Archi.ru: Arguably, one of the most characteristic traits of "Arkhstroydesign" consists in the fact that you work in so many different styles and genres. Is it by chance or by design that you've laid your main stress on the versatility of your creative method?
Aleksey Ivanov: Yes, it is our versatility that makes us different. This is also our attitude. This attitude might not be the best one there is but if you define your style as a set of planning and designing devices and details, then, yes, you are correct. For me, style is rather some kind of ideology. Here is the thing – I was born and I grew up in Moscow. The architecture of this city is incredibly diverse and it literally forces you to try your hand at working in different styles – nearly all of them seem equally relevant at times. The notion of "relevance" might be the key word in defining my approach. Each new project defines the solutions that we come up with. I have always been fascinated with searching for roots, and "historical approach" to architecture, i.e. any architectural event - be it a master plan, a volume, or interior design must have some inner logic, how it came around in this particular place, must have its history and a perceivable image. What's also important is that it has the right to be built in the shape and form in which you have designed it. In a nutshell, so many different challenges, so many different ways to meet them. And I don't think that this diversity is such a bad thing – I am sure that you will agree that you cannot build in the same way downtown, in the suburbs, and in the country.