At the heart of "Pereprojekteerimine" ("Family Design") is the question of what role the home plays in family life and how it develops. Andreas Krigoltoi, one of the authors of the winning competition entry, said the project began by examining different households and their housing needs.

"Design is often very one-directional: The client has wishes and goals, we put them down on paper and design the space. But there comes a point when we no longer realize that, at some stage, the home begins to shape us — in other words, it begins to shape our family," Krigoltoi said on ETV morning show "Terevisioon." "That's where our interest lies: What role does the home play in the development of family life?"

According to the authors, housing construction in Estonia is largely based on optimal apartment sizes and fairly rigid notions of what constitutes a family. They say this can steer people toward living in smaller households and reduce opportunities for support systems to develop among different family members. For example, a larger home could make it possible for a grandparent or another family member to move in when they need assistance.

Karen Jagodin, commissioner of the Estonian exhibition and a member of the competition jury, said both the timeliness of the subject and the professionalism and dedication of the authors were important factors in selecting "Pereprojekteerimine."

"This is a project that addresses an extremely topical issue and also fits very well with the biennale's overall theme, one of the key concepts of which is coexistence," Jagodin said. She said the project asks whether the needs of diverse and changing family models are also reflected in real estate development and what kinds of homes people actually need.

"When we think about the Venice Architecture Biennale, it is one of Estonia's largest international showcases in the field. Being part of the discussion there and engaging with the issues is one of the most important opportunities for architects and people working in architecture to contribute to international thinking in their field," Jagodin said.

A total of 10 proposals were submitted to the competition. The jury selected five entries in the first round, after which their authors were given the opportunity to further develop their ideas and present them in a public final round. The winning entry was selected by an expert jury comprising Karen Jagodin; curator and critic Lev Bratishenko; architect Siiri Vallner; playwright Märten Rattasepp, dramaturge of the Estonian exhibition at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale; Maria Arusoo, director of the Estonian Center for Contemporary Art; and Johanna Jõekalda, architecture and design adviser at the Ministry of Culture.

The next step will see the authors of the winning entry begin putting together the Estonian exhibition, gathering materials and seeking partners. Their aim is to create an exhibition that goes beyond a purely theoretical treatment of the subject and gives visitors an opportunity to consider what housing of the future could look like and how people might live in it.

The chief curators of the 20th Venice Architecture Biennale are Chinese architects Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu. The biennale's main theme is "Do Architecture — For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality"

The Venice Architecture Biennale will run from May 8 to November 21, 2027.

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