The Open City project, conducted by the Moscow Committee for Architecture (curated by Sergei Kuznetsov, head by Irina Kuznetsova), is dedicated to educational and career strategies in the field of architecture. Every year, the OG becomes more and more large, the events are multiplying, but the presentations of young bureaus that can teach students the first steps in the profession have become traditional. The marathon was attended by 15 young bureaus with work experience from 4 months to 11 years. The event was moderated by Elena Petukhova. Now about the recipes for success. By the way, almost no one said where the orders came from. It looks like this is too power-consuming and a commercial secret. It was casually noticed that orders are time and word of mouth.
Large projects in a large office
Everyone knows this recipe. The client will not entrust large projects to a young architect, but as part of a well-known bureau there is a chance to work on them, gain strong skills, and participate in international competitions. For example, the Soyuz bureau (founded in 2017) has relied on this. Igor Golubev and his wife Ksenia first biblically worked for 7 years at the office of Sergei Skuratov, and then founded their own company. But to start a business, you must already have an order, said Igor Golubev. Be sure to participate in competitions, choosing the one that can give the order. A large bureau, in addition to experience in real design, helps to form useful contacts, in particular in the regions, and regions like to call young architects. Soyuz now has projects in Lipetsk, Tyumen, Saratov. Comparing the work of the master with studying in London AA, Igor said that the guys who graduated from AA have good taste, but they have no experience in real design. And good taste can be formed here too, if you try.
The magnificent four close people
Close people with whom you have to be together almost around the clock is very important for an architectural startup. Either friends or family - there is no other way. If you can scatter the routine work that you will inevitably have to face - office rent, legal contracts, accounting - for four, this is very unloading physically and psychologically. This was done by four girls from the Morning Bureau. They also rely on combining each partner's strengths in the office. Someone loves money and attracts orders, someone is a good organizer, someone designs day and night and is responsible for the meaning, and someone is responsible for control at the construction site and is able to achieve quality. But all the girls used to work at the Wowhaus bureau (which proves the inviolability of the first recipe), founded the bureau five years ago, and became independent two years later. They emphasized the importance of the legal aspect of the work: "make up the contracts correctly, because it always comes to a showdown."
Its own chip with a wide specialization
Bureau MODUL relies on this. The architects have their own carpentry workshop, they design modular designer furniture and storage systems, controlling all the details. At the same time, they also have landscaping projects in large cities and orders for food courts in shopping centers. They are ready to quickly master computer programs and acquire engineering skills. Complex engineering turns them on. Rodion Prazdnikov also said that it is important to find your customer, love him, help him structure his thoughts.
Opening a new area
This is almost the same as its own feature, but even better. When Vera Odyn and Olga Trevays from the FORM bureau began to engage in museum and exhibition architecture, no one knew anything about this, there were no competitors in this area, and the FORM bureau immediately began to participate in such iconic projects as the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. becoming a Russian partner of OMA. After the Garage, completed in 2012, FORM architects designed for the same customer an Educational Center and a library in Gorky Park, Garage at VDNKh and other museum and exhibition projects. The secret of success is to find your own, work at the interface with contemporary art, design, develop international creative contacts. And the main thing, as Vera Odyn said, is the Confucius principle: "Do what you love, and you will not work even an hour in your life."
Contests. Principle 12: 4: 1
Grigory Guryanov from the Praktika bureau developed a formula for the effectiveness of competitions. His bureau participated in twelve, won four, and one of them was implemented - the office of the Target Media advertising agency. Another, unrealized, project was at the beginning of his career and quite important - the Flacon plant, as a result of this competition the architects made friends with the customer, for whom furniture modules, coworking, swimming pool and so on were later made. Structures engaged in urban projects and competitions are no less important: for example, MARSH Lab allowed architects to participate in the revitalization project of Derbent.
National projects plus additional education
APREL Architects has been in existence for only four months and already has serious orders. The founders of the bureau are four architects. Mikhail Razumovsky, Alexey Fatkin, Galina Volzhanskaya - formerly employees of the Rozhdestvenka bureau, and today - tutors of the PE-school, which specializes in teaching reconstruction and development. The fourth participant is Natalia Bavykina, a representative of an architectural dynasty and a person with experience in large projects. Hence the conclusion - the now opened opportunity to reconstruct the former industrial zones and entire urban areas is a good chance to start a business. National projects for the development of small towns and settlements will provide orders for the next few years. This could be a great start. And additional education and work experience in a large company - the ability to move from point A to point B by steps, and not by leaps.
Exist on a slow wave
The audience was surprised by the presentation of the FAS (t) bureau (founded in 2011), made by Alexander Ryabsky. Everyone was talking about a career, and he listed the fundamental principles of his work, against which there is nothing to object. “Architecture is impossible without transferable knowledge,” Ryabsky said. "We rely on fundamental concepts: geometry, proportions, structure, scale, tectonics, nonviolence over materials." For each concept, a short but comprehensive definition was given. And the audience was fascinated by this mini-lecture. Well, perhaps focusing on eternal values is the surest and longest-term career strategy.
At the end of OG-2019, Sergey Kuznetsov presented awards to the winners. “All great fellows, those defenses that I saw yesterday are just fire!” Said the chief architect of Moscow and invited students and architects to participate in the upcoming competitions for the design of new Moscow metro stations. This is a good starting point. Do not miss!
