project baikal

This article examines technology and urban infrastructure as potential works of art through the lens of Walter Benjamin’s philosophy. It analyzes key infrastructural objects from The Arcades Project — ranging from Haussmann’s grand boulevards to the Parisian sewers and arcades. At the core of the article lies the dialectic of proximity and distance, the loss of aura and the return to it. The article argues that infrastructure can be regarded as a work of art only when it simultaneously performs a multidirectional movement of distancing the near and losing...

Urban infrastructure and networks are reinterpreted as compositional guides and a hidden resource that influences the integral artistic image of the environment of a modern historical city, forming a unified flow of functional, landscape ecological, social, communicative conditions and professional initiatives. Examples are provided from the architectural and urban planning practice in Nizhny Novgorod, as well as the experience of holding the regular International Festival of Multimedia Art “Intervals”.

Based on general systems theory and cybernetics, the article substantiates a systems approach to infrastructure design through the interaction of natural, artificial, and social subsystems. The author examines the problem of the regulatory and institutional gap between the development of conventional subsurface utility networks and the water-green framework in the Russian Federation. Drawing upon the methodology of systems engineering developed at MIT, the paper proposes the concept of urbobiocenosis as a model for the end-to-end synergetic...

This article examines the transformation of the urban environment through natural and recreational revitalization of urban wastewater treatment plant sites. It proposes a concept and integrated approach to developing engineering systems that can facilitate intensive recreation and the formation of new urban landscapes, creating a fully functional environment where engineering systems serve as a tool for the recreation, revitalization, and restoration of urban space. The article also examines the operational experience of urban wastewater...

The article is part of a project studying the architectural heritage of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the Khabarovsk Krai and is dedicated to the topic of “railway water” interpreted quite broadly – from the geopolitical concepts of Berlin geography professor Carl Ritter, who considered waterways to be a natural means of communication and transportation, to the analysis of water supply facilities at stations.

The article is part of a project on studying the architectural heritage of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the Khabarovsk Territory and continues the theme of “railway water” in the construction of the Ussuri Railway. It is dedicated to the study of those facilities which, alongside locomotive and passenger buildings, were erected in the early 20th century – reservoirs, bathhouse and laundry buildings. It also provides information on the state of the water supply system of the Ussuri Railway in the early years of Soviet power.

The article presents the materials and results of the study conducted by the authors with the support of the grant of the Russian Science Foundation “Methods for integrating historical building zones and preserving cultural heritage sites in the context of the development of modern cities in northeast China”. This article examines one of the types of engineering structures of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER) – water towers, which have become a significant component in the formation of the architectural environment of station complexes and the railway...

A pressing issue in the preservation of Lake Baikal is the treatment and disposal of wastewater from settlements, cities, and tourist centers located along the lake’s shores and in its central ecological zone. Due to strict legal requirements for the discharge of treated wastewater into Lake Baikal and the lack of available technologies for its purification according to regulatory standards, this problem has not been resolved for many years. The absence of a wastewater treatment system and the inability to purify wastewater according to regulatory...

The article considers the methodological and conceptual basis of our knowledge about the structural (network) approach to the study of human society. It is shown that, unlike most areas in the philosophy of knowledge, the sphere of network structures has no prototype in the ancient philosophical heritage. The article considers the evolution of ideas about the network aspect of the development of society in the works of twentieth-century methodologists, their achievements and shortcomings in connection with the theory and practice of architecture...

The essay is devoted to the network as a key principle of the organization of the modern world. From ancient communication routes to digital platforms and smart cities, one can trace the development of connections that define the face of civilization. The central question remains about the place of man in the era of universal connectedness.

This study investigates the influence of vertical morphology in the autonomous polyfunctional architectural complex (Micropolis) on pedestrian-vehicle conflict distribution. Methods include space syntax and agent-based flow simulation. The results demonstrate a 64% reduction in conflict points and 72% decrease in peak loads compared to 2D solutions through redistribution of 68% of pedestrian movements above ground level. Vertical functional fragmentation resolves the density paradox by minimizing pedestrian exposure without compromising high-density...

In recent decades, transfer hubs and incentive parking have become an important part of megacities. They have transformed from utilitarian objects into architectural works. The article examines the concepts of transfer hubs and parking lots created over the past 15 years, and analyzes the aspects of their shaping and interrelationships in architectural and planning solutions. The authors highlight the role of new technologies in creating sustainable systems that meet modern environmental requirements.

This article examines the Almaty tram depot as both an infrastructural node of the urban transport network and an object of industrial heritage. Its role in shaping the city’s transportation and social connections throughout the twentieth century is analyzed. Following the discontinuation of the tram system, the depot lost its original function; however, it retains significant potential for integration into new urban networks. Based on historical-archival, morphological, and spatial analyses, the study explores the possibilities of transforming the...

In Kazakhstan, obsolete industrial facilities are becoming a field for renovation. Architects are rethinking industrial heritage, preserving the material traces of eras and giving them new functions from cultural centers to digital complexes. Industry is no longer a background and is becoming a full-fledged participant in the urban environment. The article analyzes modern approaches to the design and construction of industrial facilities in Kazakhstan: from the influence of global architectural trends to the local historical context. The study...

Reconstruction of industrial facilities is the most important task in forming architectural and space modernization on urban planning and architectural levels. The research is based on the hypothetical deductive method that analyzes the factors which influence the choice of the reconstruction solutions as a reference point forming contemporary principles. The usage of the principles for restoration of industrial architecture will optimize technological characteristics and develop environmental, aesthetic, compositional and sociological parameters of...

The article describes the history of the Seversky Plant, as well as the design stages of the Seversky Pipe Plant Museum and Exhibition Complex from the 1980s to 2007, with the participation of architects from SAI–USUAA. The author characterizes the aspects of implementation, taking into account the most comprehensive demonstration of the unique industrial complex from the 19th century that has been preserved, as well as design proposals that can be implemented to complete the museum complex, considering the display of all technological features and...

The article considers a conflict between Soviet-era insolation norms and compact city goals of Astana. This study compares two block typologies – a Soviet microdistrict and a Western perimeter block – through parametric simulation (EnergyPlus, CFD, Ladybug). Results show that insolation-driven morphology produces 24% higher heating demand, 44% lower land-use efficiency, and poor wind comfort. The paper argues for replacing prescriptive insolation requirements with performance-based metrics (sDA, EN 17037) to enable energy-efficient and highdensity...

The article presents a morphological analysis of the evolution of innovative complexes, and identifies three types: science city, technopark, and startup hub. Based on a comparative analysis of cases from the USSR (Russia), Europe, and the USA, the correlation between the change of economic paradigms and communication models with architecture is revealed. The transition from designing institutions to creating communication scenarios is substantiated. The principles of forming innovative environments in modern Russia are formulated. 

The article is a continuation of the material published 3 years ago in PB and is devoted to the second year of architecture students’ studies at the university. The crisis situation in the profession persists, as do its external and internal factors. The latter include changes in the nature of training, with a general reduction in responsibility in personnel training. As in the first article, the authors analyze the meaning of teaching specialized disciplines now in the second year of students’ studies and consider it right to return to the consistent...

This article attempts to substantiate the significant role of the English language in the education of students pursuing a career in architecture. It outlines the objectives of mastering this discipline, encompassing both standard educational requirements and goals of personal significance. Empirical and theoretical methods were employed to conduct the study and present its findings, enabling not only data collection but also analysis and synthesis. A survey was used to identify universal skills of professional importance to architects, and effective...

The purpose of the article is to analyze the projects of the 27th session of the International Baikal Winter University of Urban Planning in Irkutsk, which were carried out by interdisciplinary project teams on a single topic at different stages of the project academic year. The result is the spatial logic of the development of central streets in the context of real problems of the renewal of the historic center. Along with the effectiveness of design, the subject is the creativity in the organization of project teams as a key element...

This study examines the impact of a structured HSB contrast zoning methodology on undergraduate digital media and graphic design students’ color decision-making. Using a quasi-experimental pre– post design across six semesters (n≈100), results demonstrated significant gains in color harmony, contrast control, and technical execution. Students also developed stronger design reasoning and creative autonomy. Findings support HSB contrast zoning as a replicable instructional framework bridging technical precision and perceptual depth in digital design...

The article provides a critical look at the concept of the future – the invention of Modern times. It is argued that the idea of the future is a product of exclusively linear historical and temporal thinking. It was this kind of thinking that made Modern Times possible; it was unknown to previous eras. The future is a very dubious concept. In order to be accepted and assimilated, it requires rather serious reductions of temporal imagination, namely, building them in a line of incremental progress. In this context, the New European design was...

While culture was based on tradition, the concept of shaping did not exist. Behind each significant element there was an application experience and a corresponding mythologeme. Significant elements of ancient structures are the first forms of architecture used to this day. The process of formation of the architectural form in culture takes place in several stages. First, a single thing is invented. If it is accepted, then it begins to be replicated. In the process of repetition, a form is born. If this form acquires a stable meaning in culture, it...

The article considers the essence and properties of the urban environment from the point of view of the theory of a network society, taking as the basis the principles of metamodernism. It highlights the properties inherent in the urban environment, such as dynamism, historicity and regenerativeness. Using the example of the history of Siberian cities, it is shown that the urban environment is constantly evolving, reflecting changes in the citizens’ social way of life. At the same time, the structure of the urban environment is able to preserve...