Frequently Asked Questions

With the K17 project, an inner-city gap site will renew, which in its current condition, functioning as a gravel surface parking lot, mainly „contributed” noise, pollution, significant through-traffic and unnecessary environmental burden for the neighbourhood.

With the development, the usable green area will increase from 0 to 5,100 sq m, of which 1,537 sq m will have full soil connection: meaning larger canopy trees can also be planted there. The green area exceeding the requirements by 40 percent includes an approximately 1,500 sq m landscaped urban promenade, also usable for local residents, with organised vegetation, community and rain gardens, which conceptually fits into the district’s long-term development strategy: this will be the first section of the pedestrian connection between Karinthy Frigyes Road and Október huszonharmadika Street.

Since the development creates a new green area roughly half the size of Feneketlen Lake, it therefore strengthens the more liveable, more stable urban environment and microclimate in the long term.

In addition to the community garden, the development will include a café with a terrace, and also a community room that can be regularly used by those living in the neighbourhood. According to LIVING’s plans, a public artwork will also be placed in the area. The developer has also undertaken to renovate the façade of a neighbouring building and a fire wall in need of renovation, and to tidy up the neighbouring gardens.

In connection with the development, the investor has made a commitment towards the municipality worth HUF 250 million.

The basic documents of the permitting procedure are the technical plans, which record the exact parameters. The visualisations are supplementary tools that serve easier interpretation. They are available in the gallery on the karinthy17.hu website.

The area around Móricz Zsigmond Square and Karinthy Frigyes Road is an active urban environment: residential buildings, universities and institutions surround it. In this environment the residential function represents a natural and balanced level of use – smaller than that of an office or a larger commercial function, because it does not create large traffic peaks and crowds at the same time. The residents moving here will make the street lively, support local shops, and improve the safety of public spaces. The K17 project does not take away an existing green area, but renews a disordered, industrial-type site, thereby making the neighbourhood more liveable, strengthening the urban environment and bringing new services to the area.

The development is taking place according to the valid regulatory plan of District XI. From the first moment, the developer has paid attention to carrying out the investment within the regulatory framework created as a result of earlier municipal decisions and in cooperation with the municipality.

The developer also pays special attention to feedback from residents: since the concerns of those living in neighbouring buildings became known, the developer has consulted with those affected on several occasions. It went even further: in order to support dialogue it voluntarily suspended the permitting process, because its aim is not for the project simply to “go through”, but for it to be realised in a transparent way and within manageable frameworks.

Under the regulations in force since 2017, a development approximately 15 percent larger in volume could also be realised on the plot, but instead the K17 project will be built consciously on a smaller scale. Compared with what would be possible

• 69 fewer apartments,
• 740 sq m smaller built-up area,
• 1,430 sq m lower gross floor area.

This reflects the responsible approach of the developer, as it is far from using the maximum development possibilities.

The height of the building remains below the limits of the applicable regulatory framework. Any misunderstanding may arise from the fact that the designer has set back the upper floors. However, this serves urban design integration and not the hiding of additional floors: the developer has not requested permission from the municipality to build a higher building or to modify the project in a way that increases its volume.

Instead of the permitted maximum of 4.0, the planned value is 3.78. Expressed in square metres, the total floor area is 1426 sq m lower than the possible value, meaning the project is far from using the room for manoeuvre provided by the municipal regulation.

Compared with the legal possibilities, the K17 project uses 742 sq m less built-up area. Expressed in percentages, the above-ground built-up ratio is 63.8 percent instead of 75 percent, and the below-ground ratio is 74 percent instead of 80 percent. Just as with the floor area ratio, the development is consciously more restrained than what is permitted.

The building is divided into four clearly separated parts along three staircases, and because the area is subject to perimeter block development, the continuity of the street frontage is required. Within this framework, the avoidance of a monolithic block effect is ensured through mass shaping, setbacks, varied green surfaces and façade rhythm.

In order to ensure that parking opportunities for residents in the neighbourhood do not deteriorate, according to the agreement between LIVING and the municipality, residents of the K17 project will not receive on-street parking rights even for a fee. This is a condition recorded in the contract, and the developer will inform potential buyers about it in advance.

Since the target group of the development typically consists of young residents with an urban lifestyle (tenants and university students), they are expected to make greater use of the excellent public transport options in the area. Private car usage is less typical in this group.

Based on this and considering modern urban planning principles, LIVING calculates with a reduced parking ratio of 0.84 cars per apartment.

The legally permitted 0.84 parking spaces per apartment ratio is a conscious decision. The public transport conditions of the area are excellent, which the young residents with an urban lifestyle forming the main target group of the development (tenants and university students) will likely use above average.

A parking ratio below one (0,84) follows the principles of modern urban planning: in an excellent public transport hub encouraging high car use is not justified. Fewer parking spaces reduce traffic, decrease environmental burden and support the creation of a pedestrian-friendly and liveable urban environment.

The underground garage designed with a two-lane ramp allows fast and smooth traffic flow. This means that neither congestion nor a large-scale increase in traffic is expected.

The assessment of daylight access and solar exposure for the neighbouring buildings was carried out in accordance with the applicable regulations. During the placement of the building, the minimum building separation is 15 metres, which is already considered favourable in an inner-city environment, and the distance towards the majority of the surrounding buildings is greater than this, typically ranging between 18 and 20 metres. Any images circulating on social media that purport to illustrate solar exposure or ground-floor views do not reflect reality, they are not verified content and are misleading.

In the case of perimeter block development the regulation prescribes a building distance of 10 metres. Compared with this, towards the closest neighbour, the residential building at Karinthy Frigyes Road 17, a building distance of almost 15 metres (14.96 metres) will be realised, which is almost one and a half times greater.

In this case, the distances between the planned buildings are determined by the designated building zones defined for the plots as part of the urban planning framework. The 2017 KÉSZ clearly specifies the permitted building placement, therefore the distance requirements set out in OTÉK are not applicable in this context.

In addition, particular attention was paid during the design process to ensure that no openings of rooms intended for prolonged occupancy face the Karinthy Road 17 building, where the façade distance is smaller. This voluntarily reinforces compliance with environmental and functional considerations.

This can almost completely be ruled out. The project based on long-standing regulations aims to create a more orderly urban environment, which in the long term is more likely to strengthen the value of the neighbourhood.

The development creates a total of 5,100 sq m of green space, significantly more than required by the regulations. This will happen on a site which in its current function as a paved surface parking lot is not utilised properly from either an urban design or environmental perspective: it mainly generates noise, pollution, significant through traffic and unnecessary environmental burden for the neighbourhood. In contrast, a green area roughly half the size of Feneketlen Lake will appear on the site, part of which will not have an underground garage below it, allowing trees with real soil connection to be planted.

In total there will be 40 percent more square metres of green space than required: instead of the prescribed minimum of 20 percent the K17 project fulfils a green space ratio of 28 percent. This includes an approximately 1500 sq m landscaped urban promenade with organised vegetation, community and rain gardens, which conceptually fits the district’s long-term development strategy: this will be the first section of the pedestrian connection between Karinthy Frigyes Road and Október huszonharmadika Street.

The more than 5000 sq m green space will function as a high-quality, sustainable urban space on an area roughly half the size of Feneketlen Lake. The publicly accessible landscaped section of 1537 sq m has full soil connection: meaning trees with larger canopies can be planted there.

The design is carried out under professional supervision, and the protection of the existing trees is ensured through protective distances and technological requirements.

The site currently functions as a surface parking lot and mainly generates noise, pollution, significant through traffic and unnecessary environmental burden for the neighbourhood, and from a microclimatic perspective its presence is particularly unfavourable. In comparison, the K17 project, which exceeds green space requirements by 40 percent, will clearly improve environmental quality: the green area created in place of the disappearing inner-city vacant lot will be roughly half the size of Feneketlen Lake and will have a beneficial effect on the neighbourhood’s microclimate.

The development will not cause a sudden increase in the population of the neighbourhood, which has grown slowly and gradually in recent years. Because of this, a drastic change in institutional load is not expected.

The building is located at a distance of 18.5–22 metres from the existing building, and according to preliminary solar access studies, the gymnasium’s natural daylight conditions will remain in compliance with the applicable regulations. At the same time the developer undertakes that, compensating for any possible partial shading of the existing solar panel system of the Bercsényi Dormitory, it will contribute to maintaining the efficiency of the system by installing an energy storage system with a capacity of 3×10 kWh in the building or by installing an additional solar capacity of 30 kWh.

In the spirit of open, factual, transparent and compromise-ready dialogue, LIVING undertakes continuous consultation throughout the entire process and examines proposals from those concerned in a documented way. Not only listens to comments but is also open to compromises within reasonable limits.

LIVING’s municipal commitments connected to the K17 project in the amount of HUF 250 million appear within contractual frameworks recorded in the urban development agreement (TRSZ): therefore they are not promises but legally binding and enforceable elements. In addition to this, the developer has compiled a package of value-creating and compensatory measures for direct neighbours and the wider environment, the coordination of which is currently ongoing.

The municipality determines the urban planning framework and supervises construction. The developer’s responsibility is to design in accordance with the applicable regulations under professional supervision and to fulfil the commitments recorded in the contract.

Construction carried out within legal frameworks will inevitably have phases that may cause temporary inconvenience for residents in the neighbourhood. The developer will only carry out works during the permitted periods and strives to minimise noise and dust while keeping them within the regulatory limits. In order to allow those living nearby to prepare in advance, the developer will inform them beforehand about the timing of the main construction phases.

LIVING strives for open, factual, transparent and compromise-ready dialogue throughout the entire development process of the K17 project. Those concerned can submit their questions and comments through a dedicated question-submission form and via the email address info(at)karinthy17(dot)hu, and they will receive a response within 48 working hours.