Andrey Asadov: "There are enough parks in Russia, but they are not suitable for modern residents"

Andrey Asadov is the CEO of the ASADOV Architectural Bureau, Vice President of the Union of Architects of Russia, co–founder of the national initiative "Living Cities" and the association "Healthy Architecture". He has projects in Moscow and other Russian cities in his piggy bank. For example, the international medical cluster in Skolkovo, airports in Saratov and Perm. A separate area is the projects of an integrated residential environment, such as the Industrial District, the Transformer Quarter, the Russian Europe complex in Kaliningrad, the Eco–district in Kazan and others.

In an interview with 100+, Andrey told us what new solutions to expect from architects and designers in the coming years, as well as about a conscious and ecological approach to construction.

– What changes do you think the world will face in architecture and urban planning after the COVID-19 pandemic?

– In my opinion, the pandemic is another way to boost residential and public spaces in terms of hygiene and sanitary standards, and even just quality. Since people have been locked up, they have begun to pay attention to how comfortable the small living spaces in which they are forced to stay are. They immediately appreciated the importance of having terraces, loggias, balconies, and infrastructure, and wondered how comfortable courtyard spaces should be – in Moscow, for example, there was a strict ban on moving more than 100 meters from the house. That is, some basic things related to the quality of the urban environment immediately became noticeable. And yet, as everyone slowed down with expenses, people began to choose more carefully. This encourages all developers to look for more thoughtful solutions. That is, there is another incentive to convert the number of square meters being built into quality.

– What kind of request from consumers and developers are you expecting in the near future?

– I think that the suburban real estate segment can shoot, oddly enough. We are engaged in various functions and areas, but we have rarely worked with zagorodny lately. But now, as people have realized that it is possible to work remotely as successfully as full-time, and flexible schedules have generally returned to normal, people are starting to rebuild. And if there is an opportunity to live in a country format, even in small spaces, then this could develop quite successfully. This is one time.

Secondly, there will be a request for flexible zoning in apartments in multi–storey housing, so that even in conditions of a small area it is possible to divide the space into more or less autonomous for each family member.

The third. The availability of such intermediate spaces as terraces, balconies, anything will become in demand. For example, in a number of residential projects, we are already insistently suggesting that the format of operational roofs must be used. When a building takes territory from the city, it can somehow compensate for this, at least for the residents. And so the roof surface, which is usually missing, can be safely divided into small terraces, even taking into account the technical rooms. And for residents of the first floors, who are considered uncomfortable, you can make small patio terraces – this is your intermediate space, but on the street.

The next topic that is already becoming relevant is autonomous self–sufficient residential areas. We call this a "Sleeping area", that is, an area where you can not only sleep, but also fully exist around the clock. For example, at a workshop at the Open City Festival in Moscow, I set the students the task of coming up with a mini-city of a new format in which you can live in isolation for a year, and everything will suit you there. I set its size at 50 hectares, maybe even less – it's such an environment for living, recreation, and education. In the projects of all advanced developers, both Moscow and regional, all the rudiments of this full-fledged environment are already present.

By the way, we formulated the manifesto about the "industrial district" three years ago, when we participated in a competition for a renovation project in Moscow. At that time, we calculated that if about a fifth of all premises were uninhabited, then this would be enough for 100% of able-bodied residents to rent premises to work directly in their area. It is clear that everyone will not do this, but some people will stay in their area. And this will stimulate the microbusiness if the right functionality is implemented.

Now we are working with a large developer from Yekaterinburg, Forum Group, and we are doing an educational project with him, like a cluster, so that educational and cultural functions can be laid right at the start. And this is another trend – many developers understand that a high-quality school is becoming a powerful magnet for residents.

– Parks and squares have received a lot of attention due to the pandemic, it is clear that many cities lack them. What to do?

– I would even say that it is precisely modern, high-quality spaces that are lacking. Thank God, there are enough parks, embankments, and squares in Russia. But they are either not well maintained at all, or they were reconstructed many years ago and are no longer suitable for a modern resident. However, three or four years ago, our country realized that cities had entered into a global competition for good residents. Society has become more flexible, it can choose its own places to live and is no longer so much dependent on the city. In this scenario, a comfortable environment is a weighty argument. This is how the Russian Ministry of Construction's Urban Environment program appeared, which was launched in 2017, a systemic initiative for the total transformation of urban public spaces. This program is very powerful every year: several hundred applications from cities are selected for co-financing. A few years ago, I participated as an expert in the selection of these territories, and now I am already engaged in the design and implementation in several cities. That's why I see the scale of this happening.

At the same time, it is very important that the authors of the project, the architects who developed the initial concept, monitor the project at all stages. This is important for any project, because the architect is almost the main one who is interested in the quality of the final project. And if you let him participate fully, you can get a really high-quality product.

– The theme of 100+ in 2020 is "Conscious construction". How do you interpret this term?

– He has a very good message. It's like a message – think seven times, build once.

– What does ecological construction mean to you and has it become more in demand lately?

– To begin with, it seems to me that the implementation of the first point is sufficient – conscious construction, that is, the rational use of resources, because construction is one of the most resource–intensive areas. If you use local construction materials, it will reduce the cost of at least shipping and logistics.

In general, there are rational, time–tested solutions - to use a large amount of natural light, but at the same time energy-saving and glazed areas, blank walls for heat conservation, and natural motifs in the interior. The sum of simple factors gives a completely different space, the same ecological effect. The next step is energy–saving technologies at all stages.

– What attracts you to 100+? Why are you participating in it?

– Firstly, the forum does not stand still, it explores all kinds of non-standard solutions. I saw how it originated with a high–altitude theme, and then began to develop - it was reborn into a unique high-altitude and so on. It takes into account current trends. Even the theme of 2020 follows quite logically from this series: it is not necessary to create something unique, the main thing is to realize the task and the super task. In each of our projects, in addition to solving all the utilitarian functions, we try to find a super task: to offer a little more than just a residential complex, a school, a kindergarten, a hospital. So that the building that appears enriches the city, gives it new functions, opportunities, spaces for communication and interaction of people.