The Infrastructure of Care

This project addresses the renovation crisis in Bulgaria’s post-socialist housing stock (BS-69-SF), where a "governance deadlock" paralyzes maintenance despite 89% private ownership. The project argues that the barrier to renovation is not technical, but social. There exists a great lack of trust between residents and the state. The proposal shifts the architect’s role from designing forms to designing protocols. The intervention begins with a Mobile Lab—a renovated "Panelki Bus" that acts as a diplomatic tool. By traveling to neighborhoods to map problems and demonstrate solutions, the mobile unit builds the social infrastructure required to unlock EU funding.

The physical intervention utilizes a "Top-Up" strategy: adding a lightweight rooftop floor that serves first as temporary housing to allow for renovation without displacement. Post-construction, these units become rental assets, generating revenue to fund the building’s long-term maintenance. Documented through a TikTok vlog series, the project scales this pilot into a city-wide movement, transforming renovation from a bureaucratic burden into a transparent, collective act.