Martlet Architects is a union of Elizabeth and Mikhail Shishin. The bureau is not ordinary for Russia: with many years of experience in large workshops, restoration, experimental eco-technologies and wooden architecture behind it, the architects have chosen a niche corresponding to their vocation - the construction of social facilities, so far only for third world countries. Martlet translates as “swallow”: “this bird is in eternal flight, in heraldry it means a tireless pursuit of new knowledge, hard work, perseverance, symbolizes selfless knightly service away from home. All of this very accurately describes our activities and our worldview,”the architects explain.
His love of travel led to his first project, a school in Nepal, and prompted him to quit his job at a well-known Moscow architectural bureau. On the eve of the trip to the Himalayas, the guys learned about the BUILD A SCHOOL for Nepal project, which was organized by an architect from Vladivostok, Roman Gek, together with Olesya Chalikova, and could not refuse to participate. Since the volunteer world is small, it was not difficult to find the following points for applying your energy. Clinics in Guatemala and Nicaragua Martlet were designed and built for Health & Help, founded by Victoria Valikova and Karina Basharova.
All three objects serve settlements remote from the infrastructure and are located in places that are inaccessible for an ordinary traveler. Elizaveta and Mikhail believe that architecture should not be a privilege even where, for the happiness of living in a house-box made of foam blocks. Therefore, the appearance of the buildings corresponds to traditional culture and building technologies. The facilities are designed so that local residents and volunteers can participate in their construction, without the involvement of heavy equipment and sophisticated tools. Starting with the second project, Elizaveta and Mikhail are involved in all construction work themselves. A lot of people have to learn on the spot, literally from YouTube videos. Calculation of foundations, supporting structures, seismic resistance is done by a proven specialist in Moscow.
Elizaveta and Mikhail Shishin
“Such projects are always extreme conditions, severely limited resources, the absence of professional builders, a lot of force majeure, financial interruptions. We have to do a lot ourselves, for the first time, and also train volunteers. This is an exciting adventure and a challenge at the same time, testing oneself for strength and developing a non-standard approach to problem solving. Until now, all the work has been done by us free of charge, and despite all the difficulties, we have only strengthened our intention to follow the chosen path."
School in Nepal / 2015
The school, and in fact an educational campus, is served by about most of the villages in the Dolakha Valley. Due to the pronounced relief, the building has four levels, each of which has a separate function. For example, the first is a kindergarten with bedrooms for boys and girls who spend more than two hours on the road. On the fourth - the premises where the staff and volunteers live. The largest level in terms of area is the third, with classrooms and a library. The school football field is the only one in the entire district, as is the amphitheater, which is used for meetings, singing lessons, open lectures, performances and movie screenings.
White and terracotta colors, lattice concrete "panels", shutters and roofing from bamboo chips refer to the traditions of local architecture. Since the road is located 200 meters down the slope from the site, construction materials were transported using a cable car. It took a lot of time to level the terraces manually. Cement-sand blocks for the walls were cast directly on site using specially made formwork.
The school was completed on the eve of the 2015 earthquake; for a while, it became a refuge for residents who lost their homes. Now more than 100 children from all over the valley study at the school.
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zooming 1/7 General view. School in Nepal Photo © Roman Gek
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zooming 2/7 Daily construction of schoolchildren before the start of classes. School in Nepal Photo © Roman Gek
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zooming 3/7 The color scheme of the facade in a traditional style. School in Nepal Photo © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 4/7 Cross section. School in Nepal © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 5/7 South facade. School in Nepal © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 6/7 Structural diagram. School in Nepal © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 7/7 Works on the construction of school buildings. School in Nepal Photo © MARTLET Architects
Clinic in Guatemala / 2017
A Mayan medical center was built in a mountain village in Guatemala. The building is one-storey, rectangular in plan, with a patio for relaxation in the center. In addition to the medical offices, there are bedrooms and a kitchen for volunteers.
A decorative screen made of wooden blocks gives the building a friendly look. The motive was invented, inspired by the ear of corn - maize is an important part of the culture and daily life of the local population. The colors of the screen symbolize not only the Guatemalan-specific variety of corn with grains of different colors, but also the unity of volunteers with different skin colors, speaking different languages, raised in different cultures, but united by a common goal.
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zooming 1/7 General view. Clinic at the End of the Earth / Clinic Health & Help © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 2/7 Main entrance. Clinic at the End of the Earth / Clinic Health & Help © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 3/7 The decorative wooden screen is a symbolic interpretation of a corncob. Clinic at the End of the Earth / Clinic Health & Help © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 4/7 Colored corn and national fabrics. Clinic at the End of the Earth / Clinic Health & Help © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 5/7 Aerial photography. Clinic at the End of the Earth / Health & Help Clinic Photo © Maxim Tarasov
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zooming 6/7 Courtyard. Clinic at the End of the Earth / Clinic Health & Help © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 7/7 Construction was carried out in close cooperation with the local population. Clinic at the End of the Earth / Health & Help Clinic Photo © Olga Markova
Clinic in Nicaragua / 2019
The clinic was built near the village of La Salvia, in the forest, on the very shore of the Pacific Ocean at the foot of the Cosiguin volcano. The site was selected by Health & Help with the help of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health - the people of this region need help the most. Major problems: tropical fevers, parasitic diseases, diabetes and teenage pregnancy. Volunteers come to the clinic to work for a period of several months to a year, so it was important to create comfortable conditions not only for work, but also for life.
In plan, the building resembles a cross - an understandable sign of medical care. Each wing has its own function: medical offices are separate from the kitchen, bedrooms and garage. The wing on the side of the ocean, where the common living room with a panoramic window is located, was slightly raised by the architects, capturing their own amazement at the beauty and power of the surrounding nature.
The facades are faced with gaunakaste wood - very hard, resistant to fungi, rot and termites. Double external walls with a ventilated gap keep the building from overheating. The windows are raised to the ceiling and covered with a lattice of wood cladding, which cuts out direct sunlight and protects the interior from prying eyes.
Thanks to solar panels, a well and an independent sewage system, the building is completely autonomous. The water-pressure tank on the roof saves energy on pumping, and rainwater collection is organized in the inner shaft.
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zooming 1/9 South facade. Charity clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 2/9 Main facade. Charity clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 3/9 The façade windows are covered with wooden cladding to protect the premises from overheating. Charity clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 4/9 Panoramic kitchen-living room window overlooking the ocean. Western facade. Charitable clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 5/9 The clinic is located on the shores of Fonseca Bay, at the foot of the Cosiguina volcano. Charitable clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 6/9 Natural materials - stone and wood - were used in the exterior decoration. Charitable clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 7/9 Natural color of guanacaste. Each fastening on the facade is covered with a wooden chopik. Charitable clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 8/9 Functional diagram. Charitable clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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zooming 9/9 Facade cladding works. Charitable clinic in Nicaragua © MARTLET Architects
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Martlet Architects continues to participate in architectural competitions and maintain relationships with various non-profit organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The architects also hope to implement similar projects in Russia.
