Published on: 2026-07-29
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
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A third-year student of the Faculty of Architecture at SPbGASU Anastasia Dzyurbei became the winner of the open competition for the development of the architectural concept of the facades of the kindergarten, which will be built in the residential complex “IQ Gatchina” in the Leningrad region. The best project will be implemented during the construction of the facility.
The organizers of the competition were LLC “BIP” and the Lenstroytrest Group with the support of the chief architect of the Leningrad Region Sergey Lutchenko. Students of architectural universities and young specialists under 25 years old were invited to participate.
Contestants were to develop an expressive architectural design for the facades of an existing building project without changing its volumetric and planning structure, as well as create an original mascot for the future kindergarten. In addition to a cash prize for the winner, the organizers provided the main award — the implementation of the best concept.
Anastasia’s project is based on the image of a giraffe — a friendly and easily recognizable character that becomes a key element of the building’s architectural identity. The author abandoned excessive decorativeness in favor of large graphic animal silhouettes organically integrated into the facade composition. Thanks to the concise plasticity, the images are easily perceived by children of different ages and create a memorable appearance for the educational institution.
The concept is complemented by a calm palette of pastel shades — terracotta, sandy, light green, and beige colors combined with cladding that imitates the texture of wood. This solution creates a warm, emotionally comfortable environment while maintaining the modern architectural character of the building. Fiber cement panels with a wood texture and colored plaster surfaces have been proposed as the main materials, meeting requirements for durability and fire safety.
Chief Architect of LLC “BIP” Ilya Edemsky noted that the competition was conceived as an opportunity to offer young architects not an academic, but a real professional task.
“We deliberately offered the participants a real project. A kindergarten is a facility with predefined constraints, and it is under such conditions that the professional skill of the architect is revealed. It was important for us not only to select the winner but also to support young professionals, giving them the opportunity to try their hand at a real object. The submitted works demonstrated a high level of motivation and preparation among the participants, so we expect to make similar competitions a regular occurrence,” emphasized Ilya Edemsky.
CEO of Lenstroytrest Group of Companies Valeria Malysheva noted the high level of the presented works. According to her, the participants prepared not just sketches, but deeply elaborated architectural concepts, which made the choice of winners a challenging task.
The chief architect of the Leningrad region, Sergey Lutchenko, emphasized that such competitions are of great importance for the professional development of future architects.
“It’s wonderful that student projects are being implemented. The new competition for developing the architectural concept of the facades of a kindergarten is also aimed at realizing the idea of a young aspiring architect. Such projects allow students to work with real objects even at the training stage, gain experience interacting with the professional community, and better understand the demands of contemporary architectural practice,” noted Sergey Lutchenko.
The organizers plan to continue the practice of holding such professional competitions, providing young architects with the opportunity to implement their ideas in real projects.
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