Parks of Deluxe Class

Architect Aleksey Ivanov speaks about the all-but-obsolete format of deluxe villa communities, one of the essential attributes of which was a large-scale landscaped territory.

16 April 2014

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Architect:

Firm:

Arkhstroydesign ASD

Object:

Rubin Estate village
Russia, Moscow

2010

"Count Ponds" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

"Arkhstroydesign" Studio built in the Moscow Region a fairly large number of villa communities and suburban settlements but we take special pride in the projects that we were able to fully implement - not only building a dozen or two houses but creating for the people a comfortable environment to live in, one that is capable of making a statement with its bright and memorable image. Back in the 2000's, such projects were mainly implemented in the deluxe segment. And I think that in many respects the today's fashion of the public spaces is rooted precisely in these expensive settlements - because their investors were the first to realize that comfortable and visually attractive territory around the house was a factor that for the future tenants was almost more important, than the house itself. The well-organized parks, reservoirs with the landscaped embankments, the decorated promenades, and the open-air recreation spaces - all of this initially appeared outside the city, and it is still interesting for me to watch these territories live and develop, deservedly becoming the compositional, and, if you want, ideological centers of these settlements.

"Belgian Village" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

“Belgian Village”, 12 km along the Kaluga highway, 2005 - 2007, 29 hectares

We did not have to build "Belgian Village" from scratch. By the time our company got this particular commission, the master plan of the settlement was already developed and approved. Actually, one of our main tasks was giving a "human touch" to the "wire-like" dissection of the master plan. Our customer asked us to pay special attention to the "bald spots" near the reservoir located in the middle of the future settlement - there were, indeed, some strange spots of wasteland, and not one or two, but a whole bunch of them. And, since the stylistic theme of the settlement had been set before we came (the very name of "Belgian Village" speaks for itself), we decided that it would make perfect sense to pick it up and develop it to the fullest in landscaping this territory. The vastness of the territory allowed for making a whole park there; the presence of a few wasteland spots necessitated for making this park a multi-part one - so, we decided that this must be a system of interconnected territories, each of which would have a "national" twist of its own. The way I see it, it was a rather unconventional move: usually, it is the villas that are built in the various national styles - while we went ahead and transferred this generally commercial technique to the housing-free territories. And it seems to me that we ultimately did the right thing.

"Belgian Village" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

In fact, what we do is we make, in the middle of the settlement, a huge park that we later divide into the theme segments, each of which can be treated as a piece of the jigsaw puzzle, collectively called "Europe". One will find here the English landscape garden, and the "regular" French one, the children's playground, built with Germen accuracy and based on the stories of the Grimm brothers, the picturesque tulip meadow (hail from Netherlands), and a small cozy pub - which is the "visiting card" of Belgium as such. Plus - we properly organized the beach and built a boat-renting station. As for the small infrastructure objects, we stylized them in the "European" spirit - the windmill, the hunter's cabin, and so on.

"Belgian Village" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

And, of course, the entrance group - it got a more dramatic solution, a-la Disneyland. We thought this would be appropriate because this is the "outside" facade of the settlement. As for the houses as such - although they do continue the "European" style, they do so in a more reserved manner, simply because there are so many of them, and we did not want to endlessly multiply the all-too-recognizable decoration. So, what we did was limit ourselves to the play of the gables that speaks for itself, and to using the Belgian brick of hand molding. By the way, the settlement “Belgian Village” was twice acknowledged as the best settlement of the Moscow area in the deluxe category, and in 2013 it received the reward of International Property Awards in London.

"Belgian Village" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

"Count Ponds" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

“Count Ponds”, 21 km along the Kiev highway, 2006-2008, 52 Hectares

We did the project of this settlement from the very start after we won the tender for its architectural concept and master plan. The concept that we proposed was based on the idea of creating an interesting landscape and a public space that would be capable of becoming the centerpiece of the whole settlement. As for the name "Count Ponds", it actually goes back to a small creek that was there in the middle of the land site from the very start - it was this creek that suggested to us the idea of creating here a fully-fledged reservoir with landscaped embankments. The lake with an area of 1.6 hectares got a slightly bent but still strictly geometrically justified shape - together with the esplanade of the park, it forms a peculiar cross, very much like the frame of reference of the entire settlement. And upon this green and blue cross we strung our land sites. Those that are larger are situated along the outer perimeter and they got a direct access to the woodland, while those that are smaller adjoin the park's esplanade - which sort of makes up for the absence of access to the said woodland.

"Count Ponds" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

And although the planning of the public area is based on a rigid structure, from the inside, we tried to fill it in with a sophisticated and diverse pattern. What we did was create some sort of a jigsaw puzzle from the the parks of various "styles". One will find here the Russian garden with apple and prune trees, a French park, and a rock-garden as well. The resulting boulevard is in fact a green stripe 50 meters wide and a whopping kilometer long. Would be such "improper" use of space conceivable today? I don't think so. The "Count Ponds" were lucky, however, and the life of this settlement is concentrated around this multilevel green area, to which we "plugged in" all the social functions.

"Count Ponds" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

Reconstruction of "Rubin Estate" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

Rubin Estate, 15 km down the Rublevo-Uspenskoe highway, 2011, 6.5 Hectares

This settlement, located 15 kilometers away from Moscow Ring Road down the Rublevo-Uspenskoe Highway, got into the hands of "Arkhstroydesign" almost completed. It had complete roads in it, and the houses were already built up to their roofs. The reconstruction work was already covered by Archi.ru, and now I want to share in greater detail about the organization of the public territories of this settlement. The thing is that originally it was not supposed to have any public territories whatsoever: in fact, the whole settlement was "dissected" into private estates, so even the most basic landscaping was initially out of the question. But, despite the fact that the crisis was already in full swing, we were able to convince the customer that a certain general sense from the point of view of urban planning space settlement is vital: I must admit that in recent years, not all developers are listening to this argument, but in the case of Rubin Estate we persevered and proved the necessity of the park.

Reconstruction of "Rubin Estate" Settlement © Arkhstroydesign ASD

On the plan, the territory of the settlement presents an elongated rectangle, whose central part is framed by the smooth curve of the road on either side of which the estates are situated. We, first of all, corrected the plans of the estates, after giving to them a deliberately different form, which, in the first place, introduced into the panoramas of the settlement some additional variety, and, in the second place, made it possible to free, in the base of the loop, some room sufficient for creating the artificial lake. This small reservoir was put into a casket of walking paths and picturesque bridges. And, even though the lake is located not exactly in the center of the settlement but closer to its further border, i.e. on the broad side of the "triangle", it definitely became the "visiting card" of the settlement, and, more importantly, gave its people an opportunity to go for walks in the fresh air without leaving its confines.

This charming mini- park (which we, by the way, made together with of the workshop of topographical design “Arteza”) became in our practice the last experience of the creation of integral public spaces within the confines of out-of-town settlements. At least, for now. Will there ever be a return to such a luxury? For me this question remains open. I think, if expensive settlements still will be built, they will be built in a totally different way. And their public spaces will be different too. And the "villa communities" are still to remain in the past.

Architect:

Firm:

Arkhstroydesign ASD

Object:

Rubin Estate village
Russia, Moscow

2010

16 April 2014

Headlines now

The Paradox of the Temporary

The concept of the Russian pavilion for EXPO 2025 in Osaka, proposed by the Wowhaus architects, is the last of the six projects we gathered from the 2022 competition. It is again worth noting that the results of this competition were not finalized due to the cancellation of Russia’s participation in World Expo 2025. It should be mentioned that Wowhaus created three versions for this competition, but only one is being presented, and it can’t be said that this version is thoroughly developed – rather, it is done in the spirit of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, the project is interesting in its paradoxical nature: the architects emphasized the temporary character of the pavilion, and in its bubble-like forms sought to reflect the paradoxes of space and time.

The Forum of Time

The competition project for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka designed by Aleksey Orlov and Arena Project Institute consists of cones and conical funnels connected into a non-trivial composition, where one can feel the hand of architects who have worked extensively with stadiums and other sports facilities. It’s very interesting to delve into its logic, structurally built on the theme of clocks, hourglasses and even sundials. Additionally, the architects have turned the exhibition pavilion into a series of interconnected amphitheaters, which is also highly relevant for world exhibitions. We are reminding you that the competition results were never announced.

Mirrors Everywhere

The project by Sergey Nebotov, Anastasia Gritskova, and the architectural company “Novoe” was created for the Russian pavilion at EXPO 2025, but within the framework of another competition, which, as we learned, took place even earlier, in 2021. At that time, the competition theme was “digital twins”, and there was minimal time for work, so the project, according to the architect himself, was more of a “student assignment”. Nevertheless, this project is interesting for its plan bordering on similarity with Baroque projects and the emblem of the exhibition, as well as its diverse and comprehensive reflectiveness.

Report

The Steppe Is Full of Beauty and Freedom

The goal of the exhibition “Dikoe Pole” (“Wild Field”) at the State Historical Museum was to move away from the archaeological listing of valuable items and to create an image of the steppe and nomads that was multidirectional and emotional – in other words, artistic. To achieve this goal, it was important to include works of contemporary art. One such work is the scenography of the exhibition space developed by CHART studio.

The Snowstorm Fish

The next project from the unfinished competition for the Russian Pavilion at EXPO 2025, which will be held in Osaka, Japan, is by Dashi Namdakov and Parsec Architects. The pavilion describes itself as an “architectural/sculptural” one, with its shape clearly reminiscent of abstract sculpture of the 1970s. It complements its program with a meditative hall named “Mendeleev’s Dreams”, and offers its visitors to slide from its roof at the end of the tour.

The Mirror of Your Soul

We continue to publish projects from the competition for the design of the Russian Pavilion at EXPO in Osaka 2025. We are reminding you that the results of the competition have not been announced, and hardly will ever be. The pavilion designed by ASADOV Architects combines a forest log cabin, the image of a hyper transition, and sculptures made of glowing threads – it focuses primarily on the scenography of the exhibition, which the pavilion builds sequentially like a string of impressions, dedicating it to the paradoxes of the Russian soul.

Part of the Ideal

In 2025, another World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan, in which Russia will not participate. However, a competition for the Russian pavilion was indeed held, with six projects participating. The results were never announced as Russia’s participation was canceled; the competition has no winners. Nevertheless, Expo pavilion projects are typically designed for a bold and interesting architectural statement, so we’ve gathered all the six projects and will be publishing articles about them in random order. The first one is the project by Vladimir Plotkin and Reserve Union, which is distinguished by the clarity of its stereometric shape, the boldness of its structure, and the multiplicity of possible interpretations.

Object

The Fortress by the River

ASADOV Architects have developed a concept for a new residential district in the center of Kemerovo. To combat the harsh climate and monotonous everyday life, the architects proposed a block type of development with dominant towers, good insolation, facades detailed at eye level, and event programming.

Object

In the Rhombus Grid

Construction has begun on the building of the OMK (United Metallurgical Company) Corporate University in Nizhny Novgorod’s town of Vyksa, designed by Ostozhenka Architects. The most interesting aspect of the project is how the architects immersed it in the context: “extracting” a diagonal motif from the planning grid of Vyksa, they aligned the building, the square, and the park to match it. A truly masterful work with urban planning context on several different levels of perception has long since become the signature technique of Ostozhenka.

Object

Generational Connection

Another modern estate, designed by Roman Leonidov, is located in the Moscow region and brings together three generations of one family under one roof. To fit on a narrow plot without depriving anyone of personal space, the architects opted for a zigzag plan. The main volume in the house structure is accentuated by mezzanines with a reverse-sloped roof and ceilings featuring exposed beams.

Object

Three Dimensions of the City

We began to delve into the project by Sergey Skuratov, the residential complex “Depo” in Minsk, located at Victory Square, and it fascinated us completely. The project has at least several dimensions to it: historical – at some point, the developer decided to discontinue further collaboration with Sergey Skuratov Architects, but the concept was approved, and its implementation continues, mostly in accordance with the proposed ideas. The spatial and urban planning dimension – the architects both argue with the city and play along with it, deciphering nuances, and finding axes. And, finally, the tactile dimension – the constructed buildings also have their own intriguing features. Thus, this article also has two parts: it dwells on what has been built and what was conceived

Object

New “Flight”

Architects from “Mezonproject” have developed a project for the reconstruction of the regional youth center “Polyot”(“Flight”) in the city of Oryol. The summer youth center, built back in the late 1970s, will now become year-round and acquire many additional functions.

Object

The Yauza Towers

In Moscow, there aren’t that many buildings or projects designed by Nikita Yavein and Studio 44. In this article, we present to you the concept of a large multifunctional complex on the Yauza River, located between two parks, featuring a promenade, a crossroads of two pedestrian streets, a highly developed public space, and an original architectural solution. This solution combines a sophisticated, asymmetric façade grid, reminiscent of a game of fifteen puzzle, and bold protrusions of the upper parts of the buildings, completely masking the technical floors and sculpting the complex’s silhouette.

Object

Architecture and Leisure Park

For the suburban hotel complex, which envisages various formats of leisure, the architectural company T+T Architects proposed several types of accommodation, ranging from the classic “standard” in a common building to a “cave in the hill” and a “house in a tree”. An additional challenge consisted in integrating a few classic-style residences already existing on this territory into the “architectural forest park”.

Overview

The U-House

The Jois complex combines height with terraces, bringing the most expensive apartments from penthouses down to the bottom floors. The powerful iconic image of the U-shaped building is the result of the creative search for a new standard of living in high-rise buildings by the architects of “Genpro”.

Object

Black and White

In this article, we specifically discuss the interiors of the ATOM Pavilion at VDNKh. Interior design is a crucial component of the overall concept in this case, and precision and meticulous execution were highly important for the architects. Julia Tryaskina, head of UNK interiors, shares some of the developments.

send.project

The “Snake” Mountain

The competition project for the seaside resort complex “Serpentine” combines several typologies: apartments of different classes, villas, and hotel rooms. For each of these typologies, the KPLN architects employ one of the images that are drawn from the natural environment – a serpentine road, a mountain stream, and rolling waves.

send.project

Opal from Anna Mons’ Ring

The project of a small business center located near Tupolev Plaza and Radio Street proclaims the necessity of modern architecture in a specific area of Moscow commonly known as “Nemetskaya Sloboda” or “German settlement”. It substantiates its thesis with the thoroughness of details, a multitude of proposed and rejected form variants, and even a detailed description of the surrounding area. The project is interesting indeed, and it is even more interesting to see what will come of it.

Object

Feed ’Em All

A “House of Russian Cuisine” was designed and built by KROST Group at VDNKh for the “Rossiya” exhibition in record-breaking time. The pavilion is masterfully constructed in terms of the standards of modern public catering industry multiplied by the bustling cultural program of the exhibition, and it interprets the stylistically diverse character of VDNKh just as successfully. At the same time, much of its interior design can be traced back to the prototypes of the 1960s – so much so that even scenes from iconic Soviet movies of those years persistently come to mind.

Object

The Ensemble at the Mosque

OSA prepared a master plan for a district in the southern part of Derbent. The main task of the master plan is to initiate the formation of a modern comfortable environment in this city. The organization of residential areas is subordinated to the city’s spiritual center: depending on the location relative to the cathedral mosque, the houses are distinguished by façade and plastique solutions. The program also includes a “hospitality center”, administrative buildings, an educational cluster, and even an air bridge.

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Pargolovo Protestantism

A Protestant church is being built in St. Petersburg by the project of SLOI architects. One of the main features of the building is a wooden roof with 25-meter spans, which, among other things, forms the interior of the prayer hall. Also, there are other interesting details – we are telling you more about them.

Object

The Shape of the Inconceivable

The ATOM Pavilion at VDNKh brings to mind a famous maxim of all architects and critics: “You’ve come up with it? Now build it!” You rarely see such a selfless immersion in implementation of the project, and the formidable structural and engineering tasks set by UNK architects to themselves are presented here as an integral and important part of the architectural idea. The challenge matches the obliging status of the place – after all, it is an “exhibition of achievements”, and the pavilion is dedicated to the nuclear energy industry. Let’s take a closer look: from the outside, from the inside, and from the underside too.

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Rays of the Desert

A school for 1750 students is going to be built in Dubai, designed by IND Architects. The architects took into account the local specifics, and proposed a radial layout and spaces, in which the children will be comfortable throughout the day.

Object

The Dairy Theme

The concept of an office of a cheese-making company, designed for the enclosed area of a dairy factory, at least partially refers to industrial architecture. Perhaps that is why this concept is very simple, which seems the appropriate thing to do here. The building is enlivened by literally a couple of “master strokes”: the turning of the corner accentuates the entrance, and the shade of glass responds to the theme of “milk rivers” from Russian fairy tales.

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The Road to the Temple

Under a grant from the Small Towns Competition, the main street and temple area of the village of Nikolo-Berezovka near Neftekamsk has been improved. A consortium of APRELarchitects and Novaya Zemlya is turning the village into an open-air museum and integrating ruined buildings into public life.

Object

Towers Leaning Towards the Sun

The three towers of the residential complex “Novodanilovskaya 8” are new and the tallest neighbors of the Danilovsky Manufactory, “Fort”, and “Plaza”, complementing a whole cluster of modern buildings designed by renowned masters. At the same time, the towers are unique for this setting – they are residential, they are the tallest ones here, and they are located on a challenging site. In this article, we explore how architects Andrey Romanov and Ekaterina Kuznetsova tackled this far-from-trivial task.

Object

In the spirit of ROSTA posters

The new Rostselmash tractor factory, conceptualized by ASADOV Architects, is currently being completed in Rostov-on-Don. References to the Soviet architecture of the 1920’s and 1960’s resonate with the mission and strategic importance of the enterprise, and are also in line with the client’s wish: to pay homage to Rostov’s constructivism.

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The Northern Thebaid

The central part of Ferapontovo village, adjacent to the famous monastery with frescoes by Dionisy, has been improved according to the project by APRELarchitects. Now the place offers basic services for tourists, as well as a place for the villagers’ leisure.

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Brilliant Production

The architects from London-based MOST Architecture have designed the space for the high-tech production of Charge Cars, a high-performance production facility for high-speed electric cars that are assembled in the shell of legendary Ford Mustangs. The founders of both the company and the car assembly startup are Russians who were educated in their home country.

Object

Three-Part Task: St. Petersburg’s Mytny Dvor

The so-called “Mytny Dvor” area lying just behind Moscow Railway Station – the market rows with a complex history – will be transformed into a premium residential complex by Studio 44. The project consists of three parts: the restoration of historical buildings, the reconstruction of the lost part of the historical contour, and new houses. All of them are harmonized with each other and with the city; axes and “beams of light” were found, cozy corners and scenic viewpoints were carefully thought out. We had a chat with the authors of the historical buildings’ restoration project, and we are telling you about all the different tasks that have been solved here.