The Garden I Dreamed of...

The kindergarten project in the city of Beloyarsky is not only energy-efficient and fit to meet the challenges of the local tough climate but is also designed to renew the outdated norms based on outdated views of the preschool education. This is a "reform" project.

26 May 2016

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The project of a kindergarten designed for 220 children was developed by "City-Arch" for the Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous district still in 2014; then, in 2015, it was nominated for the "Golden Section" award, and discussed at various forums and conferences, it won a silver prize at the ecological development and energy efficiency contest "Green Awards" in the nomination of "projects of social sphere", and won the second prize at the national contest "Eco Tectonics". However, the project has not been put into implementation yet. The reason? Too innovative! The project is an example of the fortunate case when architecture dictates the users a direct, and fundamentally new, form of living one's life in it, thus changing the reality. But, since we are speaking about a preschool institution here, where the rigorous system of construction and sanitary regulations leaves virtually no room for maneuver, it comes as no surprise that its implementation has been slow to come. However, one can still hope that the Khanty-Mansiysk project will be able to make a groundbreaking difference to the practice of designing kindergartens and nursery schools in Russia.

While still in the preparation stage, the authors of the project studied the expertise of the west European and Scandinavian countries in the organization of nursery schools and kindergartens, as well as consulted the developers of the preschool education program "Yugorsky Tramplin" ("Yugora Springboard"), specially designed for the Khanty-Mansiysky autonomous district. The main goal of this project is taking on a whole new level the system of preschool education with laying the main stress on the all-rounded integrated education of children. It was at that preparation stage that the authors of the project came to a conclusion that our rules and regulations on the construction of preschool educational facilities are outdated and do not answer the principles of today's pedagogy.

The volume of the building consists of the main elongated block two stories high, that looks like a boomerang on the plan, and an adjoining diamond-shaped block. Such shape helped the architects to "humanize" the proportions of the building designed for the child's perception. The main entrance groups are turned in the direction of the overall flow coming in from the residential area. They have color accents that facilitate visual orientation when the child immediately understands where to go and where his class is. The main block can be accessed from the street by three individual entrances - this is where the classes or "groups" are situated where the parents bring their kids and where the kids spend most of their day. The individual entrance groups allowed the architects to divide the premises into "clean" and "dirty" zones. It is expected that the minors will be accommodated on the first floor, while the preschool kids will be placed on the second. Further on, it will be possible to transfer the the "groups" on the second floor into the classrooms of elementary school.

zooming — Kindergarten in Beloyarsky. Project, 2014 © City-Arch

So, what is innovative about the architects' proposal? First of all, they give up the classic corridor system and create a common double-height playing space inside the building, a peculiar "yard" accessible from all the classrooms. According to the applicable regulations, the children of different ages are not to contact one another within one kindergarten (the principle of group isolation), which, again, contradicts the results of the latest pedagogical research. Today, it has been proven that a child's development gains tremendous momentum specifically in the course of his communicating with children of various ages. Children need space that will give them the opportunity to take part in discussions, practice sessions, and even teaching other children (when elders teach minors, both absorb information better). The common playing zones are located in the adjoining diamond-shaped annex: this is a double-height spaced with a sun tube. In order to increase the visual connection between the annex and the main part of the building, the architects made some of the classrooms' walls out of glass. One can access the common playroom from the second floor by exiting out to the open galleries and descending down a spiral staircase or even a spiral slide! Apart from the expected playgrounds, the big playing zone is going to get a rock-climbing wall and an amphitheater for making mass events.

Yet another important novelty - the layout of the classrooms - is also a novelty for this country in general. Practically the entire space of the classrooms can be used for playing games. The three-level pull-out beds are placed along the walls, while the only rooms that remain isolated are actually the bathrooms (that also have glass window elements installed for safety reasons and in order to let the teacher stay always in control of the situation); the locker rooms can be used for games. Inside the classroom, there is a mini-kitchen hidden in a wall recession - here the ready food only gets prepared for being distributed; it is also possible to wash the dishes here but generally the food will be prepared in the large specialized kitchen in the north part of the building.

Thus, optimizing the configuration of the whole building, the architects saved up to 14.7 square meters of useful area per child - and significantly increased the playground area allotted for each child: up to 10.5 square meters instead of the regulation 2-2,5 square meters - almost four-five times as much. The development of the child in the course of the game goes quicker when he or she moves more and gets exposed to his age mates, shows initiative and chooses the forms of his activity. The architects also provided cozy little nooks for children to play alone or in small groups. The main principle is flexibility and multifunctionality, diversity of the forms and textures, and mobility: inside the classroom section, with the help of transformable furniture furniture, one can create secluded spots so as to break the children into groups, should such need arise.

In the second part of the building, under the gable roof, besides the common playing zone, there is also a swimming pool, and a gym that can also be transformed - by using special partitions - into smaller gyms for toddlers or can be joined to the playing zones; a kitchen with storage space equipped with an individual street entrance (to load in the food ingredients), administrative and medical offices located closer to the swimming pool as the potential hazard zone.

Yet another important point that the authors of the project had to take into consideration was the project's effective functioning in the extreme north conditions where in the wintertime the temperature drops below 50 degrees Centigrade, and the ground freezes three meters down. Of course, what was important was maximum efficiency combined with minimum loss of heat. But then again, for Valery Lukomsky who has built several successfully functioning buildings in that same Beloyarsky - let's remember "Nuvi At" Center and the Ice Palace - the building of the kindergarten that does not lose a drop of heat in the wintertime only became a continuation of the already-formed tradition.

The architects based themselves on the "passive house" principles - specifically, they came up with the idea of positioning the building in respect to the cardinal points in such a way that the classrooms are all oriented south, and their big windows not only make the facade look more attractive but also catch the warmth of the sun during the hearing season. In the summertime, however, special glass will retain the heat and will make air conditioning redundant. The closed parts of the building - the swimming pool, the gym, the kitchen, and the maintenance rooms - are situated on the north side: here the slanted roof makes the volume particularly compact; in this part, the architects make do with the functional minimum number of the windows. Besides, the whole building is moved to the north part of the land site so as to free as much as possible territory for the children's walks on the south side.

From the energy conservation standpoint, the main task was not so much the conservation of the resources as creating a healthy microclimate. In order to minimize the energy losses, a unique airtight casing was developed that forms a closed heat perimeter without breaks and "heat bridges": according to the architects, the only "little bridges of cold" are the columns that the architects decided to keep because the pay-off period in this frozen region is over eighty years. It is planned that the façades will be warmed up by the mineral wool insulator 400 mm thick with a high degree of cohesion, and coated with ceramic granite tiles. The basement and the metallic roof are also warmed up and airtight. The authors also paid a lot of attention to the inside engineering work. In order to sustain the optimum conditions, the building is equipped with a mechanical ventilation system with recuperation of heat that feeds in the fresh air with controlled parameters. Sensors are keeping track of the percentage of CO2 in the air: they react to the number of children and the degree of their activity, changing the temperature and increasing or decreasing the inflow of air. At night and on the weekends, the temperature will be lowered. All the building's floors are heated. This system helps to maintain the air temperature at the minimum values, and one will still be comfortable. The low windowsills, not more than 40 centimeters high, do that the children could look out the windows and see what is going on outside (visual connection to nature and society) – are also heated from beneath.

The outward image of the building is just as interactive as its inner "wiring", and is also oriented towards communication with the children and their parents. The façades around the three entrances that lead to the classrooms are coated with colored ceramic granite - each entrance is marked by a bright colored spot whose outlines smoothly bleed into the surrounding "natural" wood grain. Next to the entrance, under the staircases, there are extra toilets: the children will be able to use them during their walks; it will also be possible to wash the toys here; the toilets will also come in handy for their parents - in standard kindergartens nothing of the kind is provided somehow, which is really inconvenient at times. From the west side, the building is adjoined by an amphitheater for music and theater performances, this amphitheater also serving as the second-floor emergency exit. In winter, the amphitheater will be converted into a slide.

The kindergarten project developed by "City Arch" is the first of its kind; it has no analogues in this country so far, and one can only hope that "the ice will be broken": the project will not only be implemented but will also give an impulse to the development of the architecture of preschool institutions, as well as for the very system of preschool education in Russia.

26 May 2016

Headlines now

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A Single-Industry Town

Kola MMC and Nornickel are building a residential neighborhood in Monchegorsk for their future employees. It is based on a project by an international team that won the 2021 competition. The project offers a number of solutions meant to combat the main “demons” of any northern city: wind, grayness and boredom.

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A New Age Portico

At the beginning of the year, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport opened Terminal C. The large-scale and transparent entrance hall with luminous columns inside successfully combines laconism with a bright and photogenic WOW-effect. The terminal is both the new façade of the whole complex and the starting point of the planned reconstruction, upon completion of which Tolmachevo will become the largest regional airport in Russia. In this article, we are examining the building in the context of modernist prototypes of both Novosibirsk and Leningrad: like puzzle pieces, they come together to form their individual history, not devoid of curious nuances and details.

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A New Starting Point

We’ve been wanting to examine the RuArts Foundation space, designed by ATRIUM for quite a long time, and we finally got round to it. This building looks appropriate and impressive; it amazingly combines tradition – represented in our case by galleries – and innovation. In this article, we delve into details and study the building’s historical background as well.

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Molding Perspectives

Stepan Liphart introduces “schematic Art Deco” on the outskirts of Kazan – his houses are executed in green color, with a glassy “iced” finish on the facades. The main merits of the project lie in his meticulous arrangement of viewing angles – the architect is striving to create in a challenging environment the embryo of a city not only in terms of pedestrian accessibility but also in a sculptural sense. He works with silhouettes, proposing intriguing triangular terraces. The entire project is structured like a crystal, following two grids, orthogonal and diagonal. In this article, we are examining what worked, and what eventually didn’t.