Lisi Garden House by Architects of Invention – Modular Residential Innovation in Tbilisi

Lisi Garden House, designed by Architects of Invention, is a seven-story residential marvel redefining urban living in Tbilisi, Georgia. This innovative project embraces modular construction, with components partially prefabricated offsite—a pioneering approach in Georgian architecture where offsite building methods remain emerging. The design balances privacy, daylight, greenery, and community, offering residents the serenity of suburban life within a compact, urban environment.

Inspired by James Wines' Highrise of Homes and Brodsky & Utkin's Columbarium Habitable, the building envisions stacked garden apartments. Alternating oval and rectangular modules create a rhythmic vertical façade, while generous verandas extend living spaces into the landscape. This vertical community champions individuality without compromising collective living, challenging conventional apartment typologies through spatial generosity, natural light, and outdoor integration.

Site Context

Situated on a sloped hillside near Lisi Lake, the site offers sweeping panoramic views of Tbilisi and surrounding western hills. Part of a larger masterplan involving Architects of Invention, Ricardo Bofill, and UN Studio, the Garden House integrates seamlessly with nearby private homes and neighboring residential blocks. Its location allows for discreet parking integration below grade and elevated living floors, optimizing both views and environmental responsiveness.

Design Concept and Strategy

The building houses 42 units across seven floors, featuring commercial spaces on the ground level and parking below grade. Divided into three vertical blocks, each with a staircase and lift core, the layout enhances circulation, privacy, and semi-private clusters. Apartments are dual-aspect, ensuring cross-ventilation, natural light, and contrasting city and hillside vistas. Upper-level duplexes provide more expansive spaces and uninterrupted views.

Developed under the Development Regulation Plan (DRP), the design adheres to strict height, footprint, and massing regulations. Modular stacking allows for optimized density, daylight, ventilation, and outdoor areas while meeting fire-safety codes. Signature large balconies and semi-enclosed glass rooms create year-round access to outdoor space, further connecting residents to the surrounding landscape.

Architecture, Materials, and Construction

Lisi Garden House employs a hybrid concrete-and-steel structural system, with three reinforced concrete cores for stability. Triangulated waffle slabs reduce material usage, improve load performance, and increase thermal mass, supporting passive energy regulation. The façade combines double-glazed aluminium panels, exposed concrete, and back-painted glass for visual continuity, while terraces are finished in white marble.

All photographs are works of  Grogorii Sokolinskii