At MARSH, applications are open for participation in the Summer School "In-Transition Lab" - a joint project of MARSH and the Architectural Association (AA). The workshop format, actively tested by MARSH Lab on the example of Makhachkala and Kazan, will be compatible with the Visiting school invented by the AA school. The course is designed for young architects and students who will become familiar with the modern practices of architectural research and territory analysis, master planning and computational design.
Pupils will work with teachers and tutors from 11 to 18 July. The task is to develop a project for the study and development of the territory of Shabolovka - the area of the Shukhov tower, the fate of which has been worrying many for a long time. The results of the workshop will be shown at the Avant-garde Center on Shabolovka, with which the organizers are already working closely.
Signing up for a joint MARSH and AA workshop is possible until June 27, the cost of participation at the end of April has dropped from £ 500 to 350 thanks to the appearance of a sponsor, ARUP. ***
We spoke with two curators of the summer workshop, Yaroslav Kovalchuk and Alexandra Chechetkina.
Archi.ru:
Tell us about the joint training course of the Architectural Association and MARSH. What new will it give to students? How will the educational process be structured? What theoretical and practical exercises does it provide?
Alexandra Chechetkina:
- The Architectural Association (AA) is the oldest experimental school in the UK with a long history and an innovative approach to teaching. There is a special branch of the Visiting school inside the school. These are short educational courses that are held in different cities and countries around the world. A. A. runs over 70 schools this year alone. In Russia, there has already been a joint AA program with the Strelka Institute. A new step is the Summer School "Laboratory of Transformations", organized by the architectural association in cooperation with MARSH.
Yaroslav Kovalchuk:
- Architectural laboratory MARSH Lab is engaged in similar programs. So we were overjoyed when Alexandra announced A. A.'s intention to host a school in Moscow. The workshop will consist of two parts - research and design. Both studio work and departure to the territory are assumed. In addition, lectures by invited experts are scheduled. We plan to reinforce practical skills with computer classes, seminars on the study of the latest programs - such as Rhinoceros + Grasshopper, Adobe Illustrator, Indesign, After Effects.
Alexandra Chechetkina:
- In addition, internal and open presentations are envisaged, including the final exhibition, which will be held in
The center of the avant-garde. For the opening, we plan to create a large model of the selected design area in its current state. A video with project proposals developed during the workshop will be projected onto it, which will visually show possible changes. We plan to present the results of the summer school in a separate book.
Why this topic? Why Shabolovka?
Yaroslav Kovalchuk:
- We chose the topic after a detailed discussion of the current problems in Moscow. Most of Moscow's iconic projects of recent times: the Moskva River, the Zaryadye Park, and the reconstruction of industrial zones are in one way or another connected with the transformation of an already existing and developed space. We chose the Shabolovka area as it is a good example of a complex urban environment undergoing a transformation process. Gardens of the 19th century, constructivism of the 1920-1930s, later Soviet buildings of the 1950-1960s and ordinary panel buildings coexist on the territory. The area with good transport infrastructure is located close to the city center, while being quite quiet.
The initiative to transform Shabolovka arose in connection with the planned transfer of the Shukhov Tower. A public movement has emerged to preserve the unique monument. The area was closely occupied by the Avant-garde Center, which acted as a partner of our workshop. This is extremely important for us, since it guarantees that the research results will not be lost, will be taken into account and, possibly, will form the basis of the territory development project.
Alexandra Chechetkina:
- The area has incredible historical context and numerous bonus territorial features. But despite this, it is empty, only local residents use it. The task of the workshop is to awaken the latent potential of Shabolovka.
Today, working with individual districts of the city is a global trend. Take the Soho area of London. He is instantly associated with the production of alternative cinema. And Bloomsbury is the intellectual and educational center of the city. Each area of London has its own history and its own specifics. The nature of the territories was formed gradually, but not without the influence of city programs. In Moscow it is still difficult to say how one part of the city differs from another. Even its planning structure implies the presence of only one center. Now the city authorities have taken a course towards polycentricity and Shabolovka has every chance of becoming one of the new urban centers.
By what principle was the teaching staff of the course formed?
Alexandra Chechetkina:
- Besides Yaroslav Kovalchuk and me, there will be invited teachers from AA. This is one of the important principles of the Visiting school program. The themes of the workshops that take place around the world are always very different - from the study of aircraft and the process of making wine to large urban and architectural projects. The teaching staff for each workshop is formed directly by the association in accordance with the chosen topic of the course. Then the school director, the main responsible person and the ideologist of the program is appointed. Ivo Barros, an architect from Arup UK, who graduated from an AA master's degree, and Andrew Haas, also an AA graduate, who managed to work at Zaha Hadid Architects, were invited to Moscow as tutors. Andrew is fluent in technical design methods, so he will be responsible for digital technologies in our workshop.
Alexandra, how do you plan to use your experience of studying at a British school as part of the summer workshop? How will it be useful to the participants?
Alexandra Chechetkina:
- Naturally, I will try to apply and use the main ideological points that I managed to learn during my studies at A. A. throughout the workshop. The specifics of teaching activities and the methodology for creating a project in A. A. are very different from traditional ones.
For example, we do not limit students to frames, we do not ask them to present a certain set of completed assignments and drawings at the end of the program. Teachers and students are one team. Tutors work on an equal footing with other workshop participants, sitting at the same table with them, and at the end they give out a common finished product.
How much does this approach differ from the learning process at MARSH?
Yaroslav Kovalchuk:
- MARCH is very different from everything that happens in the field of architectural education. This is a completely experimental platform, and this is our similarity to the Architectural Association. Of course, MARSH is much younger. But we have a common ideology. It is extremely interesting for me to see what happens as a result of such a symbiosis, which, in my opinion, can seriously affect each of the participants in the program.
Question to Yaroslav: Will you use your experience in the Research and Development Institute of the General Plan? If so, how?
Yaroslav Kovalchuk:
- I worked at the General Planning Institute for quite a long time, mainly dealing with projects for the transformation and development of territories that include historical and cultural heritage. My workshop, among other things, worked on a competitive project for the transformation of the Moskva River, turning it into a territorial scheme. And this is 200 km of land. In my workshop, I tried to gather progressive people using the most modern design approaches. There is a general framework for urban analysis, but the tools are selected for specific tasks. I think my experience will be useful for the students of the MARSH summer school in the process of exploring the territory of Shabolovka. Although, of course, this is not the scale of the General Plan Institute. Shabolovka is a small piece of urban fabric, and we will consider it in more detail and closely.
Only a week is given to develop the project. Is this enough for a full immersion in the topic?
Alexandra Chechetkina:
- The practice of workshops has become so popular due to the intensity of the training. I myself have attended more than one workshop - both as a student and as a teacher. This practice helped me choose my professional path. Such educational programs allow you to quickly acquire new skills while working on interesting and specific tasks. In addition, there is an opportunity to meet like-minded people, to learn how to work in a team. Obviously, the proposed amount of work can be completed in just one week only if the team of tutors is prepared for a long time. Students will also be able to get acquainted with the topic in advance, receive all the necessary materials and historical data, which were kindly provided to us by the Avant-garde Center.
What is the uniqueness of the program and methodology of such an intensive training?
Alexandra Chechetkina:
“It is an affiliate, jointly developed program that combines two teaching methodologies. A complex topic has been proposed, a city district with great development potential has been selected. A huge field of activity opens up for students. And they will be guided by four tutors with a rich background.
Yaroslav Kovalchuk:
- It is important that this is work with the transformation of the existing territory. There is still quite a bit of such experience in Moscow. More importantly, we are working with a specific partner - the Vanguard Center. All our research and project proposals will remain in the center's fund. The possibility of promoting our ideas is being discussed. In any case, they will be thrown on very fertile soil.
Read more on the MARSH and AA websites. You can follow the news of the summer school here.
