The residential complex "LIFE-Kutuzovsky" is being built a little further than the intersection of Kutuzovsky Prospekt with Rublevskoye Highway, in the Fili-Davydkovo area. In addition to the prestigious direction, the site bounded by Bagritskogo, Gzhatskaya streets and, on the south side, by the narrow but fast river Setun, has its own, quite significant advantages. First of all, it is the river itself - in urban conditions any natural body of water is a great advantage - and the park spread out in its valley, which is in the status of a nature reserve, by the way, the most extensive in the capital. The views from here are also excellent - especially towards the center, where, in addition to the green massif, both Moscow State University, Victory Park and Moscow City …
The complex consists of two parts, separated by a wide proezd boulevard abutting the Setun embankment. Each of the quarters is formed by a perimeter of several residential buildings: three towers and two sectional volumes in one case, four and two in the other.
The division of urban spaces into public and private zones, which is relevant for today's Moscow, is realized in this case with the help of a beautiful and ergonomic solution: the passages between the towers leading from the boulevard to the courtyards are filled with one-story inserts, each of which consists of four sections - a canopy over the entrance and three pavilion intended for retail.
Since the entrance groups of the towers are not facing the boulevard, but in the direction of these pavilions, a space closed on three sides is formed in front of them, protected from above by a canopy and spacious enough to accommodate improvement elements in it - a kind of buffer zone that unites internal and external space (another hot topic in residential construction). The solid stained-glass glazing of the halls and the materials with which the architects propose to decorate the transitional space work for this effect, in particular, the wood used for facing the inner surface of the visor. This space also serves as a portal leading from the boulevard to the courtyard. At the request of the customer, it is fenced from the inside with a small, one meter high, fence with a gate, through which only residents of the complex can pass.
Each of the three pavilions, which fill the distance to the next tower, has approximately the same area, quite enough to accommodate a small commercial enterprise. Together with cafes and shops that will appear on the first floors of the towers, they will revive the central boulevard and attract residents of the surrounding neighborhoods there. The relief of the site decreases noticeably towards the river, therefore, in volume, each of the inserts looks like a composition of four gentle "steps", the roof of which the authors of the project propose to plant - an elegant touch that will be appreciated by the residents of the apartments facing this side.
In addition to the boulevard, public spaces also include the first building line along Gzhatskaya Street and the embankment - the authors of the project interpret it as a recreation area intended, again, not only for the residents of the complex: their neighbors will certainly want to relax by the river. “It will not be so much a traditional embankment as a park area with alleys, children's and playgrounds, workouts, possibly with a small sandy beach,” comments the author of the project, Andrey Romanov.
As for the landscaping of the courtyard spaces, it is designed with the traditional ADM care and also includes all the elements necessary for recreation. The relief difference, which is actively read along the boulevard, is used here to create terraced geoplastics.
The projects of Andrey Romanov and Ekaterina Kuznetsova are also invariably distinguished by special attention to the detailed elaboration of the plastic design of the facades. The architects are sure that it is the variety of textures and color solutions that gives residential buildings a feeling of visual comfort, which is read on a subconscious level. For the residential complex "LIFE-Kutuzovsky" they have developed three versions of the facades - "white", "green" and "brown". White ones are the strictest ones: a uniform shade of light clinker bricks, a regular grid of windows, where only the layout of the window sills changes - somewhere the glazing extends from floor to ceiling, somewhere deaf fragments or fences of loggias appear.
In the cladding of the other two types of facades, glazed tiles were used - in one case, chocolate brown, in the other, aquamarine. In both versions, tiles alternate with white bricks, creating a slight ripple effect, as if on the surface of water; on the facades of the "green" towers, this theme is also taken up at the macro level - here the theme of the wave arises, and the shade of the wall changes in a gradient from almost white to dark green. The lightened corner sections also work to complicate the visual image.
In the "green" buildings, the plastic design of the facade is also more diverse, although here everything is quite restrained: a small floor-by-floor shift of the grid of window openings, several options for their width. When designing loggias, the architects took into account the interests of different categories of residents. For those who want to immediately insulate and attach their balconies, they have provided a large loggia - a winter garden 1.8 m deep, where everything is already "insulated and attached." For those who like to sit outdoors, despite the whims of the Moscow weather, there are classic and also quite spacious balconies, where even a small table and chairs can fit. And, finally, for those who would like to keep the opportunity to leave the premises, but do not plan to spend a long time in the air, there is a so-called "smoker's balcony" - a niche 60 cm deep, where you can go out and close the door behind you, smoke or just admire the views, and the space saved increases the living space.
The grille that covers the air conditioners acts as a decorative facade element. The authors of the project have drawn it in the form of intertwining wavy lines, reminiscent of underwater plants swaying at the will of the current - another reference to the theme of the river on the banks of which the complex is being built.
A good location is just one of the components of the quality of urban housing. The authors of the LIFE-Kutuzovsky residential complex managed to continue and supplement this advantage by offering future residents a harmonious proportion of privacy and lively street space, visual comfort and detailed layouts. This means that the first part of the name of the complex - Life - has really good reasons.
