During the time when people managed to mold modern civilization from the Stone Age, they managed to put in order a lot around and within themselves. The only thing that does not get along well with this approach is creativity, which tarnishes from routine and order. However, here, too, there are areas where the desired result simply cannot be achieved on inspiration alone, but without precision, scrupulousness and ideal order. One of these areas is architecture, in which a chasm stretches between the concept and the last stroke, filled with a pile of drawings, measurements and the hard work of builders.
Although civilized market relations are characterized by a high degree of division of labor, architectural and design workshops do not specialize in selling building ideas. As a matter of fact, an idea supported only by an inspired story and a pencil sketch cannot be sold now. The customer needs not just a bright presentation, but a project in all its details, described in the language of drawings.
To turn a creative idea into a project, high-quality tools are needed that would take over a significant part of the routine functions so that the process of creating project documentation does not discourage creative people from proposing more and more new ideas.
In the creative workshop of the architect I. A. Zhukova (TMAZH LLC) realize that competition in a very tight market for architectural projects requires relying not only on the architect's idea, but also on the very changeable wishes of the customer, while not forgetting about the conditions of urban development and the landscape.
Most often, "TMAZH" is engaged in the integrated design of villages or multifunctional shopping complexes. At the same time, the company tries to use the so-called “environmental” approach in its work. Starting not from a bare idea, but from the context, that is, from the environment in which the projected building will be located, TMAZH inscribes an architectural object in this environment in such a way as to emphasize the advantages and level the disadvantages of the future building, proving that even a small company, in which only a few architects work, can achieve success. In particular, thanks to the competent selection of the working tool.
This tool was supplied by Autodesk, one of the world's leading manufacturers of design software. In 2000, TMAZH, using Autodesk AutoCAD, prepared a project for the largest temple complex in Siberia for that time. This temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Skoroposlushnitsa" is located in the Kemerovo region in the village of Krasny Kamen. The project was successfully implemented and earned the title of laureate of the "Golden Capital" architectural competition.
But only the weak stop there. In "TMAZH" they understood perfectly well that from year to year the conjuncture would be more demanding, and above all - to the terms of project preparation. Therefore, it was necessary to speed up the design process and thereby free architects from uncreative and unproductive mechanical work. In addition, it was necessary to shorten as much as possible the path of project implementation from sketch to working drawings.
The range of problems was not limited to the time race: the workshop also needed new opportunities. One of them is spatial modeling in three dimensions based on parameterization during project preparation. Another pressing problem is convenient and, again, fast interaction with subcontractors.
In other words, a good instrument had to be exchanged for an even more perfect one. And this tool was again offered by Autodesk.
Autodesk Revit Architecture, which was chosen by "TMAZH", has already allowed the workshop to design several villages. Among them - an elite settlement in the area of the village of Sosnovka and an economy class settlement in the area of Staraya Ilyinka.
In Staraya Ilyinka, TMAZH was required to develop two typical houses that could be combined into blocks by means of garages or technical rooms. Such standard solutions always allow not only to reduce construction costs, but also to speed it up: with the proper approach to the organization of labor, a house is rented on a turnkey basis in two months, while work on a project lasts three times longer. TMAZH architects believe that Revit can reduce the total time spent on a project by an average of 20%.
The environment approach to design favored by TMAZH employees seemed to have been specially created for Revit. The program itself recalculates all components of the project with each change made by the architect: the parametric design technology is one of the basic ones for Revit. So, thanks to Revit, Zhukov's studio designed a recreation center in mountainous Altai without spoiling the unique natural landscape: without losing its charm, nature adopted the architects' plan, which became a harmonious part of the local landscape.
Not so romantic, but no less necessary shopping centers are also being prepared at TMAZH much more efficiently. In the workshop, a typical solution was designed, which, being taken as a basis, is embodied in multifunctional shopping centers in small towns of the Kemerovo region, for example, in Guryevsk or Prokopyevsk. TMAZH notes that the technologies used by the workshop have reduced the costs of the shopping center's service personnel by more than three times: from 20 people, usual for similar buildings, to 6.
Thus, the Autodesk Revit Architecture package, thanks to the respectful attitude of the authors of this software product to the creativity of its users, is able not only to provide architects with more freedom of imagination, but also to become the key to the successful development of a business that is an integral part of modern life.
