Guy Eames: "In the future, Russia will become an export market for products and services for eco-friendly construction"

Guy Eames is the Chairman of the Council for Environmental Construction of RuGBC, the largest Russian association in this field at the moment. In an interview with 100+, the expert told how the attitude towards "green" construction in the Russian Federation has changed over the past 11 years, why he believes that Russia will be able to become an exporter of products and services for environmentally friendly construction, as well as Yekaterinburg's great potential.

– You founded the Council for Ecological Construction in Russia in 2009. How has the situation changed since then?

– When we created our council, people laughed at it. The idea that it was possible to build buildings that could be energy and resource efficient was considered an atavism. They said that no one in Russia needed it. And there were a lot of explanations why: because of the nature of the Russian people, the extreme climatic conditions, or because Russian developers prefer short-term projects – to spend money on the project quickly and move on.

Our team didn't think about it. We were one hundred percent sure that these reasons were not real, and there was technological progress in which Russia was also involved. Therefore, in 10 years we have gone from complete skepticism in this matter to almost complete understanding and, one might even say, delight among some developers who have realized what it is. And we can proudly say that even members of the government appreciated our idea. The facilities built for the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup show that Russia has moved to another level, this is a sign of quality.

Of course, the construction industry is one of the most conservative in the world. There is a joke in England: everyone stands in line in second place – no one wants to be first, they say, let someone do something at their own risk and then there will be problems, and we can use his experience. We have already seen this stage in Russia. The first eco-friendly buildings have appeared, and now we see a deeper interest in such solutions. For example, you can build buildings that are 5% more energy efficient than conventional ones that use surface solutions for marketing purposes. Or you can set more ambitious goals, for example, to build autonomous buildings that use the energy of the outside world, even exploit it, and the air quality is completely different, there is a positive impact on the environment. There are still few such buildings in Russia, but it was in 2020 that we saw that for the first time there was a desire to build such deep "green" buildings, and this is very pleasant for us. In other words, the market has become more mature.

Another change that we have seen concerns the staff. To create such buildings, you need a lot of qualified specialists. And if 10 years ago there were practically none, companies often hired foreign architects and engineers, now we see a different situation. There are a lot of professionals on the Russian market who even bring their experience to foreign projects. I have great hope, and I am almost sure that in the future Russia will become an export market for products and services related to eco-friendly construction. Why? Firstly, labor and materials in Russia are somewhat cheaper than in the European Union. Secondly, the Russian brain is quite innovative, even more so than its foreign counterparts, because life here is more difficult than there.

If we talk about the total number of green projects 10 years ago and now, then there was not a single one that would have international certification. Currently, about a thousand international and Russian standards are used in projects. This is a great success, and we see significant interest in our field. 

– The pandemic has shown that people need more space to maintain social distance. Do you think parks and other public places in Russia have been able to meet this need?

– I think that in the last five years we have seen great steps in Russia towards improving parks. There have been many implemented projects, Zaryadye is a good example, and Krasnodar also has a great new Galitsky Park, which has received many awards.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen that people have started using parks more: those who work remotely want to be not just near home, but in nature with Wi-Fi. Of course, there are a lot of distractions: the wind blowing in your face, too bright sunlight, or people talking on the phone next to you. Nevertheless, a trend has emerged. There are also more people who use parks for sports, such as running, or for meetings. This is a very positive trend for us. It is especially interesting to observe in winter how this continues. Everyone remembers how in Soviet times schoolchildren used to ski in parks in winter – and it was very good.

In turn, we offer such solutions for eco-friendly construction in order to make not just a house green, but the entire area. When we work with developers, we always convince them to consider an integrated approach. Recently in London, we saw an example of how the reservoir has affected the cost and positioning of housing. It was handed over to the developer to put it in order. As a result, a park appeared around. And if earlier the area was positioned as "20 minutes by train, and you're in the center of London," then the company removed this advertisement and made a new one: about being in the center of the park, where birds, water, and nature can be seen from the window of the house. And I think we will soon see such trends in Russia, too, because, in fact, the environment greatly affects the quality of life.

Last year we had a telecom where we were asked how we imagine the city of the future in 5-10 years. I understand that humanity has always had such a question. But I replied, what kind of future do I envision?: you leave the house, and even in the city center there is clean air that smells good, there is very rich nature around and there is not as much transport as we see now, which makes noise and pollutes the environment. Maybe there will be another type of transport – electric. Maybe people will be able to walk around so that everything they need is nearby and they don't have to get up at seven in the morning and go somewhere.  

– Has the need for ecological construction become stronger since the beginning of the pandemic?

– We see several effects of the pandemic. On the one hand, for housing. Many people have started working from home, and of course, they need a place where they can do it comfortably. They began to understand that a high–quality layout is required - it doesn't matter what the square footage of the apartment is, 20 or 200. The space must be functional. We have been approached by many developers who have introduced new standards.

As for office buildings: there is a request for coronavirus security. And of course, those who are better protected will benefit, including thanks to "green" solutions. They will have a better chance of finding tenants.

It is safe to say that those developers who are more environmentally friendly, which means they are building more innovative buildings, will be in demand.

– Last year's 100+ theme was "Conscious Construction". How do you interpret this term?

– You know, that's a good question. I understand "conscious construction" as a better design of buildings. Now, in fact, the market, especially residential, is moving in this direction. Even if we recall the escrow law, which is supposed to protect against the appearance of deceived shareholders. We see a consolidation of the market, professional players who use the opportunity to save money, but build more and better. We are seeing more developers who want to work in eco-friendly construction. Of course, I combine these two terms – awareness and environmental friendliness.

– What does 100+ mean to you? Why do you visit it?

– I really love 100+ and I visit it every year, I don't even think about not coming. I am very glad that the forum and the exhibition took place in 2020. I saw that the organizers really took many measures to keep people safe. I saw a very big technological success – remote speakers appeared, which used to be on Skype, and now in the new Zoom system. The sound and everything else has become much better.

I think that the forum took place despite the cancellation of many other similar events, because the organizers are very strong, and they will not let their event die. This shows me the mentality of Yekaterinburg – you are a very innovative, progressive and persistent city. It is very suitable for eco-construction. And I think that in the coming years we will see a lot of green projects in your city. There was a lot of interest in our session: a full house, taking into account the restrictions. We were very happy.