Vol 1, No 1 (2016)

It is traditionally thought that Saint Petersburg was not only founded but completely formed under the reign of Peter I between 1703 and 1724 and that the succeeding nearly 300 years in the city’s life merely perfected that which was created in those two decades. However, careful study of the urban, functional and social development of the city and its wider agglomeration shows that these old affirmations are far from historically accurate and significantly erroneous. Under Peter I, only the fundamental (initial) bases for the development of the city and its agglomeration were lain, certain basic rules for its construction were determined and original principles and relationships for town-planning and urban life were formed. Those who succeeded Peter I made a huge contribution to the comprehensive creation of St Petersburg, not only developing the basic principles laid down by Peter I but frequently radically changing them for those better and more appropriate to St Peterburg’s status. Among these great founders of 18th Century St Petersburg are the Empresses Anna Ioannovna, Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine the Great. Their real contribution to the urban development of St Petersburg clearly remains underestimated and misunderstood.

In this article the study of the theory of architectural activity is based on the genesis of socio-cultural paradigms in the historical development of society (pre-industrial/class, industrial, post-industrial society). This allows the identification of typological bases for spatial organization and the subject analysis of architectural structures in order to define forms of co-operation among participants, to differentiate the means of architectural activity which were reflected in programs of architectural activity.

The analysis of documents from the history of industrialization in the Soviet Union allows us to determine the causes of the transition of the architectural studio of the Vesnin brothers from Moscow City Council (Mossovet) to the People’s Commissariat of Heavy Industry (NKTP) and to assess in terms of real figures their contribution to the creation of new facilities of Soviet industry. The history of industrialization also allows us to understand the reasons why the studio, only a very short time after beginning to work within the People’s Commissariat, turned their attention to the problem of mass housing construction. We consider the pre-war history of the construction of the I.V. Stalin settlement near Moscow, considering the planning of the settlement, the typlology of residential and public buildings constructed and their constructional and architectural characteristics. An assessment is given of the influence of the studio on pre-war residential construction.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the evolution of the method of field studies in urban areas. The author, relying on her own field studies, details changes occurring in the method. Using three field studies as an example, she explains how to identify separate elements of urban space structure. The first study describes the reasons for using the method to explore the city, and how the formation of the method began. The second study deals with the results of applying the method. The third study shows the variety of tasks that can be carried out using the method. The relevance of the chosen topic is proved by the current interest within the Russian town-planning community in various types of urban investigations.

The article discusses the integration of the principles and techniques of landscape design in the creation of a comfortable urban environment. The characteristics of the urban environment required for certification of projects according to “green” standards accepted in international practice are detailed. A landscaping concept is presented for the structural formation of the modern city, built on a synthesis of nature and urban structure, with its landscape and ecological potential. Data on the provision of green spaces in the various districts of the city of Samara is given. Ways to optimise the structure of urban landscaping by raising the priority of sanitary-ecological and aesthetic requirements for the development of the city are proposed.

The environment in which we live, which spatially and symbolically expresses the reality of the formation of value relationships, is the most important context of modern architecture. It restores architecture to traditional culture with all the richness of human relations and the uniqueness of place. Through the appropriation of the living environment, a way of understanding is formed which conceives of architectural activity as the simultaneous coexistence of different architectural movements manifested to varying degrees within existing contexts.

The official date of the birth of the “Post-project” method may be considered the date of publication of the article by Bart Goldhoorn in the magazine «Project Russia» №3, 2001. The author admitted that Malakhov and Repina had discovered a fundamentally new cultural method and program, based on the restoration of a literarily meaningful «project story» of objects that were built, in fact, without any professional concepts. Post-project re-analyzes the content of photos taken in reality, creating a cultural myth about special architects and customers, about intriguing qualities of the object that are hidden from the viewer and about a special way of life of the characters of these stories. Thus, architecture obtains the status of a cultural phenomenon, for which purpose the concern ‘what happened first: the construction or the design?’ it is not fundamental. Several successful presentations of the “Post-project” method (in Moscow, Rotterdam, London, Sapporo) have confirmed the discovery’s cultural and professional value.

This research investigates the possibilities for the juxtaposition of an innovative linear structure onto the arterial transport system and for the appropriation of urban territories adjoining highways and public transport routes. In turn, the realization of this potential may help create an habitable linear system, whose continuity would support maximal interconnectivity of city dwellers, public and residential spaces with public transport routes.

The appearance of a base on the Moon will be preceded by experimental uninhabited artificial masonry object-monuments. The first habitable objects on the Moon will have massive and durable protection from meteorites and radiation. Specialised 3D printers will be used to create artificial stone fixtures on the surface of the Moon. The local building material - a reconstituted stone from lunar soil - will be used to form the infrastructure for lunar settlements. The first stone blocks will be produced using 3D printing technology projecting solar rays on the lunar soil. For the first time in history construction robots will build artificial objects on the surface of the Moon. Stone elements will be required for the protection of living modules delivered from Earth. The main idea of the article is that through the use of stone elements for the protection and operation of lunar settlements architecture returns to the Orders of antiquity.

This article considers questions related to the use of the parametrical tool Grasshopper 3D in the teaching of 4th Year architecture students. Issues of data interaction in a variety of 3D modelling programs are touched upon. Algorithms are presented of modelling in parametrical space and the results obtained. The necessity of the use of parametrical tools of research, modelling and design in the pedagogical process is demonstrated for the teaching of senior architecture students. The logic of parametric modelling and the results obtained is considered. A diagram of the evolution of the construction of Voronoi cells, a parametrical scheme of Voronoi cells and a 3D model of Voronoi cells are presented.

The article is devoted to the concept of light in architecture as seem in the reconstruction of the Chamber Theatre in Ekaterinburg. The basic principle is to differentiate the building from the surrounding area and preserve the harmony of the image at night to create a unity of perception of the site. To achieve this effect on the facade the brightness distribution is modelled on daylight, the direction of the light is from the bottom up, with some structural elements remaining dark. Firstly, location is considered, the surrounding buildings and the plastic properties of the Chamber Theatre, which is the main task facing the author, the architectural lighting of the Chamber Theatre building and outdoor lighting of the adjacent territory in front of the theatre.

The idea of this research and design development on the basis of analysis of Russian and international experience of construction of children’s clubs is identify principles of formation of modern children’s clubs, to determine functional, structural, technological, architectural and urban aspects and to propose a model child development center in Ekaterinburg. The aim of this work is the creation of an architectural concept of a children’s club which will be able to attract a child of any age, for their harmonious development and self-improvement, and that the school should be accessible not only to privileged segments of the population, but for normal people.