Demand creates supply
According to the CIAN Research Center, in Moscow the demand for buying a country house has doubled this year. In addition, a survey of the audience of the company's website showed that 55.6% of respondents consider suburban real estate as the main one. At the same time, the majority of the respondents note that this is a purchase, not a lease: 75.5% of the respondents will buy a house, townhouse or cottage; 34.6% - site; 29.6% - a dacha.
In recent years, the requirements for suburban real estate have also changed. Now, instead of a summer cottage with minimal amenities, the buyer basically needs a country house for year-round living and with conditions for organizing full-fledged work. Preschool institutions and educational institutions should be located nearby, access to high-quality medical care and, of course, to well-equipped recreation areas is necessary.
Against the background of these changes, already at the stage of project development, trends of modern architecture began to be taken into account, for example, the integration of a natural landscape into a visual concept or the use of author's solutions in matters of landscaping. The architects take into account the practical advantages of the landscape, are guided by the organic possibilities of the location, and are based on this in the formation of a suburban complex.
Best practice
World experience shows the effectiveness of the implementation of low-rise suburban development projects in the "center of gravity" concept. Moreover, such centers can be formed in a natural way, or they can become part of the idea of architects and designers. For example, in Slovenia, in the village of Lipica, a multifunctional recreation center with hotels, a horse riding school, recreational resources, a golf club and historical sights was built on this principle. The center of the project was a legendary horse farm with a four-century history of breeding the Lipizzan breed. It was founded in 1580, in many respects it developed spontaneously, especially in terms of residential buildings, and today it is one of the most beautiful cultural and historical monuments in Slovenia, successfully combining natural and cultural heritage.
Another example is the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, which gave impetus to the development of the Meydan City super facility. In Arabic, Meydan means "meeting place". Al Meydan City is a mixed development area. There are both villas with apartments and offices with retail space. The buildings of the area and their interiors are made in oriental style. This project was brought to life thanks to a government initiative to renovate the world's largest racetrack, Nad Al Sheba. The "Super Object" was accepted for implementation on the initiative of the Emir of Dubai, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Now the object is visited not only for the races and the Dubai World Cup: the developer managed to create a full-fledged infrastructure - convenient for life and business management. Given the status of the initiator of the project, the territory of the location received the status of a tax-free economic zone.
The total area of the district is 15 million square feet. Residential buildings and office buildings are located here side by side with shops, promenades, water canals, pedestrian paths and tree alleys.
Our perspectives
No matter how large-scale the global experience of cluster development is, it is not worth waiting for major changes and a sharp breakthrough in the development of suburban construction in Russia. Full-fledged growth in this direction requires time and, possibly, the addition of the current legal framework. A full-fledged infrastructure includes a whole range of nuances, which developers eschew due to the complexity and timing of implementation. However, there are already projects worthy of attention. Among them is Life Everywhere - a project for the development of the Moscow stud farm No. 1. The concept was developed in cooperation with Research and Development Institute of the General Plan of Moscow, as well as with architectural and consulting companies LLC Alvin, LLC Ark, RSP Planet Design Studios LTD, Knight Frank, HSE, VAMED and AK and Partners.
Equestrian center MKZ No. 1 acts as a center of attraction - a unique natural sports complex is being formed around it, in which selection work with horses will be combined with ecological tourism, professional and amateur equestrian sports, outdoor activities for guests and tourists. Sports facilities such as a ski resort and a golf center; commercial and social real estate and infrastructure with a medical center, educational and childcare facilities; public and cultural facilities; a geriatric center, an agritourism complex - all this will bring the territory to a qualitatively new level.
Unlike universal buildings, the project was developed taking into account the preservation of the unique natural landscape, 60% of the territories are given for recreational needs. The implementation of such projects with a high degree of probability can become another driving force for the growth of the domestic suburban real estate market. The main thing is that there are more of them - an increase in building is inevitable, it is important not to forget about the preservation of natural and historical heritage.
