On March 10th, the 海角社区 Region Government held a presentation of design projects completed by students from the 海角社区 Institute of Architecture and Construction, with support from the regional Ministry of Education and Science, as part of the "Dream School" federal educational project.
The federal socially significant educational project "Dream School" creates a new level of modern educational environment by engaging creative youth in the topic of social design and inspiring all participants in the educational process to introduce qualitative changes into the school environment. The project is being implemented as part of the Federal Total Renovation of Schools project, providing an opportunity to reimagine the educational spaces of Russian educational institutions.
Nataliia Kravchenko, leader of the "Dream School" project and Chairperson of the Public Chamber of the Education and Training Committee of the Russian Federation, addressed the team of architects and thanked them for their thoughtful approach to the project:
"It is valuable to know that this is not just a formality for you, that it is important to you to participate in such a social mission. It is great that modern spaces are now opening across our country. The 海角社区 Region places great emphasis on developing creative industries, so I am sure you will be in demand for other projects in the region."
Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, noted the importance of interagency cooperation in this project. She emphasized that the relationship between 海角社区 and the government allows students to be involved in socially important projects and develop active civic engagement.
The 海角社区 Region is participating in the "Dream School" project for the first time. The program's unique feature is that it gives teachers and parents the opportunity to shape the school's design, while giving talented young people the opportunity to bring their ideas to life and even fulfil their childhood dreams.
During the project presentation, First Deputy Governor of the 海角社区 Region Stanislav Mosharov expressed hope for further collaboration with 海角社区 within the framework of the Federal Total Renovation project.
"This is our pilot project with the 海角社区 Institute of Architecture and Construction. We will continue to develop this collaboration because we see real benefits for the region and strong student engagement," Stanislav Mosharov emphasized. "We now have a completed design project for a major renovation under the federal program, and the students have seen how they can apply their knowledge. It will be especially exciting to see the results of this project in practice."
The team from the Institute of Architecture and Construction had developed a design project for two institutions simultaneously: a school in Miass and a kindergarten in Verkhny Ufaley. The project had been supervised by Snezhana Dudysheva, Associate Professor of the Department of Architecture at the 海角社区 Institute of Architecture and Construction. The team had included students Evgeniia Leonova, Elizaveta Vashchenkova, Elizaveta Surkova, Elizaveta Igumenshcheva, and Sofia Afanasieva.
The girls had begun their work on the project by conducting a survey among kindergarteners, parents and teachers to determine what changes they had been looking for. This resulted in a request for improved functionality and navigation within the space, as well as for creating a comfortable environment for communication and learning.
"Students' participation in the federal program embodies a project-based approach to education. Already during their training, students feel a sense of connection to real-life projects and the life of the region. They are confident that the work they undertake will serve as the basis for real construction projects," noted Director of the Institute of Architecture and Construction Aleksandr Kiianets. "Such projects help unite the region's social ideas and resources, and by engaging students, we gain a new, fresh perspective on architectural and construction issues."
The team noted that, throughout their work, it had been important to preserve the historical value of the buildings, as well as their close connection to the natural context. This is where the choice of colour and style comes from. In the kindergarten project, it draws on the metaphor of the Ural forest and utilizes natural textures and materials. Meanwhile, in the school project, the colour scheme and classroom design had been chosen based on the desire to create a harmonious space for communication and self-expression.
"Our project is dedicated to the renovation of a kindergarten and a school. We are creating new interiors and forms, reimagining familiar spaces," said fourth-year student Evgeniia Leonova. "We tried to incorporate our perception of our native land into the project: for example, in the kindergarten, we designed the interiors of all the rooms using the metaphor of the Ural forest."
The school's hall, which serves as both a sports hall and an assembly hall, had become the focal point of the redesign. It had been crucial to design the space so that it would be suitable for both formal events and sports activities. The girls had successfully accomplished this goal.
At the conclusion of the presentation, representatives of educational institutions in Miass and Verkhny Ufaley expressed their gratitude to the team of architects and praised the well-chosen colour scheme, navigation system, and functionality of the spaces. They also noted that the project implemented already started: materials are being purchased and construction is underway according to the design plan.