Archi.ru:
– When did the NEWOOD project appear and what is its specificity?
Roman Leonidov:
- The NEWOOD brand appeared only a couple of years ago, but during this relatively short time it has already become quite well-known. It all started with the fact that we made several projects using half-timbered technology, which has a number of advantages and features, and tried to reconstruct a technology that was very popular in Moscow back in the 19th century, when in a two-storey construction the second, wooden, floor was half-timbered with bearing corner columns … In this case, the filling could be absolutely anything. In fact, this is all the same good old half-timbered technology, but in a slightly modified version, different from the usual French or German samples.
At some point, we decided to use this knowledge, and on the basis of this technology we made a project for a guest house of a manor near Moscow. It became the prototype for the Scandinavia series of residential buildings. In addition, this project was destined to play the role of the grain from which the company grew: it was then that the idea appeared to make a separate workshop specializing in wood construction. The idea was very simple: the material itself in the Russian latitudes allows the architect to feel much freer.
And how is the work of the workshops you manage now arranged? What is your priority?
- For me, the division of our activities between three separate companies - Shabolovka, which deals mainly with interiors and design, NEWOOD and Roman Leonidov Architectural Bureau - is just a maneuver. After satisfying my ego by creating a workshop named after myself, I realized that by doing so I was limiting the number of potential clients and the growth of employees. The fact is that when a customer comes to Leonidov's workshop, then, of course, he wants to work with Leonidov and no one else. Having “Shabolovka” and NEWOOD, unattached to a specific name, it is much easier to move young people forward. And I am sure that it is fresh blood that allows the company to grow and develop. In addition, by transferring some of the responsibility to my employees, I myself get a little more freedom.
Another plus is a clear division by type of activity. It is quite obvious to me that one and the same person cannot be engaged in the development of interiors and the creation of architecture: these are completely different professions. However, in order to keep the company afloat, I think it is right to cover all areas: at one time interiors are in great demand, at another - typical wooden houses, and sometimes unique architecture is in demand. Thus, we get a certain financial security.
Why did you decide to specialize in laminated veneer lumber, leaving behind, for example, rounded logs and other technologies for working with wood? What are the advantages of half-timbered construction technology over traditional?
- At first, the choice in favor of laminated veneer lumber was made because it gives significantly less shrinkage than rounded logs. As a result, the main problem of a wooden house, which repels buyers, practically disappears. The decisive factor in this matter was the performance of the housing. In addition, a house built from a bar does not need additional insulation and decoration: wooden structures perform both a load-bearing and decorative role. The material gives more plastic advantages, opens up new possibilities for working with the form.
How much do you refine each typical project, adapting it to the terrain and customer requirements? Doesn't the project cease to be typical after that?
- Naturally, standard projects can be refined: we always take into account the wishes of the client, but it all depends on the degree of revision. If it is necessary to move the door in the partition or slightly change the parameters of the premises, then, probably, such a house can be considered built according to a standard design. If significant changes are required, then we, as a rule, offer the client to make an individual project that will exactly match his needs.
However, there was a case when, in the original version of a typical project, it was proposed to build a one-story house with a mezzanine above a two-story living room. The client asked to replace the mezzanine with a second floor, placing a bedroom there. I don’t know if the project ceased to be typical after that. Probably not. It's just that there were two options in the same series, and now customers can choose between them.
Which individual projects have a chance to extend their life, becoming standard, and which do not? Have there been examples of such a transformation in your practice?
- If there are such examples, they are very rare. Making an individual project is the same as making a custom-made suit according to the customer's measurements. It is difficult for someone else to offer not just the same, but this particular project. A house is always a portrait of the owner. And here it is always easier to work with an average typical project for an abstract family. From what first comes to mind is the aforementioned guest house, which was designed as an individual one, and eventually became a typical one.
How quickly is a half-timbered house being built, and, what is even more interesting - how much more expensive or cheaper it is than a stone one, or rather, a concrete one? What is the price ratio if we compare not specific projects, but technologies as such?
- In terms of cost, such houses almost do not differ from log houses. And if you compare it with a stone one, a half-timbered house will be cheaper by about 10-15% since the construction of stone requires more operations: plastering, painting, etc. In the case of a wooden wall, these stages can be omitted if desired. As for the timing of implementation, the complete assembly, regardless of the complexity of the project, takes no more than two to three months.
In which market segment, in your opinion, does NEWOOD work? Are you planning to expand your range towards cheap houses or, on the contrary, do you want to focus on expensive ones?
- NEWOOD was conceived as a separate narrowly focused brand. However, this year I began to think about its development and expansion of the range of activities. It became clear that the use of only one technology narrows the possibilities of both the architecture itself and the development of the business. Therefore, we decided to focus not only on the construction and sale of finished houses according to a proven scheme, but also on designing for our partners - large companies engaged in the construction of buildings using a variety of technologies: from construction from traditional logs to glued laminated timber and half-timbered timber. Personally, I hope that the ordering of projects from us will no longer be buyers, but manufacturers - this is my main goal.
Half-timbered technology is, in my opinion, the most promising direction today. I am convinced that in a couple of decades 80% of housing under construction in Russia will be half-timbered. Today a similar phenomenon can already be observed in the USA, Finland, Canada, Denmark, Norway … I hope that soon we will be able to develop a series of the most economical houses. As a result, we will have not only expensive projects, but also quite affordable ones, which will not look like that. It is important for me to let potential customers know that a wooden house can be very different: modern, cozy, warm, practical, expensive, cheap - whatever.
The frame of buildings in almost all your projects is similar or even the same type. How do you work with finishing materials?
- If we are talking about half-timbered houses, then there are no restrictions at all: you can use any finishing materials. As for the rounded or traditional logs, there is a minimum of variations - this is the specificity of the material. When using a bar with a cut, there are fewer restrictions, and they mainly concern two-story houses, where the load on the base increases and, accordingly, the shrinkage of the material. By and large, everything here depends on the imagination and professionalism of the architect. The frame of the buildings allows the use of both wood and stone walls, fiber cement panels with brick and stone tiles.
Please tell us more about the projects and series already implemented. Which of them would you mark as the most revealing, exemplary?
- First of all, this is the same "Scandinavia" - a wooden house made of laminated veneer lumber. It all began with this house, and today it is the most implemented and demanded project. I think the secret of his success is that visually the house does not seem typical, it retains a special feeling of a quiet, modern country house on the shore of the lake. There are no obvious technological advantages in it, except that, having a certain supporting frame, it is possible to vary the glazing area within a very wide range.
Do you use the constructive developments of the company NEWOOD in the projects of the Roman Leonidov Architectural Bureau?
- Of course we do. All three of my companies are inextricably linked. But nevertheless, it would be more correct to say that we actively use the workshop experience at NEWOOD, because the field for experiments is much wider in working on individual houses. NEWOOD in this sense is a little more conservative, since you always have to think about the cost and manufacturability of the project. In the works of the architectural studio, we use wood wherever possible, unless the customer is categorically against it. Just looking at the bureau's portfolio, you can see that about half of the houses are built with wood, which can be used both for large-span laminated timber structures and as the main finishing material.
