We have already said that summing up the results of the year, Moskomarkhitektura invited architects, developers and urbanists to participate in the survey, the purpose of which is to assess the view of the professional community on new projects, approaches and challenges that have appeared in Moscow and the regions this year, to highlight painful points and outline ways to solve the problems that have arisen. The results of the survey were announced on December 17 at the Comfortable City conference. The main event of the year, most of the respondents recognized the restoration of the Narkomfin building. Also, representatives of the professional community spoke about the general transition to online.
The survey was conducted by Citymakers commissioned by the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Construction.
Below are some of the opinions. Six more interviews are in the previous publication.
Yuliy Borisov, head of the UNK project design bureau
In your opinion, what has changed in workflows this year? Has your online efficiency improved? Are there any difficulties with communication both within the team and with third-party partners?
During this year, we had two lockdowns in our bureau. In the first, we first saw a sharp rise in labor productivity, which lasted for a month and a half. Then there was the line of decline. In the second, it is worse. At first, people enthusiastically take on a project, work more than in an office, and cannot stop. Then burnout begins. And it is clear that some of the information is lost during video communication, because some of its bits are transmitted only with the energy field, especially in terms of creative discussions or project protection at the customer's place.
For me personally, the popularization of video conferencing is rather a positive phenomenon. This is another tool in our range of goal achievement - just like a phone, WhatsApp, drawing board, computer, file, blueprint or BIM model. It is convenient to interact with both customers and end users. For example, public discussions of our project in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk were held remotely. And, of course, you are virtually closer to the person, because your face is on the screen, his face is on the screen. Communication becomes more intimate, intimate. It is interesting.
We work a lot with large projects, where only a thousand people are involved in the design. We have meetings for 25 people. The use of video conferencing does not completely remove all the questions, but at least simplifies them.
What else? Probably, I began to communicate more with a larger number of employees than before. The speed has become higher. But, of course, I do not have enough live communication, energy exchange. No video conferencing can replace this.
In an ever-changing work environment, what keeps you balanced and moving on? What were your professional footholds this year?
I would not say it was a difficult year. I don't have the feeling that it was more difficult than the previous one. Moreover, in the end it seemed to me that it is lighter than 2019. Two weeks before the first lockdown, we already saw the situation and prepared for it normally. We have made a remote access system, we have been overly insured. We were prepared for a much more difficult situation. We almost bought spacesuits so that we could go to the construction site. No kidding.
If you are asking a personal question, then all my relatives, relatives and employees are healthy. Someone was ill, of course, but there were no serious shocks.
What do you think was the most important in the bureau's activities this year?
Every few years we make an inventory of our tools of work, the achievement of our goals. After that, we set ourselves new goals and select new resources and tools for them. The most important thing this year was thinking about our course of movement for the next year.
Azat Akhmadullin, founder of the bureau AHMADULLIN ARCHITECTS (Ufa)
What do you think has changed in workflows in 2020? Has your online efficiency improved? Have communications become more complicated within the team and with third-party partners?
The work rhythm this year was like waves, the rush was periodically replaced by calm unhurried design. At the beginning of the pandemic, we, like everyone else, went to a remote location - at that moment, the effectiveness sank. But then, when the whole team returned to the workshop, the design speed recovered. From time to time, the team members went to work remotely, so this year we did not get together as a whole team this year. Working online did not come as a surprise to us, since 70% of our projects are located in various regions of the country and almost always work processes and communication with customers took place online, with a few exceptions when at the beginning of work it was necessary to fly to the design site. The pandemic has also affected our customers. Some of them got sick and this shifted the schedules and deadlines for the delivery of projects.
In an ever-changing work environment, what keeps you balanced and moving on? What were your professional footholds this year?
Studying in the program architects.rf made it possible to find a large number of like-minded people throughout Russia and to start networking, which, I will say from my own experience, works very well. We are constantly creating consortia, sharing advice, work, ideas.
In your opinion, what was the most important thing in the bureau's activities this year?
Our cohesion and the interest of each team member in achieving a common goal. The desire for constant growth, learning, the desire to learn and understand something new and to make the space around us better, even if not supported by a large economic component. But we understand that a young bureau must make a name for itself with its high-quality and completed work, which in turn will attract financial support.
Mikhail Beilin, partner of the CITIZENSTUDIO architectural bureau
What do you think has changed in workflows in 2020? Has your online efficiency improved? Have communications become more complicated within the team and with third-party partners?
Very little has changed in our bureau this year. The fact is that a few years ago, when we founded the bureau, my partner Daniil Nikishin and I decided that we would have a virtual office. Therefore, our studio was very well prepared for the shocking changes for many people.
The difference is that everyone is now working in the online format. This means less time is required for long face-to-face meetings. Everything is discussed in Zoom, and it is very convenient.
It seems to me that the main novelty of 2020 is that we all began to spend much less time in unnecessary meetings with unnecessary people. The translation of working communication online has led to the fact that now we personally meet with those with whom we really want to meet. I save time, which has always been my biggest scarcity.
Personal presence, of course, is necessary directly at the construction site. But a huge number of questions do not require face-to-face meetings. They require high-quality communication between different project participants. Often this is replaced by constant pulling out of everyone in a row. If you can't build a normal workflow, arrange meetings. It seems to me that the events of this year lead to the fact that people today are forced to set up this communication.
In an ever-changing work environment, what keeps you balanced and moving on? What were your professional footholds this year?
It so happened that during the lockdown period we had many interesting creative tasks that allowed me to spend this time relatively calmly, even with pleasure.
Nevertheless, I always try to come up with activities for myself in case there is suddenly no work. This has not happened yet, but I understand what can happen at any moment. Moreover, both the first and second waves of the pandemic cause serious economic harm, and the architect, of course, is very dependent on the general economic picture. He is like a butterfly that is so light, gentle and defenseless that any, even small changes in temperature can kill her.
Therefore, in addition to the family, loved ones and friends, which are obvious to all of us, I am supported by having a job, knowing what I will be doing today and tomorrow. What is interesting to me.
In your opinion, what was the most important thing in the bureau's activities this year?
Apparently, I have such a peculiarity: I experience negative events much more vividly. For example, this year we stopped a project on which we were working, which we loved very much and which we valued very much. The suspension has nothing to do with the coronavirus. Quite a common internal history of the relationship between a Russian architect and a Russian customer, but this case comes to mind first of all.
But creatively it was a good year for us with very interesting projects. I left for the dacha at the end of March, planning to spend a few weeks there, and ended up returning five or six months later. I took paper, liners with me, thinking that I would finally have time to draw. But it turned out that there was no time for the entire lockdown, because there was a lot of work. We have completed five or six projects in these few months: a market in St. Petersburg, a park in Belgorod, an office center there, several projects for Moscow, including an experimental project for renovating Metrogorodok. Hopefully they will start being implemented soon. This would be a great end to the lockdown and 2020.
Victoria Raubo, Development Director of the APEX Design Bureau
What do you think has changed in workflows in 2020? Has your online efficiency improved? Have communications become more complicated within the team and with third-party partners?
Online work is effective, but there are nuances. In an already established team, the effectiveness has definitely increased, since everyone understands the task in the same way, colleagues have already gone through a lot, worked together, tuned in to the same wavelength and are able to understand each other quickly in any format.
In new teams, everything is a little different: the first 1-2 months you need to invest your time in an employee. It takes a lot of personal communication before you reach the level of effectiveness of a well-coordinated team. Still, "live" communication remains an important link, it is she who forms trust, mutual understanding, creates synergy between people - in a word, everything that later becomes the foundation for effective joint activities.
Our company is trying to provide new tools in workflows to speed up the immersion in projects and tasks:
- we have created our own entertainment and educational platform APEX Life, where colleagues can learn about the process of creating projects and, in lecture mode, ask questions, communicate, meet, discuss informal topics;
- at the moment we are integrating a process tracking system, which will make the workflow as transparent and understandable as possible, both for beginners and for well-coordinated teams;
- we have created a platform for exchanging 3D models of objects with our customers, so that they can always look at the current model of the project online and see the dynamics of design;
- employees of the company can always use psychological help or ask for training to improve any skills to optimize work processes.
In an ever-changing work environment, what keeps you balanced and moving on? What were your professional footholds this year?
I am motivated to move on by having interesting projects and people around me inspired by one idea. Frankly, this year, due to my extroversion, I have a very difficult time working remotely. However, any crisis leads to intensification: I became more attentive to the quality of my leisure time, I try to maintain a 30/30/30 balance (sleep / work / socialization).
In your opinion, what was the most important thing in the bureau's activities this year?
I think that a very important event for our bureau was the transfer of the work of the office with a staff of 600 people to the online format. The company's management has done everything necessary to provide employees with comfort and convenience, to make a painless transition. Employees were helped to organize workplaces, paid for the purchase of additional equipment, the company management came up with a safe coworking system, where through the workplace booking system, you can visit the office, where the number of attendees is monitored and sanitary and social distancing measures are observed.
Anastasia Klyputenko, head of the URBAN SCALE bureau
What do you think has changed in workflows in 2020? Has your online efficiency improved? Have communications become more complicated within the team and with third-party partners?
Our work processes have not fundamentally changed, since remote work was initially established in the bureau. We didn't expect it to suddenly become so relevant, but we were 100% ready.
I only miss offline customer meetings since most of the negotiations have moved to Zoom. We are lucky - we are found by developers who really want to create a quality environment. The leaders of such companies have a special vision and it is very interesting to communicate with them.
But it should be noted that earlier meetings were stretched for several hours, we printed materials for each meeting and wasted time on the road. Now everything is clear and to the point.
In an ever-changing work environment, what keeps you balanced and moving on? What were your professional footholds this year?
As always, it helps that we respond quickly to opportunities and are willing to work hard. In the first wave of quarantine, they almost did not feel isolation, as they worked seven days a week.
In general, this year has shown that the competence of each individual person is more important than the place where he is and the conditions in which it is more convenient for him to work. There are fewer prejudices, flexibility and professionalism have come to the fore.
In your opinion, what was the most important thing in the bureau's activities this year?
The main results of the year were that they rebuilt the processes and established the development of project documentation completely in the BIM environment, found new talented people for the team and developed a large-scale urban planning concept for an area of more than 40 hectares. In the new year, the plans are no less ambitious. Looking forward to an interesting 2021!
Alina Chereyskaya, architect and partner at SA lab
What do you think has changed in workflows in 2020? Has your online efficiency improved? Have communications become more complicated within the team and with third-party partners?
According to the experience of SA lab, 2020 pushed everyone to online communication. This made it possible to become more free, operative and effective in many issues. We often collaborate with architectural firms from Europe, the USA, Japan, so the online format was not new, we were ready for it. Due to the general tension and spontaneity of events, it was difficult for many to adapt to the new reality at first. I'm sure if the transition were smoother and more planned, most would appreciate the advantage of flexible offices.
In an ever-changing work environment, what keeps you balanced and moving on? What were your professional footholds this year?
Due to the transition to online, many conferences have become available. There was an opportunity to get acquainted with architects from different countries and studios, to learn a lot of new things in a short period of time. We took part in international events: eCAADe 2020 at TU Berlin, DigitalFutures, Digital Cities, Live Academy. They also invented and held together with ARCHSLON and Synthesis the first in Russia architectural online festival - 360FEST. It became a platform for communication and brought together people from 15 countries and 76 cities from all over the world, despite the closed borders and limitations of the physical world.
In your opinion, what was the most important thing in the bureau's activities this year?
Over the past 10 months, we have learned a lot about our reserves and capabilities. The most important thing was to keep the team. 2 weeks before the official start of remote shooting, we already worked from home. SA lab is a young company that creates an adaptive architecture that easily responds to changing parameters. This is how we became more flexible. For example, for the Geek Picnic festival, the team originally designed public spaces. When the event went online, we completely revised the concept and came up with virtual pavilions, which were attended by more than 5,000 people on the first day.
In addition to projects, SA lab conducts educational activities and a telegram channel. Since March, it has become an oasis of good news, in which we collected useful cases.
The jump to digital has become a testing ground for new ideas for us.
