On October 11-12, 2012, the International Conference “The Profession of an Architect. Time for a change . The event was organized by the Saint-Gobain CIS company together with the Union of Architects of Russia with the support of the Moscow branch of the International Academy of Architecture.
Russian and foreign experts in the field of architecture and construction discussed the prospects for the development of the domestic design complex in connection with Russia's accession to the WTO.
The conference was attended by leading Russian and foreign experts in the field of architectural legislation and education: Selma Harrington, President of the Council of Architecture of Europe (Brussels); Roger Schluntz, Dean of the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico; Mitsuo Nakamura, President of Nikken Sekkei; Marvin Maleka, Dean of the College of Design, University of North Carolina (USA), Andrey Serykh and others.
The main goals of the conference were to prepare the Russian construction and architectural community for the global changes caused by Russia's accession to the WTO, as well as to determine the best ways to integrate the domestic design complex into international market relations.
A separate block in the work of the conference was devoted to modern trends and approaches in the field of continuous architectural education and the formation of professional standards in Russia, since today the industry actually lacks a system of licensing and confirmation of the qualifications of architects - individuals, which is contrary to the established international practice.
The conference participants focused on topical issues of the transition period in connection with Russia's accession to the WTO, in particular, the harmonization of Russian and world legislation in the field of design and construction, changes in the regulatory framework, as well as the development of energy efficient and “green” construction in Russia.
The conference participants noted the ambiguous legal status of the industry and a significant lag in the field of regulatory regulation, which impede the formation of a civilized design and architectural services market in Russia and the entry of modern innovative construction technologies and materials into the Russian market.
In the opinion of Russian and international experts, despite the difficult situation in the design industry in Russia, in the case of timely implementation of the necessary set of measures and effective use of international experience, the Russian architectural community will significantly benefit from joining the WTO. The expected positive changes include a general increase in business activity due to the growth of foreign investments, accelerated introduction of modern energy-efficient materials and technologies, and production growth in related industries.
“In August of this year, Russia joined the WTO, which automatically implies a transition to generally recognized international design standards. The transition period for our industry is 2-3 years. During this time, Russia needs to do a tremendous amount of work to harmonize Russian and international technical standards in the field of construction, introduce a unified standardization system with WTO member countries, and introduce hundreds of legislative and legal changes. The last conference is only the first step on this path, but the direction itself is right,”commented Gonzag de Piré, General Director of Saint-Gobain in Russia, Ukraine and the CIS countries, on the current situation in the industry.
Andrey Bokov, President of the Union of Architects of Russia, said: “The Russian design industry is on the verge of global changes, and there is a real danger of making hasty, rash decisions. The task of the professional community is to soberly assess the ongoing changes, taking the best from the Russian architectural school and introducing the most modern foreign developments."
Saint-Gobain CIS thanks all experts and participants of the conference “Profession of Architect. Time for a change.
