The All-Russian competition of architectural concepts "Green Tourist Shelter in a Natural Area" was held for the third time. Its goal is to popularize modern approaches to creating infrastructure for natural tourism among students and teachers of architectural universities, professional architects, participants in the tourism industry, as well as to promote these approaches in the concept of the "green tourist shelter" project in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

The competition is annually attended by teams of students and practicing architects from all over the country.

In 2024, the competition was held with an architectural focus on state-subsidized modular prefabricated accommodation facilities.

The competition is organized by the Research Institute for Sustainable Development in Construction (NIIURS) in partnership with the St Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and the Rosa Khutor mountain resort.

Vera Burtseva, Director of NIIURS, notes: “Interest in nature tourism in Russia is steadily growing, and it is important for us that the infrastructure created for tourists takes into account not only their needs, but also the need to preserve natural areas. The architects who took part in our competition demonstrated courage and innovation in their approach to creating spaces that not only minimize the impact on nature, but also contribute to its preservation and maintenance of the ecological balance. This shows their willingness to shape the future of sustainable tourism, where harmony between man and nature becomes a fundamental principle.”

The competition explores and tests architectural design methods and techniques that allow for the creation of environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, quickly erected modular tourist infrastructure facilities in natural areas used for recreational activities.

"Building tourism infrastructure in natural areas requires not only technology, but also wisdom. SPbGASU students learn to see nature not just as a background for their work, but as a partner that needs conducting a dialogue with. The balance between functionality and respect for natural systems is, perhaps, one of the key competencies for architects of the future," says Oleg Fedorov, Deputy Dean of the SPbGASU Faculty of Architecture for Career Guidance Counceling.

The competition is held in two nominations, which include competition of concepts developed by students of architectural universities, on the one hand, and  those developed by practicing architects, on the other.

This year, students representing universities in St Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and Novosibirsk demonstrated a high level of competition: each of the three prize stages was divided between several teams, which was the result of the growing skill and originality of their solutions, profiled for the tasks of sustainable development of the natural and recreational industry.

Aleksey Tikhnenko, Deputy Director of the Department of State Policy and Regulation in the Sphere of Development of Specially Protected Natural Areas of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, who became a member of the competition jury, noted: “Some of the submitted projects have high potential for implementation on real tourist routes. These shelters not only provide comfort for tourists, but also contribute to the preservation of natural complexes. This is an important step towards sustainable development of tourism in specially protected natural areas. Young architects offer solutions that meet the growing requirements of domestic tourism and at the same time minimize the impact on the environment, which is a key requirement for the development of this area in the future.”

The first place was shared between students from St Petersburg and Volgograd. Both teams presented a functional modular solution that to the highest degree met the task of creating a quickly erected modular tourist infrastructure, emphasizing technology and production limitations.

Among the SPbGASU students, the first place was won by Aleksandra Buglakova and Maria Nuzhnykh. The supervisor was Nikita Igolkin, Associate Professor at the SPbGASU Department of History and Theory of Architecture.

"We submitted a modular glamping project to the competition. The advantage of modules is that one form can be used to create different volume configurations. In our case, these were two forms that, when combined, can be used to create guest rooms for two to six people. During the development process, we studied modular construction technologies and various options for eco-materials, as well as options for their use in modular structures. In addition, we paid attention to the compatibility of the project with sustainable development and, in general, delved into the essence of this concept. For us, first of all, this is the interaction of man with nature - the use of modern, environmentally friendly and technological materials, as well as the promotion of ecotourism to the masses. Ecology is one of the current agendas, so we were interested in working with the topic of sustainable development, since this is a balancing approach for modern realities," explained Aleksandra and Maria.

Nikita Igolkin noted that participation in the competition primarily allows students to develop their creative abilities, gain good experience and take a big step towards further professional growth.

"For first-year students, such a competition project is quite a difficult task and a kind of challenge. It is a labor-intensive process that requires not only artistic skills, but also at least an understanding or minimal knowledge of structures and engineering. Therefore, in a certain sense, this competition for students is also an educational process that contributes to their cognitive motivation. It is especially important in this work to think flexibly, to show resourcefulness and creative ingenuity in order to find a simple, original and expressive solution at the same time, since this is the first thing that the jury and organizers of this competition pay attention to. The artistic component is also important for creating an effective presentation that will immediately catch the viewer's attention," Nikita Vladimirovich clarified.

He emphasized that in such work the role of the leader is important, who becomes a full-fledged member of the creative team. And his task is not so much the organizer of the work process, but the ideological inspirer, who must light the "spark" in the students, so that they fully devote themselves to the cause, are passionate about their work, do it with interest and pleasure.

“I believe that the key to success was our close teamwork, from the first ideas to the final project,” concluded Nikita Igolkin.

The winners will receive grants for the development of working projects that will enable them to implement their concepts “in the material”, and methodological support from the competition organisers, which is necessary for adapting their solutions to the requirements of practical organisation of tourism in the natural environment, including high environmental standards.