Nature outside your window. Principles of landscape design for yards in residential complexes

/ The Interview /

Not a "quiet green yard", but a parking lot with a playground. Why is it rare to apply the term "well-furnished" to yards even in new residential complexes in Ukrainian cities? Who is to blame — the designers or the developer? Are there clear criteria for a "well-maintained yard"? How do European approaches and practices differ from Ukrainian ones? Yury Korolchuk, the director and founder of the landscape company TOPIAR, explains the topic.

PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: Photos of a "greened" yard in a residential complex built on the site of the demolished Hay Market were recently published on social networks - with thuja trees and junipers planted in a square-nest pattern. As a result, the yard, according to commentators, "resembles a cemetery." Why is it that in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, which should, in theory, set standards for the whole country, new residential complexes with completely caricatured landscaping suddenly appear?

Yury Korolchuk: It is not easy for landscape architects in Ukraine today to defend their point of view. We are still secondary agents of influence, secondary players. The opinion and wishes of the customer and the architect remain in the first place, they play the first violin. In Ukraine, we are used to the fact that the landscape should be completely dependent on architecture. Although we remind you every time that this is not a European standard. Today, the importance of high-quality landscaping has increased many times.

Yury Korolchuk, director of the TOPIAR landscape bureau

I am not sure that the landscape architect had a hand in the "greening" you are talking about. Perhaps they decided to save on the services of a specialist. Often, the developer makes bold and expensive decisions, but is not ready to take responsibility for them. Sometimes at the stage of project approval, the customer's ego was satisfied with the budget, and at the stage when we had already started work, suddenly: "Dear!" As a result, the contract was terminated, and landscaping and landscaping were carried out by contractors. Indeed, you would think that a couple of benches would be put there and the lawn would be sown...

PM: What is the European standard? What does high-quality improvement of the yard or, as it is called in the documents, the home territory mean? You can put a few pots with flowers or plant a few thuja, and then say: "Here's a beautification for you!" It is possible to create entire promenades, as in residential complexes of Ukrainian developers KAN and SAGA.

Yu. K.: Quality landscaping is, first of all, finished landscaping. I would call this condition the main one. Often, the developer's plans change as construction progresses and the investment portfolio fills up. You can start with luxurious visualizations, and come to the finish line with non-working elevators, failing sewers and a vacant lot in the place where customers were promised a park.

Ukrainians, intimidated by the sad experience of "Elita-center", "Voitsechovsky", "UkrBud", are happy when the housing is put into operation in the agreed time. If benches are installed in the yard - oh, it's almost a jackpot! It shouldn't be like that, but let's be honest: in the economy segment, neither the developer nor the client usually focuses on landscaping. But in the business and premium class segments, the developer simply has to focus on world trends.

In Ukraine, we are used to the fact that the landscape is completely dependent on architecture

Residential complex Obolon Residences, Kyiv. customer: Dragon Capital, co-author of the project: Aleksey Shadyrya, architect, head of the Capital Construction company. Landscape and landscaping: Topiar company

PM: Let's talk about this in more detail. There are many trends, and you want to understand which ones you need to follow?

Yu. K.: As for current trends, today I would highlight three main ones. First: "nature" can't be much. For example, David Chipperfield, developing the master plan and design for the Georg-Knorr-Park residential complex in the former industrial zone of Berlin, strives to ensure that the landscape lives up to the name. Spacious park yards with plenty of greenery and paths are planned in such a way as to meet the interests of different age groups — that is, it is primarily an accessible, barrier-free and safe environment. No regular design — all landings have the most informal look. At the same time, each yard has a special design. Please note that this is the approach of the famous British architect, winner of RIBA awards, who has always been considered the "voice of the elites".

Another example: the developer Penta Real Estate, a company with assets of more than 1 billion euros, which builds business and elite class housing in the countries of Eastern Europe, is building the residential complex Residence Nádraží ižkov with 450 apartments. And one hectare of the territory of the plot in the third district of Prague (which is almost the center) is devoted to the park. Moreover, Prague is one of the greenest cities in Europe and there are already three large parks in this area alone.

A place to relax in the courtyards of the new quarters of Norra Djurgårdsstaden. Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Iryna Isachenko

For the past decade, the construction of the Sonnwendviertel residential area, designed to accommodate 13 people, has been underway in the Austrian capital. man And although this is municipal housing, 8 hectares of territory in the very heart of Vienna are set aside for Helmut Zylka Park, the largest Austrian park project in the last 40 years. It provides all possible functional areas up to playgrounds for adults. This is the approach of city authorities and developers. For us, this is space! But the European real estate market dictates new rules — the artificial environment must be as green as possible. More and more nature!

Today, the lexicon includes such a concept as exo-spatial - this is a concept developed for high-rise buildings, when all surfaces - roofs, balconies, bridges and transitions, as well as facades - are improved and landscaped to activate the life of a vertical village-community. The greenery, spilling out beyond the traditional courtyard, absorbs the architecture.

The European market dictates: the artificial environment must be as green as possible

The herb garden in the courtyard of the 79&Park residential complex, built according to the BIG project. Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Iryna Isachenko

Another global trend is the yard as the "assembly point" of the community. The modern yard is not a transit zone that we cross with a quick step to get from the car to the apartment faster. This is the territory where social ties are established, a place for communication. And this is another important trend, which is actually not new for us: remember the old yards of Odessa.

People of different ages, representatives of all generations need social interaction. And for the generation of millennials (the most solvent layer of society), the need for communication and social connections is vital. And the architect must first of all consider the yard not as a showcase for the developer's ambitions, but as an ideal place for neighbors to communicate. At the same time, the higher the building, the more neighbors and the more tastes, opinions and wishes must be taken into account by the designers.

Another global trend is the yard as the "assembly point" of the community

And the third, leading trend: the yard is an ecosystem. Despite the fact that today most often courtyards, especially the inner ones of closed quarters, are considered, in essence, islands, it is important to create connections between the landscape of these courtyards and the urban landscape. In an ideal city, the courtyard remains open to any pedestrian. In reality, it remains a communal and private space, which is visually, by design, connected to the urban environment, and also plays an important role as eco-recreation. It's not just about people. Specialists of the Dutch studio LOLA landscape architects, famous for their breakthrough projects, working on the design of the courtyards of residential complexes and residences, focus on the fact that today man is left with a monopoly on the use of his green islands. Describing the project for the residential complex The Green Cape in the Katendrecht district of Rotterdam, LOLA landscape architects proclaim: "In the urban environment, the territory of The Green Cape will become part of nature. It is intended not only for people, but also for birds, bees and hedgehogs - it is an ideal place for representatives of flora and fauna. This is our approach to designing an artificial environment."

If you look at the project, you will see that in the yards of The Green Cape there are no usual sports and children's playgrounds with sandboxes and swings. The role of attractions for children is performed by old mechanisms and objects from the port - giant anchors, the propeller of an old ship, a loading combine. Cleaned of rust and sharp unsafe parts, these objects look like art objects and offer children many new play scenarios. Plus, they remind of the history of the port area. Tall grasses and millefleur flower lawns provide shelter for birds and insects. There are places where you can put small tables with deckchairs. In general, I recommend tracking the projects of LOLA landscape architects. They are pioneers of the popular trend, when the landscape design of an artificial environment becomes a kind of invitation to get to know wild nature.

Landscaping project of The Green Cape residential complex in Rotterdam (Netherlands) by LOLA landscape architects

PM: Then tell us what principles TOPIAR landscape architects adhere to in their practice?

Yu. K.: First of all, we are realists. You cannot start designing with the intention of making the courtyard of the residential complex an object of architectural and landscape art. It is necessary to understand how comfortable it will be for people to live in such an environment. Image moments are secondary, and the comfort of residents comes first. It makes no sense to design flower beds-showcases and then be indignant that the children trampled something. The yard must be "usable".

Our portfolio includes work on projects for Park Avenue, Obolon Residences and RiverStone. And for us, the priority in the design of residential areas is always the comfort of future tenants, the functionality of the areas. Since we are engaged in complex landscaping, we must think through a logical and convenient road and trail network. Usually it is one or several trunk paths and additional ones adjacent to them, which are preferably placed along the shortest path, so that later they do not encounter the trampling of paths, so to speak, vernacular.

Image moments are secondary, and the comfort of residents comes first

Yes, of course, individuality, uniqueness and recognition are important - even when it comes to the improvement of the inner yard. It is important to create such a landscape so that it is recognizable and associated with this particular place. This is how cognitive connections, a sense of ownership, a sense of right to a place, to a city are formed. There should be no typical projects. Typical, template landscaping can kill all the merits of architecture. And our goal is to emphasize these virtues.

And, of course, we carefully consider all the details of landscaping. Today, the main requirement for any urban landscape is its low maintenance. Then, depending on the characteristics of the territory — the quality and thickness of the soil layer (perhaps it is a stylobate), illumination, the possibility of regular watering — we select an assortment of plants: original, but unpretentious. We try not to use allergenic plants, realizing how sensitive our people are and that the air in Kyiv as a whole is far from ideal.

Residential complex RiverStone, Kyiv. Landscape and landscaping: Topiar company

Residential complex RiverStone, Kyiv. Landscape and landscaping: Topiar company

PM: When you talk about yards as ecosystems, you immediately want to ask again, are Ukrainians ready to accept a similar approach? We don't even have a formed public opinion on whether to mow lawns or not, as your colleague, landscape architect Ludmila Beloded, talked about in the article "Mowing or stubble? Lawns in the big city". And don't the words "yard as an ecosystem" sound abstract to the overwhelming majority?

Yu. K.: Mentally, probably, Ukrainians are not yet ready to accept such an approach. Economically, they are not yet ready to afford it. And, importantly, the existing Ukrainian building codes contradict this approach.

When we are outraged by the difference in the appearance of yards in Ukrainian housing estates and, for example, Swedish ones, we must understand that the main problem is not in the design. The problems begin with the imperfection of the legislative base and the lack of a city development strategy.

The same Dutch or Germans can refuse the sports ground in the common yard, because nearby, within walking distance, there is a chic embankment with a picnic area, sports grounds, exercise equipment, a skate park, children's attractions, and in the nearest city square there are fountains and an amphitheater for events and concerts. And even with the small area of ​​the yard, they have enough space to create a stylish array of perennials or a millefleur lawn that pleases the eye.

Original children's playgrounds in the yards of residential quarters of Hafensity district. Hamburg, Germany. Photo: Andrey Vetoshkin

In the absence of strategic planning, Ukrainian developers are trying to fill the deficit of public infrastructure by filling the yards of new residential buildings with sports and playgrounds. The developer has no other way out, otherwise people simply won't buy apartments in an area where there are no stadiums, sports complexes, parks and reservoirs. And so that the residents of other neighboring houses, who also suffer from the lack of this infrastructure, do not occupy the yards of residential and elite residential complexes, barriers in the form of fences appear. As a result, the residents of the new residential complex find themselves in a reservation, and on the other side of the fence live the old residents of the area, who, of course, are offended by the presence of barriers. People perceive the fences of new housing complexes as a visual confirmation of social inequality in society. What kind of good neighborliness can we talk about in such a toxic environment? About what hedgehogs and birds?!

This conflict was provoked not by developers, but first of all by complete town planning nihilism on the part of formal city planners.

It is important to create connections between the landscape of courtyards and the garden

Improvement project of the Georg-Knorr-Park residential complex in Berlin, developed by David Chipperfield Architects. Image source: David Chipperfield Architects

PM: We have already talked about the lack of a strategy more than once. Even a whole series of articles were devoted to the future general plan of Kyiv. And why exactly do our standards, DBN, not correspond to modern approaches and principles of landscaping? Many believe that all problems can be solved by simply removing all the cars parked in the yard. And it will be good.

Yu. K.: As soon as cars disappear, the issue of design will become even more acute. But let's start with the fact that Kyiv is an automobile-centric city, and it will not cease to be so in one moment. Our designers, according to DBN, are obliged to provide a passageway for transport and parking in the yards.

In people-centric cities in Sweden and the Netherlands, bicycle parking is an integral element of yards in new neighborhoods. It can be both open and hidden under a pergola with climbing plants or a canopy with a green roof made of herbs and succulents.

Garbage collection sites are completely different from what we see in our yards. They are also hidden behind green screens and pergolas. More often, the garbage collection system in neighborhoods works according to the principle of pneumatic mail, when the containers are underground, and only neat sockets come to the surface, intended for dropping a garbage bag into them. Such a site is kept clean, and no stench emanates from it. Therefore, even in a small yard, it can coexist with a children's sandbox.

The courtyards of the residential complex 79&Park are connected to the street by a series of arched passages. Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Iryna Isachenko

There may not be parking spaces in the yards of new European housing estates at all. It is either underground, or located along the roadway, or the neighborhood rules initially limit the use of private vehicles. It is impossible to drive into the inner courtyards by car in principle - neither the paving nor the size of the paths simply do not allow for this. All maintenance of the building, which requires the use of vehicles, takes place from the street. Since the buildings are equipped with built-in fire extinguishing systems, there is no need for emergency exits inside the yards.

Our building regulations for the improvement of residential areas (DBN B. 2.2—12:2019) require designers to provide driveways for fire and garbage collection equipment in yards with turning areas of 12 x 12 m.

 

Bicycle parking with a green roof in the courtyard of Kvarteret Muddus. Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Iryna Isachenko

Sites for collecting household waste in Ukrainian housing estates must be located at a distance of at least 20 m from children's, sports and recreation areas. But, taking into account our realities, they always try to spread it as far as possible.

Until now, there is a rule in the DBN about areas for drying linen and knocking out carpets. In the edition of 2019, it ceased to be mandatory and is now regulated by the decisions of local authorities. But they did not decide to delete it from the DBN. It is assumed that citizens still need to dry laundry in the yard and knock out carpets!

And when the architect drew up a master plan for the improvement of the territory of the house, which provided for all the mandatory functional zoning, regulatory setbacks, driveways, parking lots, including guest ones, it turned out that there were, in fact, some pitiful meters left for landscaping. Therefore, landscaping is implemented according to the final principle.

And it is difficult to blame the designer. After all, the area of ​​landscaping in the yard of a multi-story building, unlike the size of garbage collection sites, children's and sports playgrounds, parking lots and driveways, is not legally designated! DBN B. 2.2—12:2019 regulates it only at the scale of the microdistrict: according to article 6.1.25, the area of ​​green areas of limited use in the microdistrict should be at least 6 square meters. m per inhabitant. But when was the last time we built neighborhoods? In the 70s and 80s of the XNUMXth century?

A place for recreation in a residential complex of Hafensity district. Hamburg, Germany. Photo: Andrey Vetoshkin

Children's playground in Hafensity district. Hamburg, Germany. Photo: Andrey Vetoshkin

PM: But, as far as we know, building codes are regularly revised, and the DBN for public works was updated just last year. Is there still some movement towards civilized approaches?

Yu. K.: There is movement. Recently, it was allowed to place children's playgrounds on stylobates or exploited roofs. Now it is possible to use the roof of the parking lot for recreation and landscaping. This is already a step forward. But it's a long way to go. And yet I am an optimist. Pay attention to how new residential construction is evolving. Even if we compare the projects of one developer and one designer. For example, the quality of the landscape in the "Comfort Town" residential complex and in the "Faina Town" residential complex is archimatika. I can feel the difference in the quality of landscaping. Yes, meters are more expensive in Faina Towne. But, I think, we need some kind of our own quality standard, below which the developer is already prohibited.

DBN standardize the yard landscaping area only on the scale of the microdistrict

Sooner or later, yards in panel neighborhoods will also be re-planned. The space freed up after the expulsion of cars will be used for landscaping and architecture, including small kindergartens and cafes. When I hear that neighborhoods built in the 70s and 90s are hopeless, they say, it is unrealistic to bring this marginal environment into compliance with the requirements for comfort and improvement of the XNUMXst century, I am surprised. For example, Reynir de Graaf from OMA is not afraid to redevelop even the Bijlmerbajes prison in Amsterdam into a residential complex. Everything is real.

The green yards of Harfittan quarter in Norra Djurgårdsstaden. Stockholm, Sweden. Image source: aj-landskap.se

PM: You can judge by the landscape of the yard, or indeed any object, whether the developer just wanted to make money as quickly as possible, or whether he cared about his own reputation. Where is the reasonable middle ground between the desire to save money and the desire to do well and better than others?

Yu. K.: A reasonable mean is quite calculable. When calculating the budget for landscaping, the investor should lay down not only the cost of the landscape project, plants and implementation works, but also maintenance for at least 3 years ahead. At a minimum, for every $100 spent on sales, another $100 must be pledged for three years of service. And maybe even more!

And here everything depends on the experience of landscapers, the level of communication and trust between the investor or developer (the one who issues the TK and approves the project) and the landscape architect. It is possible to make it expensive, rich and pompous at the time of sale and putting the object into operation, but then the management company will go broke on maintaining this landscape or wave its hand to take care of it - exotic plants will die, and white stone benches will be covered with indelible mud and stains. And it is possible to design a low-maintenance landscape that will not shock the luxury of ideal parterre lawns, but will be comfortable for residents.

This is what the garbage cans look like in Norra Djurgårdsstaden. Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Iryna Isachenko

At the same time, people should understand that in the center of the city, where the most dense construction is possible, there can no longer be spacious, huge yards. In the capitals of Europe, in the USA, residents of the center are also satisfied with a very modest area. It can be just a few tens of square meters of green. And maybe there won't be a yard at all. But two steps away from the house is a huge public park. For example, if you live in the super-dense center of Chicago, you can still walk around Lake Michigan.

Yes, if we are talking about neighborhoods on the outskirts, where urban green infrastructure is not developed, but the plots for housing are much more spacious, the yard can be large. As much as the tenants through the condominium or the management company are able to maintain order in this territory. If they are not capable, they must be built up, since vacant lots in our country are transformed into a completely marginal space, which then has a toxic effect on all residents and the city as a whole.

I live in Obolony, and there is a UkrBud building nearby, where among the already built houses there is a plot that was planned for the construction of a "candle", but it remained empty. It is not very convenient, there is a ravine, a ravine, apparently, that is why the developer left the ego for later. Residents of already occupied houses put up a banner: "There will be a square here!" But there is no square, but complete chaos - it is impossible to pass. There should be no wasteland in the city, especially near housing. Or high-quality and functional architecture, or an accessible green zone. And the residents themselves must decide whether they will extend the content of this green zone, or let the developer dispose of the square meters as he sees fit.

It is possible to design a low-maintenance landscape that will be comfortable for residents

PM: For example, an excellent idea of ​​urban planners is to raise the Hlybochitsa River, free it from the collector and create a recreational line along Valov. But it is impossible to implement such a project with the help of Podol residents. So where are the boundaries — when should the city bear the costs of creating new recreational areas, and when should the residents?

Yu. K.: It is necessary to assess the extent to which the area is under-greened. If there is a clear imbalance, then, obviously, this is a mistake of the city planners and it must be corrected at the expense of the city. If residents want landscaping above the standards, they can promote and implement such projects by collecting funds from different sources.

There are areas that represent value for all citizens, for example, the undeveloped territory near the Olympic Stadium, where groundwater seeped into the pit under the foundation and a lake emerged. And our activists-urbanists quite naturally raised the question: is it possible to return this territory to the balance of the city, leaving it in the form of a square with a lake? Here, the people of Kyiv and the government must join forces. Citizens can collect funds on a crowdfunding platform, and the city can find ways to seize this extremely difficult-to-build plot and turn it into a park without violating the rights of the owner. We have long needed a legal scheme for solving similar issues, and this is the business of the Kyiv City Council and the Mayor's Office. But the earth should not "walk" for years and decades.

A spacious yard in the Drakenberg quarter. Stockholm, Sweden. Photo source: temagruppen.se

PM: The final question will be part of our main topic of the volume "Degree of well-being". Can green areas — yards, squares, parks — be considered markers of well-being?

Yu. K.: Of course. Please note: all our city parks in the center are historical. And where are the new green zones in 30 years? And they are not. Are the city residents to blame for this? And official planners and architects? Someone issued a permit for chaotic construction and turned a blind eye to the lack of improvement. Someone allowed to demolish Sennaya Rynok, so that in its place there would be high-rises and nightmarish greenery. Someone allows to cut down pine trees and build a house there. And someone was silent without complaint, observing all these processes. We must be honest: we have what we deserve. It is important to realize mistakes and not repeat them. And yes, if you want order in your own city and country, start with your yard.

 

 

Expert opinion

Not enough parks for you?

Olga Chernova, chief project architect of the archimatika company

PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: Modern Ukrainian construction standards DBN B. 2.2—12:2019 regulate the area of ​​landscaping in the yards of residential complexes in a very streamlined way. How green should a modern yard be and how to avoid conflicts between the developer and residents who want to reduce the percentage of development of the plot, but increase the share of the territory for landscaping?

Olga Chernova: Indeed, we do not have a rule that would clearly regulate what percentage of the site area should be allocated for landscaping in the yards of residential complexes. Such a rule exists for schools and kindergartens, where 50% of the area of ​​the territory must be landscaped. I note that it is not so much the area that matters, but the quality. Sometimes it is enough to plant three large ones so that people have a feeling of contact with nature. And our developers usually do this: they plant small, bald bushes and sow a sparse lawn. Of course, it seems to people that landscaping and landscaping are simply absent. And in an effort to make up for this deficit, they demand to allocate additional areas for the next bald lawn. It seems to them that adding square meters will somehow save the situation. But in reality, a compact square with mature trees, sprawling bushes and an array of greenery is better. By the way, the developers also believe that the green zone should be necessarily evergreen, therefore: "Let's plant Christmas trees and boxwoods everywhere!" In fact, it's boring, you don't feel the change of seasons, there's no biodiversity. And, as a result, tenants remain dissatisfied. So, first of all, a competent project and high-quality planting material are important.

Rain gardens in Norra Djurgårdsstaden. Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Iryna Isachenko

PM: Residential complexes are usually rented out in batches, and it is a fairly common situation when people who have already settled in begin to block further construction. They require the allocation of new territories for green zones, which were not initially included in the residential complex project. How justified are their actions?

O. Ch.: In such situations, I am completely on the side of the developer. People saw exactly what they were planning to build, they chose an apartment based on the project, visualizations and plans. It is a mistake to think that as soon as you have settled in, you have acquired some super-rights and now you can block further construction. A good example is the notorious situation on Generala Zhmachenko Street, probably known to all Kyiv residents. Residents of high-rise buildings blocked the plot, demanding that it be given the status of a park. A few tens of meters from the houses there is a giant park "Pobeda". But people en masse are demanding that there be a square at 20 Zhmachenko. Is the park not enough for you? This is the first question. Second: did you forget that pine trees also grew on the site of the houses where you live? That is, cutting down pine trees to build a house for some is normal, but for others it is not. Where is the logic? There is no logic, but people expect that if they transfer the conflict to the political plane, then the local deputies will be obliged to help them.

The newcomers should not expect that they will be able to appropriate the plot in violation of town planning plans. It is better to direct energy in a positive direction — to tidy up their yards, which they have completely covered with cars. Remove the car, plant normal adult trees, install high-quality, non-standard sports equipment. But it is completely illogical and illegal to demand that the developer give up his rights.

 

/The material is published on the pages #28 of volume PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA/