 hours in traffic a year.
When residents get back to Koktobe City, they can park their vehicles in underground parking lots underneath their apartments, avoiding long walks with heavy shopping bags.
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