We are creating the architecture of life

author: Maria Lebedeva
photography: Vitaliy Kislov

Information
Jurgen Willen, architect, was born on April 26,1963, in Loeningen (Germany). He graduated with a degree in architecture from Holzminden in 1987, from 1987 to 1989 he studied in London in the Architectural Association and the Slate School of Art. In 1992 he created his own bureau, Willen Associates Architekten, with its head office in Wiesbaden. The company opened a representative office in Russia in 2006. Jiirgen Willen has a variety of accomplishments in residential and commercial real estate as well as major acheivements with public facilities. Amongst his Russian projects are the Mega City Shopping Center in Samara, an office building on Boutikovsky Perelok in Moscow and the Ekomir Resort in the Kaluga Region.

Jurgen Willen:
Many commercial real estate projects today are designed by foreign architects. We see them taking part not only in the design of specific buildings but also in the development of entire territories. The participation of a good foreign archi¬tect provides not only a guarantee for a long-lasting facility but also opportunities for implementing new technologies and a chance to see other views on how things can and should! be done. Jurgen Willen, Director General Willen Associates Architekten (Germany), tells us about his interests in Russia and of his understanding of Russian architecture.

"We are creating the architecture of life"

Interview:

- Can you tell us about your projects and what sets them apart from other projects them?

- We are presently working in Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Libya, Nigeria, Canada and Russia. In Russia we are working in Moscow, Togliatti, Samara, Voronezh and Cherepovets. We were recently invited to Ufa and Yekaterinburg. With regard to the particularities, our projects are ahead of their time. A combina¬tion of esthetics, functionality and ecological comfort – those are the key attributes of my work. Long-term success is linked to to the implementation of new technologies and materials. We are creating the architecture of life. In today’s fast-paced living, lifestyle and its environment is continuously changing. Buildings have to be designed within these metaphors. Our projects excel by their legitimacy. We work throughout the world and have a great experience in integrating new projects within their surrounding environment.

- What projects are you working on in the Moscow region?

- We are working on a joint innovative project with Knight Frank and the developer Grand Land. It's a five star office center in Barvikha called Batvikha International VIP Business Club (over all area of 26,000 sq m). Its completion is scheduled for the end of 2010. If s a full-service facility like a hotel. It will have a comfortable lobby, conference halls and good restaurants. A VIP area has been designed with private clubs, areas in the restaurants and conference halls. There will be a separate VIP entrance and a public parking facility, and very flexible condi¬tions for tenants. It will provide offices in many styles - open space or combined layouts. And most important - it will be a totally ecological building with alternative energy sources. We will integrate every possible innovative technology that is geared towards the climatic particularities of Moscow’s region and which will prove most effective. We are inviting experienced people and are thoroughly designing the whole technical com¬ponents. There is another project which we are also designing for Grand Land with Knight Frank, and it's called Diamond City. If s a first-class downscale world city, a special offer for the resi¬dents of Rublevka, allowing them to avoid the city's traffic jams. A glamorous and inviting life environment - I have realized that Russians like glamour. Besides housing, it will have a few office buildings with surfaces of 1,500 to 3,000 sq m, each with its own specific character and no duplication. The project will integrate an artificial lake. Transportation to Diamond City will go under¬ground except for VIP accessibility. It will use energy saving technologies and ecological materials, i.e., a green project. We chose the Rublevsky Shosse since amongst its residents are company owners and potential first-class office tenants, these people travel to Moscow every day in heavy traffic and waste their precious time. And hence the idea that their offices should be close by.

- Is it complicated to obtain building permits in the Rublevka neighborhood? If your design remains within acceptable norms, integrates the local specifics, does not harm its growth potential than there are no problems. Many think that the more you build the better. But sometimes ifs better to build less but of superior quality and to offer an enhanced environment.

- Do you have any other projects in the Moscow area besides Diamond City and Barkhiva Club?

- Actually there is a project for the head office of the Guta Group. It will be a green - low energy - building near Leningradsky Shosse right on the shore of a reservoir. We are presently fighting for a construction permit and it is essential that we obtain it since the building's architectural concept was designed specifically for this landscape. And hence the building's shape and its welcoming atmosphere and choice of technologies. The project developer will be Guta Development Construction should take up to 15 months.

- What green projects do you have in Europe?

- There is the Expo Living 2000 - a residential complex with 142 apartments with microclimate zones. Such zones are present in each of the four buildings and protect the building from the sun in the summer and decrease heat losses in the winter. In the wintertime it serves as a reservoir of fresh air for the ventilation system. The buildings are connected by a roof which can be regulated in accordance with seasonal requirements. The roof can be adjusted to refract the solar heat so that in the hottest conditions the facility will not surpass 25 °C, without air conditioning. And in the winter it is also comfortable. A perfect Mediterranean climate. I also designed a facility in Spain for Seat a so-called passive building that consumes minimal j energy. There is a great demand for such projects.

- The use of ecological technologies increases the cost of a project. Are such expenditures financially viable?

- Indeed, the cost of a facility can increase by as much as to 20%, and sometimes even 30%. The expenses are however recouped because of the rapidly increasing energy costs. Tenants in green office buildings do not have to pay for energy consumption – it is free. In Europe, the construction of green buildings is also encouraged by lower taxation - a company that builds a green building pays less taxes. In Europe, green buildings are generally recouped within 7 to 8 years.

- In Russia a lot of controversy about what a city should be. In Moscow’s city center many historical buildings are being torn down and replaced by modern replicas. What is your opinion on such issues? How does one combine historical architecture with new construction technologies?

- I believe that there should be a combination of historical and modern day architecture. If one approaches the issue with caution and sensitivity, a balanced solution can be achieved. I am certain that any city with a historical heritage can be wonderfully reconstructed through the use of appropriate proportions and the right finishing materials. In the old days when building a city the materials used were strictly local. Today everything is different.

- Is this an issue in Germany – how to achieve a harmonious balance between the old and the new?

- Yes indeed, and there is a debate as to whether buildings over 200 years old should be reconstructed or simply demol¬ished and then rebuilt from scratch. But many are against this. They do not understand why old buildings from the previous centuries should be built in the 21st century. I also consider that there is no sense in copying that which has already been done. Why look to the past when time is going into the future? I do not believe that all of the old buildings should be recon¬structed, possibly just a part. Many historical buildings are efficient from an energy consumption point of view; their thick walls conserve the heat. But to reproduce today such thick walls is be financially unviable.

- Can Russian developers be convinced to build green buildings?

- Well someone simply has to start and then all others will follow. In Germany and Sweden, green development started in the 60’s and 70’s and during all of this period the only thing that kept eco-technologies moving further was the cost of energy consumption. Today, practically all new construction projects in Western Europe (especially in Germany) offer energy savings.

- What do you consider as the major architectural problem in Russia's capital? And what solutions would you recommend?

- The major problem is the quality of the buildings being built. There are obviously some flawless projects. I often see brand new buildings that already look ten years old. If look¬ing further into the building we can see that nobody gave consideration to energy saving devices or the choice of quality materials, and the technological solutions implemented were far from modern. If all these issues were resolved ahead of time, the building would not have cost much more, it only had to be better designed.

- What Russian architecture has captured your attention?

- Many of Moscow’s historical buildings are simply fantastic. And it should also be mentioned that there are many new inter¬esting architects.

- Whom for example?

- I would mention Yuri Grigorian from the Meganom bureau.

- And which building do you like most?

- GUM, the Mother of All Shopping Centers. When I first saw it ten years ago I was really shocked. And today the building remains in very good condition.

- What do you think of Moscow-City?

- It has great potential and I like it very much - I am just worried about how people will get there. Moscow has incredible traffic problems and that’s its major setback.

- But Moscow-City has a metro station?

- The only good thing about the Moscow metro is that it allows you to get to a meeting in time. When travelling by car it is impossible to predict how much time it will take. Many people choose to travel by car because it is more pleasant. In order for people to switch to the metro it has to be made more attractive – it has to have air conditioning, new trains, and it has to be clean. If this was done there would be much less traffic problems.

- How do you like working with Russian clients? How do they dif¬fer from your usual European clients?

- The Russian mentality does not differ much from the men¬tality of Germans. I would say that we are quite similar in the way we think. I work in Arab countries, in India – these people are sometimes extremely hard to understand. In comparison, Russians are just like us and I enjoy working with them.

- Many developers believe that there is no need to build unique facilities and that it is better to build more affordable large-scale buildings.

- If you want to work in real estate you must learn to think on a medium-term perspective and better yet on the long-term. The problem with the Russian market is that many here are producing square meters upon square meters without thinking about how popular they will be in a few years. There is a lack of rental space and anything can be leased. But once the market has saturated the tenant will become more discerning. He will consider the location and exterior and other things as well. Things have to be done properly, the concept has to be well thought out and experienced consultants should be involved. It is becoming easier to market good architecture. Ten years ago with the immense demand the market would welcome any building. Today the client wants individuality, quality and flexibility. The latter meaning that the floor space can be subse¬quently modified. In order to react to a quickly evolving market a building has be designed to allow two or three subsequent modifications. A space that today is an office, tomorrow may become a store or exhibition hall.

- You have been involved in a most diverse array of projects - from designing covered parking facilities for yachts to identifying interior solutions. Which projects do you like most?

- New, anything that is new, that’s the most interesting. Ideally, a project has to be somewhat complicated, simple proj¬ects where everything is clear do not interest me. They do not inspire. I like ecological architecture - when an office building receives sufficient sunlight and has areas with microclimates and so on.