As Russia's ecotourism industry booms, the demand for sustainable and comfortable accommodations in natural areas is growing. To address this need, the Research Institute for Sustainable Development in Construction (NIISUR), in collaboration with the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU) and the Rosa Khutor mountain resort, is launching the third annual "Green Shelter for Tourists" All-Russian architectural competition.
The competition invites students from architecture universities across Russia to develop conceptual designs for eco-friendly and cost-effective shelters that can provide travelers with protection from the elements and comfortable accommodation in natural settings.
"The joint efforts of the private sector and state development institutions are bearing fruit – the domestic tourism industry in Russia is developing rapidly, and the architectural and ecological communities need to help the industry overcome growing pains," said Vera Burtseva, Director of NIISUR. "The 'Green Shelter for Tourists' competition focuses on finding fresh ideas to address these architectural challenges."
The competition will kick off with a student workshop, where SPbGASU students will be tasked with developing a sketch concept for a green shelter for travelers and presenting their work to a panel of experts. Their submissions will serve as a springboard if they choose to participate in the All-Russian competition.
"The experience of travelers in natural environments requires specific characteristics for tourist infrastructure – accessibility, safety, autonomy, environmental friendliness, and, last but not least, comfort," commented Oleg Fedorov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at SPbGASU. "Combining these characteristics with strict urban planning regulations in natural areas is a challenge that young architects, whom we are preparing for the profession, are well-equipped to meet."
Following the student workshop, a roundtable discussion will be held to explore the challenges of sustainable infrastructure development for nature-based tourism. Participants will include Vera Burtseva, Director of ANO "Research Institute for Sustainable Development in Construction", Anton Golovin, Vice President of the Union of Architects of St. Petersburg, Head of the Eco-Sustainable Architecture Council of the St. Petersburg Union of Architects, Professor at the Mining Institute and the Academy of Arts, Dmitry Kolosov, Director of Sustainable Development at the Rosa Khutor resort, Sergey Lutsenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Urban Policy, Chief Architect of the Leningrad Region, and Oleg Fedorov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at SPbGASU. The roundtable will take place on April 22 at 5:00 PM in St. Petersburg (2nd Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, 4, Architectural Cafe). Registration is required to attend.
This discussion session will mark the launch of the third All-Russian open creative architecture competition for students of architectural universities in Russia "Green Shelter for Tourists in Natural Areas", organized by ANO "Research Institute for Sustainable Development in Construction" together with SPbGASU and the Rosa Khutor mountain resort.
"It is an honor for us to once again be a partner of the All-Russian 'Green Shelter for Tourists' competition," said Dmitry Kolosov, Director of Sustainable Development at the Rosa Khutor resort. "The mountains are a grandiose natural complex, and in our sphere, they are a key recreational resource. We strive not only to open them up to people today but also to preserve them for those who will travel tomorrow. Our business requires the expertise of architects, we are looking for fresh ideas and new talents, so we can only wish the competition participants success. This year, we will bring the best project to the working documentation stage, which means we will have the opportunity to воплотить его в материале."
The All-Russian competition will run from April 22 to September 30, 2024, with the results being announced from October 1 to 14, 2024. Architecture students will be eligible to participate in the competition. The winner of the competition will be awarded a grant to develop a set of working design documentation for the corresponding project.
Blogs
