Dmitry Fleisher (third from the left), Sergey Lutchenko (third from the right), and Svetlana Feofanova (far right) with students participating in the excursion
On 20 October, as part of a practice-oriented learning program, an off-site class was held on the topic "Modern production technologies for traditional building materials." The session took place at the "LSR Wall Materials" brick plant in the town of Otradnoye, Leningrad Region. The trip was organized for first-year master’s students in the field of Architectural Environment Design at SPbGASU by faculty members from the Department of Architectural Environment Design (AED) —Department Head Sergey Lutchenko and Senior Lecturers Svetlana Feofanova and Dmitry Fleisher—jointly with the LSR company.
The students visited the raw material storage areas and the finished goods warehouse, and also observed one of the oldest technologies for creating construction materials: the production of ceramic wall blocks. At the LSR plant, this technology has been refined, and the production facility is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery. The entire technological process is fully automated and managed by a small number of staff. A unique feature of the plant is its location in the immediate vicinity of a deposit of pure, red-firing Cambrian clay; this not only minimizes the costs associated with purifying the raw material but also optimizes logistics.
The main part of the session was dedicated to an introduction to the production line for large-format, porous, hollow ceramic blocks. The young architects were shown the entire manufacturing process—from the loading of raw materials into the hopper to the emergence of the finished products, followed by their packaging and the sorting out of any defective items. The students were particularly impressed by the core production machinery: the automated heating and firing kilns. The production line finishes with a certified quality-control laboratory, equipped with various testing rigs and laboratory apparatus. No quality issues were detected during the session.
For SPbGASU students, the opportunity to see and physically touch materials at various stages of creation, to get a feel for the production process, and to ask experts any questions they may have, represents an important milestone in their practice-oriented education.
The session concluded at an exhibition area showcasing the range of products manufactured by LSR Wall Materials. In addition to ceramic blocks made from red-firing clay, the students were introduced to clinker products—including facade cladding and paving materials—as well as aerated concrete blocks produced at other company facilities. LSR staff explained how these products are used in construction and discussed the technical characteristics of aerated concrete and porous ceramic blocks with the aspiring architects and designers.
SPbGASU thanks the LSR company for the opportunity to introduce students to the practical side of their future profession.