New hedonism in the paradigm of awareness. Maryna Dyachenko on the lessons of the pandemic

/ Opinions /

Are we still living in the postmodern era of Bell and Baudrillard, or have the pandemic and global lockdown opened up new values ​​and facets of being? And if you look at seemingly simple everyday actions from a new angle - what if this is a new point of support that allows you to feel control over the shaken world again? Why, letting the sun into his home or blocking his path, does the person return to the role of the owner of the situation? We discuss this topic, which is at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, design and marketing, together with Maryna Dyachenko, CEO of MANEZH, a market leader in sun protection systems.

Homecoming

The virus, which could not destroy humanity, but shook centuries-old social, political and economic foundations, suddenly became a determinant of slowing down the pace of life. In an interview with PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA, Marina Dyachenko explains why literally the first two weeks of quarantine turned her into a supporter of the slow living movement and allowed her to take a new look at her living space: "I slowed down and suddenly realized that I was happy only because there is no need to rush somewhere. The hustle and bustle is over, and I can finally pay attention to consciously living every minute of my life. I usually travel a lot: business trips, lectures, exhibitions, other events, of which there have been so many in the field of architecture and design in recent years. And in fact, I was a guest in my own house - just spent the night, unpacking and packing suitcases.

Maryna Dyachenko, CEO of the MANEZH company

When the pandemic came and the need for urgent trips disappeared, I looked around with a new look. She went through the closets, made changes to the interior decoration of the rooms. She updated textiles, and items made by the hands of masters from different countries — France, Uzbekistan, Italy, Iran — finally found their places. Then I turned my attention to my balcony. Only transparent glass separates it from the sprawling birches in the yard, petunias bloom in a heavy French classical pot, and the floor is covered with white pebbles. But before, this space was not much in demand. Quarantine made it possible to correct such a defect. I installed a yellow table by the French company Matière Grise and a red chair on the balcony. Another color accent is a red ceramic decanter, made by Ukrainian masters, with a branch of cotton. A bright composition can be seen from the room through a transparent door. After all these pleasant and unburdening troubles, I lay down on my favorite couch with Paola Volkova's book "Bridge over the Abyss" and... I suddenly realized how much I love my private space and how good I feel in it!"

"I stay at home" has turned from a situational motto into the basis of a new lifestyle

The interior of Maryna Dyachenko's apartment is a combination of different designs. High-tech, modern and classic were "called into service" with one goal - to bring joy to the hostess. The house does not just protect, it heals with injections of small pleasures — and this is already a good reason to take care of it, make it as comfortable as possible.

New color accents on the balcony in Maryna Dyachenko's apartment. Table, Matière Grise, France. Jug, handmade, Ukraine

"Once at home, I even started cooking again myself. I was once fond of cooking, but due to the hectic rhythm of life, I have not been engaged in it for a long time. However, here it is like in sports: if you have ever trained seriously, then even after a long break, the muscles quickly tone up and acquire relief. So it is with cooking. I remembered a lot of recipes - borscht with beans and tomatoes, asparagus with garlic, stewed meat... The very process of cooking gave me great pleasure," according to Maryna, this sudden culinary comeback proves the energy "resourcefulness" of a harmonious interior.

 

Who controls the sun

Quarantine allowed the CEO of the MANEZH company to make several more global conclusions that affect not only lifestyle, but also the business sphere.

"I came to the conclusion that it is necessary to fuss less. Many meetings, offers to give lectures or give interviews for magazines... But the time has come to make a more conscious and accurate choice, weed out all the unimportant and choose where you should be. Here, for example, the decision to give an interview to PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA was unequivocal!" Maryna Dyachenko laughs.

SOLA umbrella, manufactured by the MANEZH company. Lviv, private object, 10th floor

"After two weeks of design and creative seclusion, I decided that it's time for our company to shift the vector a little. Do not focus exclusively on corporate clients, but turn again to private ones. The sky and borders were closed for too long, and people switched to slow living, began to understand that many moments of life are in one way or another connected with the details and nuances of the home space.

My assumptions were confirmed when I received feedback from the managers whom I instructed to call our clients. The difference intensified. In city apartments, people started designing balconies and terraces, wanting to live with open doors and breathe fresh air. And there was more fresh air even in Kyiv, since the traffic still decreased. Well, those who have the resources decided to spend the quarantine summer outside the city. This activated the situation on the market of rental and sale of country real estate. For example, in the cottage town of Riviera Zoloche, the rent was almost doubled. And in the cottage town of Riviera Villas, almost everything at home was sold during the quarantine. In the Zoloche cottage complex, all the floats were sold and the construction of the second phase began.

"Home away from home" gives a person the understanding that he is the master of his space

Such a rush of investments demonstrates that, despite the economic crisis, Ukrainians remained solvent. Moreover, now the money remains in Ukraine. "I stay at home" has turned from a situational motto into the basis of a new lifestyle. And in the field of solutions, how to make outdoor recreation as comfortable as possible with the help of outdoor solar protection systems, MANEZH in Ukraine has no competition.

According to Maryna Dyachenko, the lifestyle that has changed after the severe lockdown has led to the fact that the demand for systems that were usually used for HoReCa facilities has increased among clients engaged in arranging their own housing: "We are in a favorable position on the market, as we have solutions for housing of different classes . For example, for terraces in cottages of the premium segment, bioclimatic pergolas M—LINE with rotating slats are more often ordered from us, and for houses of business class — pergolas M-OCEAN of our own production MANEZH with a sliding PVC roof, a gutter for collecting water and a drainage in racks But such a division is very conditional, and we have dozens of options for pergolas, awnings, and awnings.

Maryna Dyachenko, CEO of the MANEZH company

The matter is not limited to the upgrade of stationary terraces. The owners of private houses, having appreciated all the advantages of modern solar protection systems, are getting into the habit and are starting to improve spaces under the open sky in the garden - by the pool, on the grass. For these purposes, we have typical, optimally priced LITE solutions. They reliably protect against the sun and rain, they are easy to assemble and disassemble. Sometimes people prefer controlled folding awnings and terrace systems to stationary pergolas with racks. They also became popular."

The "home away from home" concept involves the creation of garden or beach pavilions located at a distance from the home, where you can spend time with friends in the evening or practice yoga in the morning. A sliding pergola roof, mobile side membranes or sliding glazing using Screen Spectra ZIP reflectors, the special fabric of which reduces excess insolation, scatters light and protects against mosquitoes, allow you to modify the space depending on the time of day, weather, mood.

A pause was necessary for all mankind as an opportunity for reflection

The side openings are closed by the SHY ZIP Spectra system manufactured by the MANEZH company. Kyiv, private object

"Home away from home" gives a person a sense of freedom and understanding that he is the owner of his space. I can let the sun in, I can not let it in, open the roof, close it when it rains or a strong wind blows. I can shape my space effortlessly, with the help of the control panel in my hands," explains Maryna Dyachenko about the advantages of automatic control of solar protection systems.

 

Spend wisely

Emily Esfahany Smith, editor-in-chief of the analytical center at Stanford University, in her study "The Power of Meaning" emphasized the fact that the search for meaning and belonging are a shorter path to happiness than the unbridled race for it. "The pandemic has only strengthened the tendency to move into a new paradigm, when excessive consumption ceases to be a good thing, an indispensable condition for happiness," Dyachenko believes.

Today is the time for quick intuitive decisions

"As shown in the first few weeks after the easing of the quarantine, the number of visitors to the capital's Domosfera shopping center, where our office is located, has increased compared to the period before the pandemic. I assume that people appreciated the location - it is quite quick to get to this location, it is convenient to park a car here. The activity of buyers has also increased - new clients come with a clearly formed request, which is exactly what they want. After two and a half months of slow living, they had conscious answers to the question: "Why am I buying this? And what will I get for my money?"

Closing the side openings of Screen Spectra Zip. Kyiv, private object

Yes, people began to choose products online and buy online more often, but only when it comes to things they are already familiar with. Customers prefer to buy our products offline. They read all the information on the site, decided what exactly they needed. But they want to make the purchase itself in the store - to personally inspect everything, feel it, test it and get advice from the manager right on the spot.

I think that a pause was necessary for all of humanity. As an opportunity to think: do I like my way of life? Why do I choose this or that? Is this necessary for me personally, or am I trying to earn the high praise of society, friends, and family?" says Marina.

 

Слушать себя, trust your intuition

According to the CEO of the MANEZH company, the pandemic has exacerbated the need for an individual approach to everything. And including for the arrangement of your home or workplace. Architects, designers, and commercial companies will have to take this fact into account:

"Those companies that provide individual solutions and service will gain a competitive advantage in the market. If you don't have a quality service, you're out. It's just that the product itself is no longer interesting to anyone. An interesting complex solution to a task or problem. No one wants to look for outsiders to come, figure it out, set it up, wasting time at the same time.

New hedonists consciously separate modern moral values

The rhythm is already becoming business again, the number of meetings and interactions is increasing. But we managed to try slow living and overestimated the value of personal time. Now it is important not to lose what you have purchased. As my friend, Tatyana Troyan, says: "I'm not in a hurry!" Everyone needs to learn not to rush anywhere, but at the same time manage everywhere. Therefore, it will be necessary to be precise as a jeweler — make exactly the necessary call, visit exactly that important event, weed out all the secondary ones. And not only experience will help here, but also intuition, imaginative thinking. It will tell you. You need to hear this hint - and immediately implement a new idea. Intuition is not an intrusive guest. She comes to us literally for a second. And if you are busy, you can lose this idea.

Light pergola Sweet produced by the MANEZH company. Kyiv, private object

Pergola Sweet produced by the MANEZH company for a wedding celebration

So the time has come for quick intuitive solutions. And the winner will be the one who acts quickly, does creatively, gives added value in customer service; the one who clearly and deeply knows the product and works professionally with the client already at the entrance, immediately identifying the request and need. At the same time, he has a clear solution to this request at hand," says Dyachenko.

The advantage of the company built by Marina Dyachenko is multi-profile. Manufacturers and suppliers of solar protection systems (the history and variety of types of which - from sailor's awnings, ancient Egyptian pergolas to Otto Fry's membrane eco-architecture - PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA devoted articles "A game of shadows","A place under the sun» and others, read on the site under the #MANEZH tag) are not bound by the narrow framework of any architectural style, but have solutions for any client segment.

 

They do not leave heavy marks

Speaking of modern conscious hedonism, this concept should not be confused with the egoism of the postmodern era. The new hedonists enjoy themselves by consciously sharing modern moral values ​​and ecological lifestyle trends. Profound settings for self-determination and complicity work. Thus, the German architect Otto Frei considered it his main task not to harm the world with his existence, therefore the key principle of his tent structures is to leave no traces in the place where they stood. Energy efficiency is becoming not just a word, a fashionable trend, it is already a collection of meanings, a collective responsibility of business, as Marina Dyachenko believes.

"Once upon a time, energy efficiency was considered a seasonal issue. But summer presents us with an equally difficult task. We jumped from +15 to +32, and there are two more, if not more, hot months ahead. Conducting them under air conditioners is not an option. Natural ventilation in combination with solar protection systems, which reduce the impact of solar energy on the room by 5-10 times and protect against aggressive UV rays, allows you to basically solve the problem of summer heat. In this case, the role of the air conditioner is reduced to cooling the room at the peak of the load. All together creates a comfortable microclimate for work, creativity and recreation. Today, people are beginning to think more often about such concepts as passive house, active house, about alternative sources of energy.

Localism opens us up to a new perception of ourselves

Social responsibility, personal and corporate, is no longer an abstraction, not an aggravating additional condition or burden, but a norm of life. So, even when producing, selling and buying solar protection systems, we think about how not to harm the environment. An eco-responsible lifestyle is not only separate garbage collection. You know, even a good joke, which helps to defuse the working environment and make us all a little calmer, can be considered an element of stability.

We are lucky: our activity allows us to reduce the use of air-conditioning appliances, which leave a rather heavy "carbon footprint", destroying the ozone layer. Because of them, in particular, the sun becomes more and more harsh and scorching every year. The use of sun protection systems makes it possible to break this chain, which benefits both people and plants. By the way, we also have a line of solutions to protect plants in summer in open space and in winter gardens."

Facade blinds produced by the MANEZH company

In the first period of the pandemic, the threat of isolationism due to the closing of borders almost caused panic. But upon closer examination, it turned out that Ukrainian manufacturers have long and successfully occupied almost all niches and are slowly but surely displacing foreign competitors. There is nothing surprising in this natural, non-violent, natural import substitution, as Marina Dyachenko believes: "National pride is our completely natural trait. When choosing between French, Italian or Ukrainian products, if we are talking about MANEZH, a company with a strong brand that has proven itself at large facilities, clients choose Ukrainian. Localism does not simply correspond to the paradigm of conscious hedonism, it opens us to a new perception of ourselves."