Interview with architect Stanislav Zhuikov

Research activities to find ways to safely erect objects for various purposes on water is one of the main interests of Stanislav Zhuikov, an architect who has implemented many successful projects.

"The task of modern architecture is the development of projects that respond to environmental challenges, adapted to the environment and allow a person to live in harmony with nature" 

Stanislav Zhuikov Architect

One of these challenges is global warming and the resulting rapid rise in the level of the World Ocean due to the melting of glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland.
The constant decrease in land area with the simultaneous growth of large cities is a problem, the answer to which must be solutions for the development of water space and its adaptation to human needs.

- Stanislav, tell us about the prospects of construction on water. Does it have potential for development?

- The population of the Earth is rapidly growing and urbanizing. By 2050, it will be $ 9.6 billion. people, according to a study by National Geographic, and 70% of people will live in cities. It is obvious that mankind cannot avoid the shortage of land in urban areas, which many countries already feel. And there is no doubt that over time this problem will become more acute, so we are increasingly talking about the need for sustainable urban development. It involves not just protecting the environment, but considering the city as an anthropo-natural complex with optimal conditions for life.

For the implementation of this concept to become possible, it is necessary to develop new spaces suitable for life, and above all, above-water ones. Moreover, the projects have not only social, but also economic significance, open up new opportunities and directions for the development of a competitive business. I am sure that the construction of concert halls, restaurants, sports facilities and other buildings on the coastal water areas will be very interesting for entrepreneurs and will attract investment.

- Are there already built, functioning objects on the water in the world practice?

- Yes, world experience shows that buildings for almost any purpose can be built on water. For example, floating structures are actively being built in Singapore, which is experiencing a shortage of land with a rapidly growing population. This is, for example, the offshore solar floating power plant in the Johor Strait, which is considered the largest in the world. Another example is the Marina Bay Floating Platform, which can hold 9,000 people.

Buildings on the water are being built in Europe - for example, in London, floating residential buildings are being erected, into which citizens are willingly moving from ordinary apartments. And the most famous floating facility in the British capital is The Good Hotel on the Thames.

- You are working on the creation of floating objects projects and their implementation in Russia. What difficulties do you face in the process of this work?

- The main difficulties are of a scientific, methodological, legislative, organizational nature. They consist in the imperfection of existing technological and architectural planning solutions for the construction of floating facilities adapted to the aggressive effects of the aquatic environment, as well as in the absence of relevant standards in the Russian legislation. Until these problems are resolved, objects built on water will be isolated in Russia.

- Tell us about your own projects of floating structures, which do you consider the most important and significant?

- If we talk about private architecture, then I consider the project of a house on the water to be especially significant for a customer from Canada. The total area of ​​this building is 560 m², and the house is completely autonomous.

In addition, I am very glad that I had a unique opportunity to become a part of the Magic Float team. As an architect of the company, I worked with it on the creation of floating bases for the unique installations installed in Moscow for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. There are no analogues to them in Russia yet.

- Do you think there is a future for the construction of floating structures in Russia?

- The use of water space for life is a trend caused by urbanization, the rapid growth of cities and urban populations, and environmental problems. This is not a whim or a desire for originality, but a necessity in terms of sustainable development and solving the problem of urban overpopulation.

I am sure that the potential for the construction of buildings on water in Russia is huge, but so far underestimated. In other countries, architecture has been moving steadily in this direction for a long time, while in Russia it is only making its first steps. I have no doubt that a rethinking of the existing possibilities for organizing living space awaits us and I am very glad that I have the opportunity to take part in this process.