Architect's breakfast focused on digital and BIM technologies in the architectural profession, and was sponsored by the concrete manufacturer LafargeHolcim, presumably in order to avoid the advertising interest of software manufacturers. They discussed phobias in front of artificial intelligence, places of application of "digitalization" and, of course, architects' fees.
How much is paid for an idea
The most interesting was, perhaps, the speech of Sergei Tchoban - perhaps because it was not entirely about computer technology. The head of SPEECH began with the fact that in Germany there is no problem of competition between the personal creativity of an architect and digital technologies, since there is a "powerful barrier of power" in its way, as well as a fee system, since for the first four stages associated with the idea of the project and the creative proposal, pay a lot, and you can earn money on this, they pay relatively less for the fifth stage of working documentation. Therefore, there are leading companies engaged in architecture as creativity, and, of course, they also have BIM design skills, and there are noname BIM companies. A bureau that works with ideas will only start working when in bad times it is necessary to keep the team, and then refuse again in order to return to creativity - this was approximately the meaning of Sergei Tchoban's speech. A creative architect is needed primarily as a conductor of ideas, who is able to protect them in front of a variety of participants in the design process and put them into practice. That is why the authorities and the customer, as a rule, do not want to abandon the architect-personality.
In Russia, however, there is no "power barrier" against noname-architecture. In other words, it is rather unprofitable for Russian architects with creative tasks to work. “The unrepeatability of ideas is very human, revolutionary ideas are generated by people: I'm bored with this, let's do this. The car is not bored, the car will continue to do the same ", - and the architect cited as an example the recently completed center of Frankfurt, where" they cut by hand, and people go there in droves, vote with their feet ", just like in Sergei Tchoban's book" 30: 70”- here we are talking about the idea of reviving traditional construction technologies, many would consider it insane, but it definitely belongs to man.
To which the director of GR Development Hasan Arkhulaev, who had previously said that his company appreciates ideas, believes that it is the ideas that are sold, and orders the concepts to architects, entrusting the P and RD stages to his own design department, objected, about not agreeing with Choban's words about the volumes square meters: "projects for the development of territories in which I and my company specialize - we form an absolutely individual high-quality environment, in a huge millionth project, each section of the house has an individual face …". Sergei Tchoban: “It's not about the face, it's about the project fee from which the office is financed. How much do you pay for a concept? Can I pay the fee for this concept for an office, 50, 30, 20 people? No, I can only pay for myself. But I need to support the office, its qualified employees. I will not create an office with paid concepts alone”. Hasan Arkhulaev: “You take P and RD” - and at that moment the conversation touched upon the wages of the architect as a whole. In Germany, Sergey Tchoban explained, the general designer's fee grows noticeably with a decrease in the scale of the project - it reaches 25% for small tasks, where there are few meters, but there is a lot of creative effort. In our country, they pay 3% for everything, and therefore the financial success of the office depends, unfortunately, on the number of projected square meters - this phrase, the only one, was greeted by those present with applause. Therefore, in Russia, the more square meters, the more profitable.
Sergei Tchoban was also opposed by the founder of Project Russia magazine, who is now working with the developer Brusnika, Bart Goldhorn: there is a developed market and logistics in Germany, Holland, there are many factories that an architect can use - this does not work in Russia, the country is large, the conditions are different (read: and will not work). Therefore, the question is not how much an architect costs, but how to do it reasonably for a low price. Now many countries are following the path of mass housing construction, so Russia has its own path, not the same as in Germany and Holland, concluded Bart Goldhorn.
Digit, know your place … Or dot-2
Ilya Zalivukhin, not without a share of provocation, suggested returning to infill development in the 2.0 mode, understanding by it not a barbaric compaction, but a variety of architectural solutions for each site. The architect suggested to computer calculations to leave such tasks as city analysis and city planning, and to give individual areas to individual creativity. Here you can see the admiration for European cities from Istanbul to Rome, where even simple modernist buildings are shallow and original, although not always of high quality. The guild's desire to preserve the profession is also read, having endowed architects with orders from point-2.
To which Sergey Kuznetsov: I think that most of the houses in Venice, which we admire, were built without architects, by artels. And in the historical Singapore too … And in the new Singapore there is a lot of machinery.
Ilya Mukosey also spoke about diversity, but from a curious perspective: let's imagine that a program can do everything and it is not one, but each company has its own, with peculiarities, plus task parameters, which is why there is a different type of differentiation of solutions.
About creative people
The opposition of individual human creativity and machine routine came up in the conversation more than once. Is it only a person who is capable of generating "revolutionary ideas"?
Sergey Kuznetsov: people decide everything. Our exposition of renovation projects is about this, we wanted to show people. I tried to convey to the mayor this idea that people are important, - said the chief architect of Moscow. Architects must be on the mayor's team. (Mayor Sergei Sobyanin attended the opening of the Arch of Moscow, this was the first visit of the mayor of the city in the entire history of the exhibition, - ed.)
And he added about the role of personality in public discussion, that is, about what Sergei Tchoban also spoke about: only a bright personality is able to defend his project. … The authorities measure the electoral effect, - said Sergei Kuznetsov, - if the involvement of an architect gives such an effect, he will be attracted (what can I say, holy words - author's note). I don’t want us to leave here with the syndrome of a Chinese seamstress, who will soon be dismissed, but I’ll give practical advice: whoever considers himself an architect, but on the continuation of the machine, take an active position, you must be heard, you must speak, sound, convey your opinion, - concluded Sergey Kuznetsov.
Fear of the Matrix
The fear of artificial intelligence was most vividly formulated by Timur Bashkaev: here they say that a machine cannot work according to a template, that it will not replace a person, and I say it can and will replace it, and very soon; neural networks and self-learning systems will be able to do what a person does in ten years by 80%. Our last support is ideals and we must fight for them,”concluded Timur Bashkaev.
The idea was supported by Sergei Kuznetsov, recalling recent futurological studies that proved that with the global introduction of computer production, the liberated people will "not play the violin, but will arrange a massacre among themselves." So machine labor must be regulated, prohibited, otherwise the person will not be busy.
Do I need to defend myself and how
Most of those present agreed that the technique is useful, but not very smart (well, except for Timur Bashkaev, who believes in the matrix, however, probably not without reason) - a computer can help, but it will not offer an original idea. Yuliy Borisov: let's take, for example, a phone without buttons, until some years ago no one believed that this was possible - only a person can offer explosive ideas. The positions were divided into optimists and pessimists: some of those present are sure that the division of routine and creativity between man and machine is inevitable by itself, the architect will create more and more efficiently, and the developer will save money, and the resident will receive better apartments.
Alexander Popov, "Archimatika": digital technologies open a window of opportunity, but only an architect can correctly set the task, show these opportunities to buyers and marketers.
In a word, if you look positively at information technologies, then they are a tool, there are no new Luddites, it is stupid to give up conveniences and opportunities, you have to grow and create.
If we look at the negative side of skeptics-pessimists, then the process must be controlled and regulated - by the power of the authorities or by “blocking” public discussions.
Better or worse
A private, but relevant work question - are flaws in 3D visualizations visible worse or better - also received two answers. According to Elena Popova, head of the department of master plans at BRT RUS, errors are more noticeable on visualization, especially on a “birdie” or in motion. Sergey Kuznetsov and Evgeny Polyantsev think differently - a varnished picture helps to mask flaws, especially for the gaze of a layman, masks rather than reveals the weaknesses of the project.
Evgeny Polyantsev complained about students who strive for a computer - the program is stronger than them, and spoke about the benefits of drawing by hand, without which architects lose a lot. The position is well-known and was not developed in the discussion.
The benefits of digital technology
This part of the conversation was more of a background. Summing up: digital technologies are already useful for counting, storing big data, analyzing a variety of information and transparency of the design process. They allow you to save money or find economical ways, calculate the exclusion of unnecessary elements. They make it possible to create databases of layouts - so that there are many different ones and so that the architect does not come up with them, reinventing the wheel, every time anew. Again, in European countries, the volume of digital data is much larger, for example, Anton Kochurkin: we have a small project in Switzerland, and so there are more than 30 layers of cadastral information, which makes the work easier, but we usually have one or two.
About happiness
Sergei Skuratov drew a parallel with writers - it would not have occurred to them to seriously discuss new technologies for a long time. They do not care about BIM, they will not explain how T9 infuriates them … And he proposed to separate the creator from technology: “I am only interested in the well-being of the creator. Life has no purpose, there is a process, and work is a process, we need to make it complete, our task is to give all our best, to enjoy work. How, with the help of what, it does not matter, it is important that you be happy, this is the basis and meaning of what we do. Nothing else matters.
We are not cogs in a mechanism called a market or an empire. We are people. Renaissance architects were generalists; it seems to me that our generation is the last generation of generalists who are able to see the city, the environment as a whole. What will happen next is unknown, although it also depends on us, on what we will teach … Of course, we will not be new Luddites, this is stupid. But it seems to me that this is the last thing to think about. You need to think about what you are doing, how you are doing, you are a creator and must be realized. If you are not realized as a person, everything you do will be incomplete. This is goal-setting, what we live and work for."
In conclusion, Vasily Bychkov announced that the future Arch Moscow will be held in the Manege and urged architects to exhibit more there. And also - in unison with Sergei Kuznetsov - he advised to look for niche products and pay attention to personification.
