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u-studio

"THE ARK". Competitive project of a cottage village
Moscow region

2003

   The most prestigious area of ​​the Moscow region. Clean air, main forests, the virgin river Moscow with its freshness. And all this 30 minutes to the Kremlin. Today, the last land plots that once belonged to the protection zones of the Moscow Region, are already being sold out. There is no master plan for the development of Zhukovka as a city, but now, in addition to restaurants and entertainment centers, offices and multi-apartment complexes are being built here. Already in the near future, Zhukovka promises to become a densely populated area with its urban problems. The theme of the “Ideal City” periodically appeared in the history of architecture. But there are no ideal cities, unfortunately! Nevertheless, there are excellent examples of city formations that emerged from the urgent needs of their historical time. And only as a result of a careful attitude to heritage, a masterpiece for all time was manifested.
   The unsuccessful political and urban planning experiments of the 20th century today, at the beginning of the 21st century, are complemented by yet another experience. This is the construction of a "free, open society." We will not complain about the lost “order”, but as a result, now we have permissiveness, terror and lawlessness, in addition to market goods. There is a natural need for protection against environmental aggressiveness. Fence is not the best method of protection. The “system” of protection also applies to architecture. “System” is an order uniting and solving pressing problems in a single architectural plan.


I would mention out the main problems:


ECOLOGY - in the multifaceted meaning. In which the ecology of life is understood.


AESTHETICS - restoration of the principles of nurturing an understanding of the beauty and harmony of man, architecture and nature.


ETHICS - protection of ideals and spiritual values ​​of culture and religion, ethics (rules) of relations, protection of individuality.

 

  The name of the project means a lot for me, as an architect, it allows me to find a style expression in architecture, to find the right line in the outline of the plan. And also, the name of the project really refers to the text of the Old Testament and optimistically, allegorically gives hope for salvation. The green bank of the Moscow River is the most attractive part of our site. And the biggest trouble crossing the section of the transit highway is the Ilyinskoye highway. The fundamental decision is to protect the built-up area from the noise and dirt of the road. The project provides for a protective embankment along the entire route to the bridge, which is proposed to be reconstructed with a noise protection system. The protective strip forms a street with a large number of areas leased for urban needs - shops, offices, parking lots, etc. The entrance area forms a building, which is proposed to fit the entire administration of the complex. At the entrance there is a view of the main street formed by the perspective of the canal and a number of houses set on the red line. The main street is crossed by two pedestrian boulevards connecting the most remote sections of the complex with a park on the banks of the Moscow River.
   The park is designed as a continuous green zone with areas for sports and recreation without architectural structures. The boat station is inside the canal. The Temple of Friendship completes the composition of the top of the hill. It rises above the entire complex and is visible from the opposite bank of the Moscow River. This building houses an exhibition hall, a library and a chamber concert hall with 100 seats. Nearby in the immediate vicinity is the school building. In the complex, these structures form a community center.

  About stylistic issues, I am guided by the ideals of classical examples of urban architecture in the design process, where nature and architecture are harmoniously combined. In the design of a mini-city, it is very important to oblige the administration of the complex to approve the rules, obliging to comply with the requirements of the master plan, such as:

- compliance with red lines;
- compliance with elevations of residential buildings;
- binding houses.


  The project intentionally increased the area of ​​public areas creating architectural spatial composition for spending time outside the zones of their own plots. The proximity of groundwater to the surface of the earth dictates special requirements to the system of construction and landscaping.
  Particular attention should be paid to the device of the basement floors of residential buildings. It is not recommended during construction to go deeper than 2 meters above ground level. Foundations of buildings should be maded on piles. Landscaping works should be carried out comprehensively using long-length trees adapted to existing weather conditions and soil composition. The architecture of the fences of the entire perimeter of the complex should be consistent with the plan of the architect. The fencing of the plots within the complex should be planned in the same architectural style with individual buildings. According to my experience, residential buildings should be built according to individual projects for a specific customer. For my part, I can only give some recommendations, in particular:

- plan the placement of garages separately from a residential building;
- do not plan a bath and a pool in the basement of a residential building;
- plan a residential building, facing the front facade to the street and the rear facade to the private area.

Ecology, ethics and aesthetics are inextricably linked with each other and together make harmony in architecture.

 

   Maybe today this utopia can be realized only in a confined space. And one can only hope that someday this harmony will become an integral part of the urban planning concept of the Future ...

 

 

Ilya Utkin

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