The XXXV International Review-Competition of the Best Final Qualifying Works in Architecture, Design, and Art has concluded in Kazan. It was hosted by the Institute of Design and Spatial Arts at Kazan Federal University.
The competition featured entries from young professionals representing 47 specialized Russian universities, as well as institutions abroad (in Armenia, Brazil, China, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan). In total, the expert committee evaluated over 600 graduation theses across the bachelor’s, specialist's, and master’s degree levels.
The Department of Architectural Environment Design (AED) at the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering participated in the categories of "Urban Environment Design" (bachelor’s and master’s levels) and "Landscape Architecture."
All the diploma theses presented by students from the department were awarded the highest honors – first-degree diplomas. In addition, our students received a number of further awards.
The topics of the bachelor’s degree theses were diverse. Some were proposed by the administrations of St Petersburg and other regions. What they all share is a distinct personal vision, unique design proposals, and a high standard of graphic execution, in keeping with the traditions of the SPbGASU school. Projects from the Department of AED are notable for the substance of their design components, which are grounded in thorough preliminary research.
Adel Akhmetzyanov’s diploma project, "Renovation of the Novocherkassk Regiment barracks and adjacent territories" (supervised by Senior Lecturer Maria Panteleeva and Associate Professor Denis Romanov), focuses on developing an architectural concept to adapt the Novocherkassk Regiment barracks complex in St Petersburg into a multifunctional public center, complete with a recreational area along the Okhta River. The project’s key architectural feature is a "metastructure"—a new volume inserted into the inner courtyard between the four historic buildings. The work received several additional accolades, including a diploma from the National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a diploma from the Sverdlovsk regional branch of the Union of Designers of Russia, and a certificate of merit from the National Association of Surveyors and Designers (NOPRIZ).
In her diploma project, "A theatrical cluster on Grebnevskie Peski Island in Nizhny Novgorod"—supervised by Associate Professor Konstantin Kolodin and Senior Lecturer Anna Vasilyeva—Darya Pakhomova envisions the island as a theater without walls or a curtain. The entire island serves as the stage, its landscape acts as the scenery, and the human being becomes the central character. The project was a highlight of the exhibition and garnered numerous additional accolades, including a diploma from the International Association of the Union of Designers, a diploma from the Tambov Regional Organization of the Union of Architects of Russia, the Lazar Khidekel Prize, and a diploma from the Yakov Chernikhov International Foundation.
Vera Vykhodets’s diploma project, "A revitalization concept for Buffer park in the town of Pushkin" (supervised by Senior Lecturers Vasily Gomozov and Elena Zavyalova), covers a topic proposed by the Government of St Petersburg. It focuses on the landscape design of a park space. The core idea of the project is to create a "park-field."
Master’s theses from the Department of AED address topics such as the rehabilitation of coastal areas, the development of small towns and settlements, and the revitalization of industrial heritage. The competition’s experts noted the relevance of the submitted projects, their high level of scientific novelty, and the structured nature of their presentation.
In her work "Comprehensive transformation of the urban environment for the sustainable development of Gatchina" (supervised by Pavel Loshakov, PhD of Architecture and Associate Professor), Inessa Bagmet develops a strategy for the creation of functional public spaces in Gatchina, which will serve as a catalyst for the city’s further development.
The diploma thesis by Ekaterina Shumanskaya, titled "Specifics of transforming recreation and resort facilities in the Leningrad Region into medical and psychological rehabilitation centers" (supervised by Associate Professor Denis Romanov), focuses on identifying key requirements and developing a design model for medical and psychological rehabilitation centers, using the "Zhivoy Ruchey" (Living Stream) recreation site in the Luga District of the Leningrad Region as a case study.
Anastasia Glushkova dedicated her diploma project, "Specifics of revitalizing flour-milling complexes: a case study of the 'Nevskaya Mill' in St Petersburg," to the development of a "Grain-Personality" structural-semantic model (supervised by Milena Zolotareva, PhD of Architecture and Associate Professor). This model interprets the technological cycle of grain processing as both a functional zoning scheme for the complex and a scenario for the personal transformation of its visitors.
Particularly notable were the master’s thesis by Anastasia Kiryanova, titled "Methods for developing river infrastructure: a case study of the Upper Volga" (supervised by Associate Professor Svetlana Bochkareva), which received a diploma from Don State Technical University and focused on creating a unified design code for mooring facilities and waterfront areas in cities along the Upper Volga; and the final thesis by Valeriya Shumaylova, titled "Principles for the revitalization of former industrial sites: a case study of the Alekseyevsky Sugar Refinery in the city of Shebekino" (supervised by Associate Professor Yan Korzhempo), which was awarded a diploma from the Saratov Regional Branch of the Union of Designers of Russia, as well as a diploma from the interregional public organization "National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites".
Ivan Petrov’s master’s thesis, titled "Principles for developing recreational zones in the Far North: a case study of Nizhnevartovsk" (supervised by Maria Granstrem, PhD of Architecture and Associate Professor), has been awarded diplomas from the National Academy of Design and the Guild of Architects and Engineers. The project’s design proposal is founded on four interconnected macro-principles—climatic adaptation and all-season usability, ecological and technological sustainability, an emotional embrace of the North, and socio-cultural rootedness and identity—as well as a cultural concept derived from these principles, termed "Snowiness" (*Snezhnost*).
In the literature contest, a team of authors—comprising the project lead and acting head of the Department of AED Sergey Lutchenko, along with Professor Margarita Perkova and Associate Professor Dmitry Boytsov—received a special award: a diploma from the Union of Moscow Architects for their monograph, *Leningrad Region: A Territory for Future Development*.
Congratulations to the students, their supervisors, and the faculty of the Department of Architectural Environment Design on their well-deserved achievements and the confirmation of the high standard of final qualifying projects at SPbGASU!
