Future architects and designers from St. Petersburg presented innovative solutions

The qualifying stage of the International Engineering Championship "CASE-IN" in the field of Architecture, Design, construction and Housing and Communal Services was held at St. Petersburg State University. Ten teams took part in it. According to experts and organizers, the number of participants is growing every year, and the current qualifying stage has reached a record high.

"CASE-IN" is an international competition system for solving engineering cases for schoolchildren, students and young professionals. The championship has been implemented since 2013 with the support of the presidential platform "Russia – the land of Opportunities". The general theme of this year's championship is "Lean Manufacturing", the task is to develop the concept of a typical universal multifunctional complex. The project duration is ten days. The event was organized by the Department of Student Entrepreneurship and Career at St. Petersburg State University.

 "It is not the first year that students of our university have participated in both the autumn cup and the main season of the Student league championship. This extracurricular event is held in accordance with the "Quality Professional Education" subprogram of the SPbGASU Development Program for 2023-2032, aimed at developing and supporting talented youth. Championships of this kind give students the opportunity to test the competencies formed during the development of the basic educational program. Thus, the best students who want to work in their specialty in the future begin to build a professional career during their studies, solving cases from specialized partner organizations of the university," said the head of the Department of Student Entrepreneurship and Career at St. Petersburg State University. Marina Malyutina.

The projects were presented by the teams of St. Petersburg State University "Buildchamps" (mentor – associate professor Ekaterina Anshukova), "Builders of the future" (Associate Professor Viktor Yakovlev), "Projectorate" (senior lecturer Vyacheslav Tonkikh), "Dyadyurina and Partners" (Director of the architectural workshop "Lovkachev and Partners" Dmitry Lovkachev), "Aesthetstroy", "Architect" (Associate Professor Egor Danilov), "Silhouette", "Honey mushrooms" (associate Professor Sergey Bovteev), Monolith (assistant Viktor Tsyganovkin) and the BIM team at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (senior lecturer Galina Bardina).

Each project has a unique vision of a modern multifunctional center, and many have an in–depth analysis of the factors influencing the choice of the concept. In the proposed concepts, lean manufacturing is achieved both through the design of engineering networks and through artificial intelligence, which helps to choose optimal solutions, including the architectural appearance of the building.

The partners of the qualifying stage of the championship were the Metropolis company and the Alabuga Special Economic zone, and their specialists joined the expert commission.

Chairman of the Expert Commission, Head of the Ventilation and Air Conditioning Department at Metropolis Kirill Pivovarov noted the high level of the presented works.

"Today we saw specialists who take it and do it, and do not think about whether they will succeed or not. The presented architectural and conceptual solutions impressed, and in engineering solutions I recommend paying closer attention, first of all, to the placement of premises. But in general, the amount of work done in such a short time is impressive: there are mature solutions that speak to the good practical skills of the participants. The winner's project is distinguished by the non–trivial approach of its authors, their enthusiasm, and their desire to make a good and beautiful solution," Kirill Pivovarov explained.

Captain and architect of the winning team "Dyadyurin and Partners", graduate student of the Faculty of Architecture Anastasia Dyadyurina is confident that the success of the project was ensured not only by the quality of the work done, but also by the idea itself.

"According to the terms of reference, it was necessary to develop a universal multifunctional complex for different regions of Russia. Accordingly, we needed to discover a factor that unites our large country. In the course of the study, we found out that such a factor is a rather cold climate. In addition, almost the entire territory is rich in greenery. This is how the idea arose to create an oasis among the urban environment – a winter garden as a powerful point of attraction with recreation areas and developing playgrounds. We share the victory with our mentor-practitioner, we will definitely take into account the recommendations of experts and improve our project for the next stage of the championship," Anastasia Dyadyurina shared.

The second place was taken by the Silhouette team, the third by Monolith. But all the participants acknowledged that they had gained good experience in concept development and teamwork.

Glafira Bachmanova, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Urban Management, who was part of the Builders of the Future team, is taking part in the championship for the fourth time.

"The team in which I played has won the qualifying round several times, but has not yet been able to enter the top three winners of the championship. This year, we have also assembled a team of talented guys, experts in their field. At such a championship, you effectively improve your skills and learn a lot of valuable things in the profession," said Glafira Bachmanova.

Captain of the Projectorate team Natalia Kulsharypova believes that "CASE-IN" is an interesting project, as it provides an opportunity to work in a team and, thus, gain practical skills necessary in future professional activities.

"Of course, we would like to win, but in any case, we, as participants, benefit because we have gained the experience and recommendations of experts," Natalia Kulsharypova summed up.

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