How Far From Square Is Redefining Built Environments Through Brand-Led Placemaking

At the Building Innovation Forum + Expo 2026 at Sofia Event Center, Far From Square made its debut as the first brand-led placemaking company in Bulgaria and Southeast Europe.

Presented in partnership with SGI Architects & Masterplanners and Barry Brand, the session demonstrated how brand strategy, storytelling, and architectural masterplanning combine to create spaces with authentic identity and purpose.

To illustrate the approach, Far From Square shared the story of Sofia’s Hladilnika (“The Fridge”) neighborhood—tracing its evolution from industrial cold storage to the birthplace of freeze-dried space foods like lyutenitsa and tarator created at the Institute of Cryobiology, which allowed Bulgarian cosmonauts to taste home in orbit. Today, Hladilnika-headquartered brand Antarta builds on that exact heritage to pioneer food that brings the warmth of home anywhere in the universe. By uncovering these local stories and grounding design in authentic identity, Far From Square turns physical spaces into meaningful places where people feel connected.