«Tankhoy» Ecopark, landscaping of winter cities and digital layout of Irkutsk — eco-friendly project activities of INRTU students
The activity results of the first semester on the course «Project activity» were presented by students of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of INRTU. Students are working on real projects in the interests of customers, designing an ecopark in Tankhoy village, container landscaping of winter cities and a digital layout of Irkutsk with VR-elements.
The presentation of eight students' initiatives took place within the open scientific and practical seminar on December 19. The authors received a useful feedback fr om the educators of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, representatives of the Slyudyansky administration district, Alfaton LLC, the management of the Center «Tochka Rosta» («Point of Growth») and School No. 12 in Baikalsk.
According to Associate Professor of the department Elena Bayandina, about 100 students of 3-4 - years of study were involved into this work:
«Students were divided into teams for 8–16 people. The seminar became a general rehearsal before the final presentation, which is held at the end of the academic year. The Polytechnic students received valuable recommendations fr om teachers and customers, allowing them to refine the products.»
With Elena Bayandina, students developed container landscaping of winter cities, including Baikalsk and Irkutsk. Fr om the beginning, the group was studying plants adapted to the Siberian climate, got acquainted with the materials, calculated the cost of containers.
In the second semester, Elena Bayandina’s team will create methodological recommendations on container gardening, place several experimental samples on the territory of Baikal school No. 12. In total, a group of 16 people is working on the project, including the future designer of the architectural environment Alina Kuznetsova. The student said that she is interested in landscape design:
The course „Project activity“ helps to gain experience in teamwork. I like to communicate with like-minded people.»
The «Tankhoy» Ecopark was commissioned to INRTU students by a private organization within NISKO Grad, whose scientific director is Victoria Chernigovskaya. Future architects, designers and urban planners are working on the project for an area of 8.5 hectares located on the shore of Lake Baikal (the village of Tankhoy).
Fourth-year student Ekaterina Pozdnyakova notes that Tankhoy is an attractive place for tourists — it borders on the Baikal Nature Reserve and Visitor-Center «Baikal Zapovedny»:
«However, there is no infrastructure for a long stay here. The local administration promotes the development of tourism by allocating land to entrepreneurs for tourism activities.We develop the architectural and planning organization of the place taking into account the urban and ecological features of the area, offer various concepts, functional zoning schemes, environment design and identity elements.
We present the results of the work to the customer, then make adjustments. Currently, some of our solutions have already been implemented — materials have been purchased, facilities are being built.»
We present the results of the work to the customer, then make adjustments. Currently, some of our solutions have already been implemented — materials have been purchased, facilities are being built.»
The head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of INRTU Evgenia Pulyaevskaya oversees the project team that popularizes the Siberian Tract. The authors' goal is to restore the route based on historical information, create map schemes, and form a «bank of ideas» to preserve historical memory.
Irina Sokolova, a future urban planner, told more about the project:
«We have developed a number of initiatives, for example, holding rally-raids in the area of the Siberian Highway, tourist routes Irkutsk-Yeniseisk and Irkutsk-Nerchinsk. We also offer to open an interactive museum wh ere visitors can immerse themselves in the XVIII century thanks to VR and QR-technologies.I was born in Nizhneudinsk, since childhood I dreamed of building beautiful objects, reconstructing abandoned buildings. In high school, I set myself a goal — to get into School of Architecture, Construction and Design of Irkutsk Polytechnic University.»
Irina Sokolova added that the team had applied for a grant competition of the Russian Geographical Society to implement the project.
INRTU students also pay attention to the transport planning of the historical center of Irkutsk, improvement of the territories for low-mobility groups of the population, renovation of the architectural and urban environment of one of Nikola village’s streets etc.
Photo by Arseniy Chekmarev and Elena Bayandina
