Sergey Trukhanov: “Our Main Direction Is Multi-directionality”

2024 Author: David Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 02:26

Sergey, this year your bureau has already noted several large residential projects in the regions, although earlier you focused on commercial interiors and redevelopment. Have you changed your profile?

Accommodation has always been in our portfolio, but not a priority. Today, it is the residential real estate market that can be called a kind of driver, so new projects appear here much more often. And we already have enough expertise and capabilities to undertake even large projects. But for now, we are focusing on the business class - this is where the developer competes not so much with price and location as with a conceptually interesting and popular offer from the market.

At one time, we were engaged in the studio # 8 loft apartments, which, thanks to an interesting concept and good marketing promotion, were sold out at the initial stage. This is an illustrative example of housing in the capital, where it was possible to organically combine aesthetic and financial components, which, as a result, worked even better than expected.

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  1/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio # 8 © Т + Т Architects

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  2/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio # 8 © Т + Т Architects

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  3/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio apartments # 8 © T + T Architects

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  4/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio # 8 © Т + Т Architects

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  5/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio # 8 © Т + Т Architects

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  6/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio # 8 © Т + Т Architects

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  7/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio # 8 © Т + Т Architects

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  8/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio # 8 © Т + Т Architects

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  9/16 Renovation of the industrial area for the loft quarter of Studio apartments # 8 © T + T Architects

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  10/16 Club residential complex "Dolgorukovskaya" © Т + Т Architects

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  11/16 Club residential complex "Dolgorukovskaya" © Т + Т Architects

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  12/16 Club residential complex "Dolgorukovskaya" © Т + Т Architects

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  13/16 Club residential complex "Dolgorukovskaya" © Т + Т Architects

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  14/16 Club residential complex "Dolgorukovskaya" © Т + Т Architects

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  15/16 Club residential complex "Dolgorukovskaya" © Т + Т Architects

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  16/16 Club residential complex "Dolgorukovskaya" © Т + Т Architects

Can you point out the current trends in the modern housing market?

I would divide them into two parts: relevant for Moscow and relevant for the regions. The capital market has become very highly competitive, here the struggle is going on at all levels - location, price per square meter, architecture, planning, landscaping and infrastructure. This is a serious, complex work and it is very difficult to single out one direction. Therefore, it is now possible to designate as a trend the creation of a “comfortable environment”.

But in the regions the situation is different. The pace of development is lower, but at the same time, the range of tasks is wider - the ability to create new dominants, preserve the existing or think over a new architectural fabric of a particular area, engage not only in creating a detached house, but to place it in the environment so that the space is transformed. However, so far, as a rule, developers set local tasks: budget, architecture, apartment design, landscaping, and so on. In this case, it is very important to change the vector to a comprehensive project assessment that takes into account all factors. In our project concepts for Yekaterinburg and Ufa, we focused on a comprehensive analysis of the project, including those adjusted for the implementation budget and the promotion concept.

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  1/4 RC "Aleksandrovsky Sad" © Т + Т Architects

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  2/4 RC "Aleksandrovsky Sad" © Т + Т Architects

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  3/4 "Aleksandrovsky Sad" residential complex © Т + Т Architects

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  4/4 Concept for the development of the territory in the quarter bounded by the streets of 50 years of the USSR, Klavdiya Abramova, Salavat Yulaev Avenue © T + T Architects

What are the demands of today's customers?

In most cases, we work with people who know how to count money. And this is a key issue in terms of building further communication. Gone are the "fat" years when architecture had no other function than aesthetic. They were replaced by tough pragmatism, when all the time we saw simplification and cheapening of concepts. And now the market is at a qualitatively new level - architecture is becoming the cornerstone of aesthetics, the relevance of the project, its role in the environment. Moreover, it helps to create a unique selling proposition.

We have come to a new understanding of the process - we are trying to combine the aesthetic function of architecture, public and market. Even at the discussion stage, we come up with proposals that will be potentially financially successful under the given conditions. And this is a completely different level of communication with the client. This was the case with the project "Schmidt's Mill" in Saratov, where eight functional scenarios were proposed in order to choose the most optimal one. For the developer, this is a great help in the implementation of the project. And our expertise allows us to offer the best solutions.

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  1/7 Architectural and urban planning concept of reconstruction and renovation of the territory of the factory "Saratov Muk" © Т Т Architects

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  2/7 Architectural and urban planning concept of reconstruction and renovation of the territory of the factory "Saratov muka" © Т Т Architects

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  3/7 Architectural and urban planning concept of reconstruction and renovation of the territory of the factory "Saratov Muk" © Т Т Architects

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  4/7 Architectural and town-planning concept of reconstruction and renovation of the territory of the factory "Saratov muka" © Т Т Architects

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  5/7 Architectural and urban planning concept of reconstruction and renovation of the territory of the factory "Saratov Muk" © Т Т Architects

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  6/7 Architectural and town-planning concept of reconstruction and renovation of the territory of the Saratov Muk factory © Т + Т Architects

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  7/7 Architectural and urban planning concept of reconstruction and renovation of the territory of the factory "Saratov Muk" © Т + Т Architects

That is, you analyze sites, prices, etc.? Isn't this block the responsibility of the client?

Everything is correct. When a client has good expertise in this area, then we just get analytics as input. But when she is not there, we help in this. Such projects become much more harmonious, there is no need to "cut bones" in the middle of the path, to go back a few steps to rework the concept, when the project is already in a high degree of elaboration. We take into account both risks and much more.

Moreover, architecture no longer lives an independent and isolated life. At the present time, when various spheres of activity are being transformed, penetrating into each other, one cannot stand aside and ignore this process. At one time, in the development of the project of redevelopment of the Docklands port area in London, the leading role was played by economists and urbanists, and only then the architects were involved. In many ways, this determined the success of this quarter. This approach also takes place to be applicable in a number of areas.

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  1/3 Yamskoe Pole, 30

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  2/3 Yamskoe Pole, 30

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  3/3 Yamskoe Pole, 30

In the portfolio of your office, you can find completely different projects throughout the country. What is the reason for this vector of development?

We went through several stages of development, not trying to dwell on a single direction. Geography, by and large, does not matter to us either. This happened in the course of work: one of the first major projects was the renovation of the territory and the reconstruction of objects in Orenburg - the mill named after Zaryvnov. At that time, there were only a few bureaus ready to take on a complex redevelopment, and we were among the first. Successful concepts and completed projects became the basis for a positive reputation of the bureau, and customers began to contact us more often. We are actively participating in metropolitan and regional competitions in various areas, preparing concepts - this applies not only to residential or commercial projects, but also to public spaces and landscaping.

What direction can be called the main one?

I would say that our main focus is multi-directionality. Unlike large bureaus that deal either exclusively with residential projects or commercial projects, we did not set ourselves a framework from the very beginning. We are actively working in different directions - these are residential complexes and apartments, office buildings and interiors, redevelopment projects, hotel and recreational facilities, landscaping, health centers, sanatoriums, all kinds of interiors and much more. This approach makes it possible to develop, not "ossify" and constantly receive new challenges. Today, we have more than 400 requests and tender concepts behind us, of which more than a hundred have either grown into a project or have been built, and another part is at various stages of implementation.

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  1/18 Azimut Hotel Smolenskaya © T + T Architects

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  2/18 Azimut Hotel Smolenskaya © T + T Architects

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  3/18 Azimut Hotel Smolenskaya © T + T Architects

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  4/18 Concept of improvement of the Nagatinsky backwater embankment “River Park”. Competition project, 2015 © T + T architects

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  5/18 Concept of improvement of the Nagatinsky backwater embankment “River Park”. Competition project, 2015 © T + T architects © T + T architects

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  6/18 Concept of improvement of the Nagatinsky backwater embankment “River Park”. Competition project, 2015 © T + T architects © T + T architects

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  7/18 Concept of improvement of the Nagatinsky backwater embankment “River Park”. Competition project, 2015 © T + T architects

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  8/18 Loft-quarter Studio 12. Project, 2014 © T + T architects

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  9/18 Loft-quarter Studio 12. Project, 2014 © T + T architects

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  10/18 Loft-quarter Studio 12. Project, 2014 © T + T architects

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  11/18 "Aleksandrovsky Sad" residential complex © Т + Т Architects

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  12/18 "Aleksandrovsky Sad" residential complex © Т + Т Architects

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  13/18 Residential complex with a hotel building in Grozny © Т + Т Architects

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  14/18 Residential complex with a hotel building in Grozny © T + T Architects

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  15/18 Workshop of T + T Architects at Krasny Oktyabr Photo © Ilya Ivanov / Courtesy of T + T Architects

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  16/18 Workshop of T + T Architects at Krasny Oktyabr Photo © Ilya Ivanov / Courtesy of T + T Architects

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  17/18 Erkafarm office. Photo © Ilya Ivanov

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  18/18 Erkafarm office. Photo © Ilya Ivanov

Don't you think that universalization is not the most promising path today? And is it better to be experts in one direction than in all at once?

I cannot agree with this. It all depends on the principle and approach to work. Our bureau has many areas where strong specialists work. They can move from department to department if they want to develop in a new specialization for themselves. But we do not take projects that we cannot cope with. In our case, the emphasis is on quality and an individual approach. Typical solutions for mass construction are not our profile. We are ready to make a turnkey project inside and out, not limited only to architecture, but also focusing on related areas. Plus, we have a fresh and “clean” look. When you start working in a new market for yourself, you evaluate the project from all sides - both as a designer and as an end user. Therefore, whether it is a restaurant concept (for example, “7 Heaven” in Ostankino), renovation of an old depot near the Kurskaya metro station, or a project of a club-format residential complex - we always try to offer original solutions that are appropriate here and for this particular project.

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  1/10 Concept of overhaul of the former carriage depot. Perspective view of the end of the building 1 © Т + Т Architects

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  2/10 Concept of overhaul of the former carriage depot. Perspective view of the main entrance to building 1 © T + T Architects

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  3/10 Concept of overhaul of the former carriage depot. Perspective view of the square from the new building © T + T Architects

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  4/10 Concept of overhaul of the former wagon depot © T + T Architects

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  5/10 Restaurant complex "7 Sky" © Т + Т Architects

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  6/10 Restaurant complex "7 Sky" © Т + Т Architects

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  7/10 Restaurant complex "7 Sky" © Т + Т Architects

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  8/10 Restaurant complex "7 Sky" © Т + Т Architects

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  9/10 Multifunctional residential complex in Yekaterinburg. Project, 2016 © T + T Architects

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  10/10 Multifunctional residential complex in Yekaterinburg. Project, 2016 © T + T Architects

But the competition is still high, isn't it? How do you manage to withstand it and coexist with larger, including international, bureaus?

We are more flexible and mobile. Each employee with us is an independent, autonomous professional with a broad outlook. There is a specificity, but people are constantly learning and trying themselves in new directions. We exchange experience between departments - an important part of the life of the entire bureau. And this gives us the opportunity to mobilize forces in the presence of a large project, or, conversely, to disperse employees when there are many small volumes.

Another problem of large bureaus is the flow. When you work with a million square meters, there are hardly any unique solutions. It is already a debugged system that does not fail, but requires a lot of resources. And if the bureau goes to such tenders, then it clearly understands all the pros and cons. People won't make constant downsizing after every major project in order to maintain individuality and flexibility. No, one major project will be followed by another. And here there is less creativity and more standardization. We do not strive for such projects, on the contrary, we want to work with a good volume, but those where the concept and quality will not suffer for the sake of timing and scale. Thanks to this, we compare favorably with the rest, and we work equally successfully both with large projects and customers, and with chamber ones. A striking example of this approach is the reconstruction of a building for the office of Sberbank or the project of the IT-cluster Kontur-Park on the one hand, and the project of reconstruction of the depot on the other. All these projects require an equally detailed approach, since each of them implements unique and individual design solutions: a suspended meeting room, uniting a 700 m long gallery, conservation of historical structures, and so on.

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  1/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © T + T Architects

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  2/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  3/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  4/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  5/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  6/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  7/9 Concept of overhaul of the former carriage depot. Perspective view of the new building © T + T Architects

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  8/9 Concept of overhaul of the former carriage depot. Perspective view from st. Kazakova © Т + Т Architects

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  9/9 Concept of overhaul of the former carriage depot. Perspective view of the new building © T + T Architects

Let's go back to the market. Can we talk today about some kind of global trend in terms of architecture?

The global trend is a new approach to urban planning. If earlier the priority was the financial benefit and the number of square meters, today a lot of attention is also paid to the importance of this or that project for the city. This does not mean that it should be financially unsuccessful; rather, it should be needed not only by the investor and the end client, but also by ordinary residents. All these questions lie not only in the field of a specific volume, but rather the quality of the environment and its role in this. You can build a lonely point residential complex project, or you can do it with high-quality landscaping, developed social and commercial infrastructure. And, most importantly, open to the townspeople. In such questions, we use all available tools, including BigData, to determine the needs of the population in a given location - whether they need development centers, or, conversely, shops.

This applies primarily to redevelopment projects?

Not only. We started with redevelopment, this is a huge layer of work that is relevant in our country for many decades to come. There are many industrial areas within the city limits not only in Moscow, but also in large Russian cities - and this is the main potential for development. Moreover, you can often find unique architectural solutions in industrial buildings and enterprises. We, of course, always strive to preserve this, come up with a new function, and adapt it for modern use.

But not only redevelopment is able to give the city new spaces and new dominants. Residential development also forms the architectural fabric, it can be both a bright center of the district, and just its logical continuation. Here it is important not to lose the balance between aesthetics, commerce and benefits for society, and then it will be a successful case from any side.

What projects are you currently working on?

We have several objects in active work at once - these are both housing and multifunctional complexes. In the city of Ufa, we were engaged in the concept of a residential complex in the Oktyabrsky district. This is an area of 4.7 hectares, dense surrounding buildings, most of which is infrastructure. Here we have placed 8 buildings of different heights in order to achieve the best insolation. In the stylobate, we offered the placement of commercial infrastructure, parking and technical premises. A large amount of greenery was added to the courtyard formed on the stylobate, and a private terrace was designed near each building.

The next project is the "Aleksandrovsky Sad" residential complex in the Leninsky district of Yekaterinburg. The surrounding area is very scattered and is characterized by the neighborhood of 19th century manor houses, 20th century administrative buildings and modern offices. A complex of three detached buildings of residential buildings of variable number of storeys will appear on the site. When forming the architectural appearance of the complex, the task was to create buildings that play the role of a compositional addition to the historically valuable urban quarter, preserve the existing urban scale of the street and be a worthy background for the perception of historical buildings. We tried to take into account all the wishes and requirements and offered the best concept.

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  1/9 Concept for the development of the territory in the quarter bounded by the streets of 50 years of the USSR, Klavdiya Abramova, Salavat Yulaev Avenue © T + T Architects

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  2/9 "Aleksandrovsky Sad" residential complex © Т + Т Architects

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  3/9 "Aleksandrovsky Sad" residential complex © Т + Т Architects

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  4/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  5/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  6/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  7/9 Kontur-Park, Yekaterinburg © Т + Т Architects

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  8/9 Residential complex with a hotel building in Grozny © T + T Architects

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  9/9 Residential complex with a hotel building in Grozny © T + T Architects

Another project in Yekaterinburg is the Kontur Park IT cluster. Large-scale multifunctional complex with an area of over 200 thousand m², which involves the construction of office space, a research and production complex, housing for residents and all the necessary commercial and social infrastructure.

We are also working on a project for a club house and a hotel complex in the city of Grozny. The site is located in the city center next to the mosque. The multifunctional complex will be clearly visible from the Grozny-City business complex, main roads and the central square of Akhmat Kadyrov. This is a unique project for the city, both in terms of its quality and aesthetic characteristics.

Are you planning to continue to focus on residential projects?

We do not seek to fit into the framework. If there are interesting housing projects where we will be invited, we will gladly take on them. But we will not refuse from office interiors, hotels and MZhK either. The same applies to Moscow and the regions. We are always for good work and interesting projects where there are opportunities for the development of high-quality architecture, urbanism and fertile ground for fresh ideas and solutions.

Is there a global challenge for the coming years?

Almost all tasks can be called global to one degree or another. We are actively developing business-based design, using geomarketing tools when working with projects, developing the technological direction, but at the same time we do not forget about the aesthetic function, which is still one of the main ones. I think the future of architecture lies in the harmonious combination of technology, new materials, creativity and marketing. The cumulative effect will be seen not only in commercial projects, but also in public spaces. And the sooner the market adopts this as a standard, the better.