Shakhbazyan Artur
architect master of architecture master of urbanism and strategic planning (expected)
Selection of works in architecture, urbanism and strategic spatial planning
List of projects and involvement 1. House by the lake // Individual study 2. INFO.Point. Turin, Italy // Individual competition entry 3. Info&Media Center in Moscow, Russia // Individual master thesis project 4. Village development project, Moscow region, Russia // Competition team member 5. Residential complex, Moscow region, Russia // Individual piece of work
architecture academic and work projects
House by the lake Academic concept study, may 2007
INFO.Point Concept study for international architectural competition organized in the framework of the UIA Congress Turin 2008
INFO&MEDIA CENTER IN MOSCOW DESCRIPTION
Master thesis project, PFUR, 2009
Info&media center is a multipurpose building that provides multiple information and business services for visitors on a 24/7 basis. With the latest electronic and communicating technologies, it proposes the new level of workflow. Economic self-sufficiency is achieved by using value-added services.
Key features:
Modern construction materials are utilized to create light, durable and energy-efficient structures. Landscape integration creates a favorable external environment, ensuring harmony with the surrounding nature. Modern solar, wind and biological waste recycling power plants are used to provide energy autonomy Passive conditioning and independent heating by using geothermal heat pumps. Utilizes rain-water and snow collectors for technical needs. Uses interactive media facades for information sharing and communication with visitors.
INFO&MEDIA CENTER IN MOSCOW PLANNING CONCEPT
library library
cinema
service zone
cafe
VR zone
offices
shop
exhibition
internet zone
leisure area
repository
staff room
classrooms
science zone
club zone
hall
entrance hall repository Ground floor
1st floor
Underground floor
Planning structure of the building represents an open space divided into functional zones. Some facilities are located under the ground, allowing to create and maintain the required indoor climate. Elevators and ramps allows easy access to all premises for disabled persons. Translucent building envelope provides natural light for indoor spaces, either direct or reflected, allowing to reduce artificial lighting.
natural light Main facade
natural light
Longitudinal section
INFO&MEDIA CENTER IN MOSCOW LOCATION & TRANSPORT
While choosing the proper location for the information media center, the concept of the future development of the city and its transportation system has been designed. The main aspects of the proposed concept are: The current city border, mostly following the MKAD ring road, becomes a new fixed border of the city “core”. Inside the "core" the ring system is retained. The central part within the Sadovoye Ring will eventually shift from residential and commercial to the museum-recreational zone. This will allow to free the central part of the city from the majority of passenger and transport traffic. Other parts of the “core” will become a cluster of residential, commercial and recreational zones. All the industrial production will be relocated to the outside.
Transport conception
info&media center
recreational zone
satellite towns
MKAD ring road
monorails
Utilizing the current transport infrastructure and major highways, the new intellectual high-speed mass transit system, based on the light maglev trains, will be created. Those trains, capable to exceed 500 km/h speed, will ensure the transport accessibility of any object of the city core within 20 mins range. This transit system will also link Moscow center with the satellite towns. Satellite towns, existing and new, will become the main residential areas. Connected with the city center and with each other, they will become accessible from any point of the agglomerate. Maximum travel time from the center will not exceed 30 minutes. Along the perimeter of the "core", 2 kilometers wide recreational zone will be created as a buffer in between of the city center and residential districts. Parks, malls, large public and entertainment centers are planned to be located in this area. The proposed media information center will be situated in this zone, ensuring the following accessibility conditions: Pedestrian accessibility from the nod station of both radial and circular transport systems. Less than 20 minutes of travel time by public transport from the residential and central zones. Proximity to the major highway for individual transport. Location on the way of the main passenger traffic between residential and commercial zones.
Village development project Group proposal for closed architectural competition, November 2008
Residential complex Planning conceptions / Visualisation, december 2009
List of projects and involvement 1. Weaving Inbetweenity. On clearings, crossings and platfirms in the forest valley. Turnhout, Belgium // Individual design work within collaboratively developed territorial strategy 2. Urban Clipping: a strategy of negotiation along the edge condition. Hanoi, Vietnam // Team member 3. Revitalization of housing estates. Bohnice. Prague, Czech Republic // Team leader 4. Strategy for Randstad. The Netherlands // Team leader 5. Uithoorn (aan de Amstel). The Netherlands // Individual project
urbanism and strategic spatial planning
Semester Fall 2010–2011, European Postgraduate Master in Urbanism, KU Leuven Project team: Artur Shakhbazyan (Russia) Valérie Raets (Belgium)
WEAVING INBETWEENITY On clearings, crossings and platforms in the forest valley Turnhout, Belgium
The forested valley of the Visbeek, west of Turnhout, is an interface between two urban areas. Our project reinforces the valley as a structuring entity, (re)organizes east-west connections and proposes new modes of living in the forest. A double north-south pathway is created along the water, playing with a sequence of clearings and water ponds, sports facilities, urban agriculture and institutional buildings. Perpendicularly, a number of new east-west connections are created along existing paths or property lines. Designed as dams, they are combined with retention systems across the river. In the same idea, the national road that cuts through the in-between forest is downgraded. Its reduced profile, combined with the design of a future tram stop area, will clearly marks the predominance of the valley on the road and mark the entrance in the city coming from the west. Three ways to inhabit the valley are proposed: • on the western side, new developments and lines of trees define an edge to the clearings. • on the eastern edge, a proposed phased reconversion of the industrial area turns the former footprint of the industrial buildings into excavated floodable gardens, giving space back to the river. The surrounding platforms are preserved and converted into peninsula’s that can support public spaces, promenades and new housing developments. • inside the forested valley, a number of new clustered and introverted ‘block’ housing typologies refer to the existing domains present in the valley, such as castles and institutional buildings.
Semester Spring 2011, Postgraduate Master of Urbanism and Strategic Planning, KU Leuven
URBAN CLIPPING:
A strategy of negotiation along the edge condition
Project team: Amber Kevelaerts (Belgium) Artur Shakhbazyan (Russia) Conor O’Brien (Ireland) Matteo Motti (Italy)
Day River Valley, Hanoi, Vietnam A reading of the territory in terms of water structures clearly reveals a landscape inextricably linked to the controlled flow of water. Within the greater Hanoi, between the river dikes are spaces for the containment of floodwaters, voids that should not be built on. As the city rapidly urbanizes, these will become more important as a counter figure to the city. The territorial concept for this project lies in the definition of the edge condition along these voids, each with its different qualities and varying spatial configurations. Choosing the ‘Day River’ edge condition, the creation of new urban tissue along this border condition was subsequently investigated by the group. The fertile land inside the dike abounds with trees and vegetation, representing a green mass. Outside, the patchwork of rice fields is steadily giving way to urban development. The dike physically articulates the edge between these two worlds. The dike itself operates both as an infrastructural and a landscape element. While fulfilling its infrastructural role to contain floodwaters, its form closely follows the meandering shape of the river.
Simulation 1 | Aquaculture Clip with Market Square
Simulation 2 | Community Life Clip with new urban centre
Public balcony along the dike
Market Square along the urban street
The ambition of our vision is to strengthen this edge by considering it as an intermediary space between the unfixed agriculture and the fixed urban development. The apparatus is a series of ‘clips’ that play with the strong edge of the dike. These ‘clips’ are conceptual frames that serve a purpose to make connections between two spatial conditions, or more. Each clip has its own specificity: by relating to the specific geography of the area, and also by accommodating specific programmes with spaces for community life. In some instances these clips can become linear elements injecting programme into the spatial conditions that they mediate. Where two or more clips hook together, it creates an intensity of overlapping programmes at the juncture between them. The clip serves as a geographic anchor for otherwise floating, generic urbanism. Together, the system of uniquely specific clips becomes an articulated urban figure, representing a bottom-up strategy that can anticipate and add value to new urban development.
Conceptual sketch
Infrastructure and downgraded roads
Bohnice, Prague European Master of Urbanism Workshop “Revitalization of housing estates” 14/11/11–18/11/11, FA CTU Prague
Scatter-to-Block transformation
functional infill
Bohnice is the typical dormitory quarter with its typical weaknesses like monofunctionality, social decline and inefficient transport system. We see future Bohnice as an attractive, green and diverse community with high quality of life. Transportation is being concentrated in two main infrastructural axis, so that it becomes more coherent, optimizes the coverage and allows to remove the existing barriers by downgrading other roads.
Project team: Artur Shakhbazyan Junbiao Huang Marta Mezerovรก Lucie Posledni
Central green axis (multifunctional pathway) is being introduced, combining several green areas in one system and bringing the existing natural qualities of the edges to the center of the quarter. New functions such as bicycle path and urban farms in the courtyards are proposed as a part of the green system. The urban area is being divided in several quarters with different functions and density, which allows the diversity of urban and social conditions The existing qualities around Bohnice are being reinforced and provided with better accessibility; therefore their attractiveness (and one of Bohnice) increases.
Project team: Carlos Rafael Salinas GonzĂĄlez (Mexico), MArch Arthur Shakhbazyan(Russia), MArch
Strategy for Randstad Urban region networks studio
Semester Fall 2011–2012, European Postgraduate Master in Urbanism, TU Delft
How can the features that make of Randstad one of the most competitive urban regions in Europe be mantained and enhanced? How the smaller cities could benefit from its interaction with the bigger cities of the region? Is the Green Heart concept updated, and if so, what is the role of green areas in the Randstad metropolitan area? How can we take advantage of the interaction of urban and green areas in order to enhance the urban experience?
Increasing the interaction with natural assets of Green Heart
Improve the connections within the conurbation
Reducing the barriers/limits set by the Green Heart policies
Strategical goals: • Improve connection and integration between cities; • Increase the functionality and accessibility of green areas; • Encourage specialization of local centers; • Create a framework for urban development in Randstad; • Increase the level of spatial and functional diversity in previously monofunctional cities and areas. In 2002, Rem Koolhaas’ OMA criticized the concept of Randstad and claimed that some cities, such as Leiden or Gouda are too weak to be the part of metropolitan area. Such decisions could lead to an isolation, hence economic and social decline in secondary cities. However, instead of putting them aside we propose to unite them and make them work together with their neighbor cities. Further on, these cities have a considerable advantage of their position on the green front where urban qualities meet natural and can propose different type of environments along this front.
Existing green structure and urban pressure in Randstad
The main concentrator of green assets in the region is the Green Heart. Its present shape doesn’t allow the optimal use of these assets. We propose to reshape the green heart and to redistribute assets along a new frontline. Here we introduce the concept of “green ribbons”, which can help to intensify the interaction between urban and green and optimize the use of green assets. In addition it provides better accessibility to the open spaces without deterioration of their quality. In addition it allows better connection between different landscapes, from beaches and dunes to polders and fields. To encourage the development of smaller cities we propose to combine them in networks and to promote their specialization. Most of the areas along the proposed green front are mono-functional residential neighborhoods. We propose to infill them with more functions such as commerce, micro-industry, cultural facilities and so on. Of course this requires the upgrade of transport connections to these areas, including public transport. Proposal: “Green ribbons” instead of “Green blob”
The redefinition of Green Heart will lead to introduction of new development policies for the region. We propose to allow the developments along the frontline and in the areas of integration between cities, but at the same time to introduce some restrictions for development in buffer zones, therefore maintaining the area of open spaces at the same level as it is in the Green Heart.
Uithoorn (aan de Amstel) Noord-Holland, the Netherlands
Semester Fall 2011–2012, European Master of Urbanism, TU Delft
Connect to Amsterdam
De-split
Activate border
The strategy for the Uithoorn is based on three general elements: infrastructural re-connection to Amsterdam, merging of two parts of the city and activation of the urban-green border interface along the Amstel. First step of the implementation of the strategy is creation of the tram loop, connecting Uithoorn with Amstelveen. This loop will pass the most important points such as central part of Uithoorn, stations of Amsterdam metro line, Amstelveen Hospital and areas proposed for development. It will also cross N201 and Zuidtangent BRT line creating the well accessible crossing points.
Space syntax analysis of “before” and “after” situation
Proposed tram loop: lengh = 18,5 km time to Amsterdam metro = max 15 min.
Such crossing points, due to high level of accessibility and new public transport stops, will allow to create the high-density areas of concentration around them. Furthermore, occasional increase of mobility will give more potential for this areas to attract new businesses, modern industries and therefore jobs. It will also make possible to propose the redevelopments of declining areas along with new developments along the tram loop. New developments by the train line could become the conclusive step for integrating Uithoorn as an important part of Amsterdam agglomeration. They would consist of mixed-use residential, commercial and business areas. Amstel River Front project should become the connecting link of the strategy and main approach to activate the urban-green border. It starts with redevelopment of the part of Uithoorn along the river: city center, old train station area and industrial quarter. Main historical buildings and areas are also situated on the river, therefore, they could be connected in a soft manner of a city riverfront boulevard, which could become the backbone for the further redevelopment of the central part. Along its way it will incorporate main urban functions. Further on, Amstel River Front would extend to the north and to the south, providing the urban system with the focus on historical importance of Amstel, diversity of functions, high level of accessibility by both public and private transport and high level of interaction with the natural assets of Green Heart. On a bigger scale Uithoorn will become the important place of connection between bigger and smaller cities and the access point to Green Heart for the whole Amsterdam agglomeration.
artshakhbazyan@gmail.com