On Wednesday, Kazan summed up the results of the competition, which aroused interest among architects from all over the world, for the project of an eco-district on the site of the former artillery base in Kazan. 47 applications from 19 countries (25 international and Russian consortia and 22 individual participants) - this response was a pleasant surprise for the organizers of the competition.
The designated goal of the competition is to provide residents with the opportunity to lead a suburban lifestyle in the city, while preserving the green frame of Kazan as much as possible. An area of 759 hectares in a forest zone right within the city was chosen for the creation of the experimental area. It is planned to create 600 thousand square meters of housing here and settle about 20-25 thousand people. Individual residential buildings will occupy 75% of the area, the rest - apartment buildings no higher than 5 floors.
The concepts were developed by three consortia, which reached the final following the results of the qualifying selection. These are teams led by Knight Frank (Russia, Great Britain), Buromoscow and AB Asadova. All projects made a great impression on both experts and government officials - recall that the competition was chaired by President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
Below - about how the places were distributed, as well as short video presentations of the finalists.
First place
Knight Frank Russia, XTU architects, Oxo Architectes, John Thompson & Partner / JTP, Architectural Assault, Terra Scape
In this area there is a place for lovers of silence and contemplation, as well as for adherents of the urban lifestyle - for the former, private houses are provided, and for the latter, apartment buildings, close to the centers of public life. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of the public transport system and the introduction of environmental technologies (separate waste collection, waste recycling, dimmed lighting).
Second place
Asadov Architectural Bureau, Prospecta, HPBS, Bioregional Consulting Limited, LDA design, KPMG Russia
The architects sought to find a balance between preserving the unique landscape and creating an artificial living environment, while providing the project with investment attractiveness. The main planning element is continuous forest corridors accessible to all residents of the area. Residential buildings, townhouses and cottages form clusters with their own infrastructure. It is also proposed to create on the territory of the district schools with in-depth study of biology, ecology, chemistry, engineering disciplines.
Third place
Buromoscow, NL Architects, OKRA Landschape Architects
For the development of the site, almost completely covered with forest, the architects proposed a number of steps - from the creation of a tram route to the formation of a recreational area around the competition site. Of course, in the first place is the task of preserving the existing ecosystem. The main strategy for preserving the forest is to maximize the use of voids for building. The construction of houses on wooded areas also provides for the preservation of trees, and even ensures the care of the forest by the residents.
You can find out more about the competition on its website. The video recording of the final jury meeting and the press conference announcing the winners is presented on the YouTube channel of the operator of the competition of the Agency for Strategic Development CENTER.
