Ecological Tetris

The construction of three residential districts in “Technopark” District D2 in Skolkovo innovation center is coming to an end. One of them – the tenth one – is being constructed according to the draft of UNK project that won an open tender in 2012.

Written by:
Anna Starostina
Translated by:
Anton Mizonov

25 August 2015

Object

Three years ago the draft of UNK project became one of ten winners of the open tender for residential housing of District D2 in “Technopark” in the innovation center “Skolkovo”. Today the buildings are almost done. The assignment given to the architects contained two it would seem mutually exclusive directives: on the one hand, they had to use the selected lot most efficiently and provide for high construction density; on the other – use large glazed areas, and in general – reach maximal permeability of the inner space. An unexpected approach to spatial arrangement helped to achieve sufficient privacy and – at the same time – save the integrity of the whole residential micro district. It nominally entitled “the Tetris Principle”. The computer game that appeared in mid 80s was incredibly popular then and became a kind of symbol of scientific and technological progress of the country. Curiously, today it helps to create media for new ideas and developments – even though very relatively. It is even more interesting, that the collegues of UNK project working on neighboring 9th and 11th sites – “BRT RUS” bureau and Agence d`Architecture A. Bechu – also remembered this nearly forgotten game in their designs. All the three districts are special, but conceptually and ideologically close.

zooming — "Skolkovo. Technopark" Innovation Center. Residential area №10 © UNK project

The micro district 10 is intended for construction of townhouses for in total 204 people. The center of the round lot divided by a street in two unequal parts is the place where the whole infrastructure is concentrated: a shop, a security station, public transport stop and a public center with a playground. In the felicitous words of the Chief Architect and founder of UNK project Yuliy Borisov: they have “managed to use the land twice”. The artificial drop of the relief allowed clear division public and private functions. The drive aisles are located on the ground level, and green terraces screened from view are situated on the upper one. Such arrangement of the micro district is the safest one and simultaneously allows a high level of interaction inside small groups of the neighboring ten houses. “Usually, residents of townhouses only know their neighbors on the right and left. Such place is extremely boring to live in. There can be no talk of a stimulating environment and exchange of ideas. For us it was really important to build up an actual alliance of creative, thinking people” – says Yuliy Borisov.

Simple and clear cubic volumes of the buildings do remind neatly placed “Tetris blocks” of different shapes. Four types of planning have been developed within the layout of houses: for family couples, for parents with one or two children and for co-residence with elderly parents. The total area of each such unit varies from 2045 ft2 to 2346 ft2. Every ground floor is allocated for a parking lot and a study, and the main living quarters take up the overhanging first and second floors. At that, the two less dense plan types have obtained a double-height central area. And finally, every house has its own open terrace of 376-419ft2. This is the planning system that allowed to make floor-to-ceiling glazing 20 feet long and avoid the unpleasant “window to window” effect. And still in some places the glass is protected by metal grate masked in form a tree. They do not hinder the image inside the residential zone and serve as additional screening from view. Besides, the grates help to regulate the sunlight and protect the rooms from overheating and also, from the authors’ perspective, make the place more psychologically comfortable.

The authors have chosen simple, reliable, eco-friendly and mainly recyclable materials: concrete, plaster, glass, metal, stone, ecological laminate panels imitating the texture of wood. The architects have renounced the idea of using natural wood counting on durability, simplicity and economy. At that, they have developed a single logic of material application: the bottom parts are coated either with slate (residential rooms) or granite gabions (bearing structures) – heavy and emphasizing closeness to earth through materials. The next level can be called “man-made” and it is defined by panels imitating wood and plastered surfaces of concrete walls. And the panoramic windows reflecting the clouds symbolize the top “sky level”. But the proportions of colors and textures of the facades is constantly changing providing for stylistic unity of the settlement on the one hand, and on the other – lending the necessary variety to the project. “We have managed to create quite expressive and emotional architecture that looks “expensive”. At the same time, we are using standard construction technologies and working with simple and comprehensive cubical forms. Thanks to this, the construction is rather low priced and quick” – says Yuliy Borisov.

Strange as it may seem, the term “typical” is very suitable for many solutions applied in the whole innovation center Skolkovo and the 10th micro district in particular. The architects had to unify the environment that they created, and on all levels: starting from city-planning solutions up to the interiors of different townhouses. The lack of unique, individualized solutions together with the use of BIM planning technology (it was a pilot draft of UNK project made in this technology) was exactly what helped to remain within a rather modest budget and cut back the length of construction without compromising on quality. But “unified” by no means equals “commonplace” or “average”.

Such environment could never become a real “home” for people thinking outside the box. As a matter of fact, the irregularity of the task consisted in successful search of the thin line between “typological” and “individual”. Indeed, all the micro districts under construction possess their own distinctive architectural pattern, but they are very close ideologically. Then the facades of different volume and finishing solutions appear inside of the micro district forming a single creative atmosphere. The planning of the cottages is also typical on the one hand, and fulfills the individual requirements of the lodgers on the other.

As for the interior design, the architects of UNK project have even developed a special brand book for the whole innovation center Skolkovo, thus giving the future lodgers the right to easily adjust the interior to themselves by, for example, changing the decorative finish of the walls. “In a way it reminds setting an interface of your PC: there is one operational system, but you can choose you own desktop image, set a screensaver or change the color scheme” – says Yuliy Borisov describing the idea.

It is obvious that the principles of sustainable “green” construction must become the foundation of all the components of the large project of the innovation center. It is possibly the first time that they have been applied so fully and in such variety of ways. After the construction is completed the micro district will aspire to a prestige ecological certificate LEED. First of all, all the soil taken from the place of groundwork and communication lines was reused for creating artificial relief. Secondly, all the buildings are very energy-efficient: loss of heat has been minimized, for example, the glass is covered with a special protecting spray; LEDs, motion sensors and a lighting control system are actively made use of and there are also water saving bathroom fitments. Rain water and the so-called “grey water” is collected, treated and reused. The authors provide for large green areas, including drained green parking lots. And finally, every house is provided with an opportunity of installing solar panels.

For now the architects consider this technology not as efficient in the Russian context, but they are hoping that within the next five years the situation will change and then one would only have to install the panels and connect to the integrated system.

The main contractor of the three simultaneous district constructions (9, 10, 11) is RD Construction company. “Skolkovo” makes “green” construction fashionable in Russia. And for our company that specializes in complex, highly technological construction it is a significant and for sure principal project for today – notices Oleg Zhukov, the general director of RD Construction. – I would like to underline the fact that LEED standard imposes high requirements not only to the materials, but to the quality of work and the qualification of the employees. Today 60 of our top-qualified engineers are working in “Skolkovo”, and the total number of RD Construction employees engaged in the project exceeds 1000”.

The construction on site 10 is planned to be finished in the last quarter of 2015. For now RD Construction has in only 21 day built and decorated a demonstration townhouse. Its inauguration was visited by the Prime Minister of Russia – Dmitriy Medvedev.

“The work on this project gave us an absolutely unique opportunity to look several decades ahead with the help of architectural instruments and comprehend the very meaning of the “future architecture” – says Yuliy Borisov. “I am sure that the notorious innovativeness is really not the highly modern technologies – although you cannot do without them – and not the fanciful futuristic forms. It is rejection of the old stereotypes of planning. People’s lifestyle is changing and we must find a suitable environment, express these changes in spatial and plastic solutions. It was exciting to try to create a city for people that are much more advanced than we are. I really hope that we managed to do it.”

25 August 2015

Headlines now

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.

send.project

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.

send.project

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.

send.project

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.

send.project

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.

send.project

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.

Object

The Color of the City, or Reflections on the Slope of an Urban Settlement

In 2022, Ostozhenka Architects won a competition, and in 2023, they developed and received all the necessary approvals for a master plan for the development of Chernigovskaya Street for the developer GloraX. The project takes into account a 10-year history of previous developments; it was done in collaboration with architects from Nizhny Novgorod, and it continues to evolve now. We carefully examined it, talked to everyone, and learned a lot of interesting things.