The Heroes of the Present Time

The success of any work depends primarily on those who do it. Perhaps, it is most vividly seen in building construction. From the very outset of project implementation it is important to find a reliable partner to go through all the stages of this difficult way. We asked Julia Gulyak, head of Directorate for design at «Cultural and business complex «Lakhta» Ltd. to tell us about the difficulties of working on unique projects and the relationship between developers and designers.

Julia Gulyak, head of Directorate for design at «Cultural and business complex «Lakhta» Ltd.

Julia Vladimirovna, who do you think plays the key role in designing unique projects and what the relationship between them should be alike?
 As is known there are two key figures at the design stage: the developer and the designer. The later is a “two-headed” figure: one head is the architect, the other – the engineer. We’ll look at their relationship a bit later, and now we’ll speak in detail about the two principal participants – the developer and the designer.

Ideally, there must be harmony between the developer and the designer from the very outset of the project. There must be unconditional mutual trust and no doubts in the partners’ professionalism and human decency. Surely, there are tendering procedures as a result of which a designer should be selected, but all too often the choice depends not only on monetary remuneration, but also on some spark, some chemistry, some vibe between the two teams.

On the one hand, it is strange, but on the other, it is quite reasonable. The design process takes a certain time and it is important for the developer to have a professional with the same spirit and ambitions at his side. If the developer doubts the designer’s ability to work out technical solutions, which will enable him to implement his boldest ideas, – why does he deal with him? And if the designer is certain that at the construction phase the developer will try to use less effective solutions and employ less appropriate materials and equipment, thus spoiling the idea of the project, – why does he work with such a developer? Sooner or later the money will run out, and you’ll be left with a doubtful result and a nasty taste in your mouth.

What factors are taken into consideration while choosing a team of designers?
There are a lot of factors to take into account when choosing a team of designers: the design cost, the team’s experience, the workload of the company, the ability to manage the process. Choosing, for instance, GORPOJECT CJSC we were concerned about one thing – whether they would cope with the amount of work taking into consideration their workload on Moscow skyscrapers.

Another significant factor is to have competent, advanced and creative specialists in the team: an architect and a construction engineer who are “on the same wavelength”. They should understand and support one another in the creative process. Only such cooperation generates unique and nonstandard solutions.

How did develop your relationship with the contractor in the course of work on the project of the mixed-use complex «Lakhta Center»?
At first there were some difficulties in our relationship with the designer on the project. We tried to put pressure on him, made him fulfill protocol resolutions strictly on time, present the partially done work for the developer’s control, wrote letters pointing out various defects, etc. The pressure was so strong that the contract could be dissolved at the initiative of one of the parties. And who knows how everything would have turned out if we hadn’t changed our attitude to the designer. With a great effort we put ourselves into his shoe to understand and therefore accept him the way he is. It became obvious that if we wanted to work out project documentation on time and to get good quality, we must do our best to help each other, and even do somebody else’s work if necessary. And this approach justified itself. We received a positive evaluation of the State Expert Assessment Department from the first time and in accordance with the project implementation schedule – it means a lot, doesn’t it?

To trust and help each other – that is the only thing necessary for success. And there are no trifles: from the tone of correspondence between colleagues to immediate incorporation of oral instruction in the work, from wishing a happy birthday to tactfully made remark – everything is important. It is important to create and maintain a friendly atmosphere, to understand each other and adequately assess the current situation.

How is the design process of technically complicated projects organized in Russia?
The process of work organization for all types of projects is practically the same: identify its basic characteristics, select a team and start working. But there are far more difficulties and risks on a unique project. Taking into account the experience of working on Okhtacentre, we developed the project documentation for Lakhta Tower three times more quickly.

In our company all production cycles are carefully regulated, there are strict procedures for examination and coordination of the documentation by the developer: standards for project documentation approval, organization of technical documentation archives, storage and submission of documents in the work process, instructions on passing the state expert assessment, etc.

The requirement to go through certain procedures and keep an additional account of them arouses natural annoyance at first. But eventually it becomes clear that it greatly facilitates the process.

For example, the existing procedure of risk management. The design process of such complicated projects is connected with a great number of risks: technical, economic and many others. That is why as soon as we have chosen the site, we analyze all the possible risks, identify their gradation – from insignificant to the highest, and appoint the employees responsible for working out measures for their elimination or minimization. We established a special procedure to promptly solve the existing and emerging difficulties, we didn’t put off problems till the last minute when it was time to file the documents to the State expert assessment department. In my opinion, the process of risk management is indispensable on technically complicated and unique projects.

Are there requied to get a lot of approvals to start working on such a unique project?
If we speak about project documentation, then you need as many approvals as are determined by the Urban Development Code. In fact, we had to go through three procedures only: to negotiate the approval of PSTS in the Ministry of Regional Development, co-ordinate the project location in the North-West territorial administration for fishery and obtain a positive evaluation of the project documentation and engineering survey results from the State expert assessment department. That’s all. Nobody required anything else of us. The Territorial administration for fishery took three (!) months to examine our documentation, whereas the State expert assessment department – only two. Fortunately, the co-ordination procedure is gradually becoming less frightening than before.

What is the role of consultants in the development of technically complicated projects?
The developer can’t know everything. The designer doesn’t have a right not to know, he must know practically everything. Anyway, either of them can invite consultants.

Speaking generally, the developer invites consultants to help assess technical documentation with a view to its completeness and quality. For example, a specialized organization is invited for scientifictechnical monitoring of survey work; it supervises the survey from start to finish, until the approval of State the assessment department is received. As a consultant the organization is involved in the development of technical specifications, the survey programme, it examines and assesses the final documentation, gives recommendations, etc. The opinion of such a consultant is very important for the developer, participation of real professionals in the work guarantees that all up-to-date requirements and standards find better application particularly in our project, which enables us to optimize the amount of survey procedures, their range and cost, and we obtain a high-quality result with due consideration of all the restrictions, risks and possibilities.

The designer invites consultants for technical support in working out solutions. For instance, to develop a strategy of vertical transport organization in a tall building. This is a very difficult topic, there are few domain specialists, to keep such specialist on the staff is, as a rule, unviable. In this case it is reasonable to involve an independent firm which will suggest a number of solutions to choose from. Such specialized companies have the necessary software, experience of working on similar projects and awareness of all specific requirements.

Unfortunately, very often there is a possibility of getting the developer “hooked” on unique equipment, constructions or solutions, which won’t allow choosing between two suppliers. Taking into account the complexity of the project and its uniqueness, sometimes you arrive at solutions, which limit the choice of suppliers. The competition is eliminated, therefore, the price is likely to be overstated. To avoid this, the developer’s consultant must step in the process; he will carry out independent evaluation of the completed work and give recommendations.

Over time we gained extensive experience of working with consultants and it is positive rather than negative. Although we came across those who could present themselves to advantage, but couldn’t do the work on the required level. But we were lucky to work with real professionals and we are grateful to those who helped us.

It is important to have a sense of proportion and not to seek consultation on any difficult issue, otherwise you risk getting immersed in correspondence, arrangement of contractual relations, etc. Consultants are needed to find solutions to the key problems which are really complicated and may significantly affect the characteristics or the appeal of the project.

However, despite the consultant’s opinion, it is the developer who has the say in the matter. To avoid the situation from a famous fable about the swan, the crawfish and the pike: many opinions, but no solutions, and the work stands still. It’s a great responsibility, but otherwise instead of result you may get involved in a long process of negotiations, discussions, employing extra specialists, etc., which won’t be pleasant at all. You can do it up to a certain limit, until the time comes to make a decision, and then the developer must take the responsibility for all the possible consequences.

The design process is divided into several stages. Are there clear-cut objectives at each stage or are there various interpretations?
This complex process was in due course divided into two stages: project and working documentation. Unfortunately, different participants of the process often have their own understanding of goals and objectives at each stage. I hope very much that arbitrary and spontaneous division of design process in Russia into various additional stages will become regulated and civilized. As it is every developer looks for and finds ways out of the present situation all by himself.

For example, at the very beginning the designer helps to develop the socalled sketch plan, or in other words – architectural concept, urban planning verification, conceptual design, spaceplanning decisions, planning design… But in fact – these are different names of one and the same thing. Different names of this stage prevent the participants of the project from clearly realizing the amount of work to be done, the developer must formulate the task carefully and discuss it with the designer before signing a contract. If the name, structure and content of the given phase were determined by regulatory requirements, misunderstanding could be avoided.

In many countries the design process and project development are divided into smaller stages comprehensible for all the participants of the project. It helps to avoid unpleasant surprises and many conflicting situations, connected with co-ordination and integration of complex technical solutions.

At what stage is the contractor chosen and is project documentation enough for it?
The contractor may be chosen at any stage of the project, everything depends on the contract form and the final construction cost. However, the content of project documentation sections which define the volume of work and the selection of equipment is not enough to choose a contractor with a fixed price. Unfortunately, it turns out that project documentation is necessary only to obtain a construction permit, after that the design process passes onto the next phase. Before the development of working documentation, tender documentation is prepared, on the basis of which you can get a fairly adequate construction cost estimate. To prepare tender documentation it is important to identify the granularity of design solutions, the criteria for equipment selection, the list of potential suppliers...

Well-prepared tender documentation: a draft contract, the checklist of works, requirements to their quality, etc. – may significantly simplify the developer’s life during the construction period and obtain a very competitive cost of construction and assembly works (CAW). It is a pity again that everyone interprets the structure and content of the technical part of tender documentation in their own way. The developer must set a clear task to the designer, otherwise instead of qualitative documentation he may get something which won’t allow him to choose a truly professional contractor and reveal all the surprises before signing the contract.

How is the design process organized: simultaneously or in stages? What should it ideally be alike?
No matter how much we’d like to develop the project and working documentation simultaneously, I wouldn’t recommend it. Fast tracking may conceal problems, which you don’t even suspect in he early stages of project implementation. Even if you can at your own risk develop the project and working documentation simultaneously – you won’t do it on unique and technically complicated projects. The traditional and legitimate way is the right one here. First – the project documentation and then, on its basis – the working one.

The construction of a technically complicated building usually takes a long time and some solutions, let alone equipment specified in the project documentation become outdated by the time the works start. That’s why one has to amend the project documentation in the course of project implementation. And this, as a rule, means reexamination. To avoid this procedure, one should use the most up-to-date ideas, thus creating demand for innovation technologies. That’s the essence of unique buildings construction – to advance science and industry.

What are the specifics of the normative-technical base of technically complicated projects in Russia?
It is impossible to construct a modern unique building on the basis of existing regulatory documents. Some standards are outdated, some are insufficient and some requirements are not even there. How to design then? Only if Project specific technical specifications (PSTS) are developed, certain research and tests are carried out and international experience is taken into account. This is a long and complicated process which involves a lot of participants, contractors, consultants and experts.

Surely the normative-technical documentation in Russia is being updated, but in practice it is easier to register divergences from standards in PSTS, develop compensatory measures and negotiate the approval of PSTS in accordance with the established procedure, than stick to regulatory requirements and get something outmoded and bulky as a result.

What should the designer of technically complicated projects ideally be like?
An ideal designer must foresee all the consequences that may arise as a result of decision-making. He must be a clairvoyant, if you like. Relying on experience and intuition he must anticipate, think several moves.

The most difficult thing is to foresee the amending of the existing normativetechnical documentation. This is something you cannot guess: nether the date of validity, nor the content of the changes. This risk is constantly accompanying the development of project documentation, and you have to put up with it.

And now let’s discuss the topic of “two-headed” designer. At the beginning I mentioned that the designer has “two heads” – the architect and the engineer. It is clear that these names stand for whole teams, groups of people headed by a leader. So, the ideal type of designer is the one whose both heads look in the same direction. Not at each other, not in the opposite directions, but only ahead. It’s easier said than done.

Design of unique projects involves a lot of questions which don’t have a ready answer. One has to sacrifice something: either the aesthetics, or the cost, or the simplicity of engineering solution. The architect and the engineer are constantly engaged in this debate. It is important for the engineer to appreciate the architect’s idea, not to “diagnose” it as impossible straight away, but to try and find solutions which will help to bring this idea to life. It is also important for the architect to have at least one foot on the ground instead of having his head in the clouds all the time.

The engineer must seek to make the structures super-reliable, but at the same time light and elegant, and not primitive. While developing conceptual solutions the architect must co-ordinate the possible variants with the engineer, and the latter mustn’t reject the suggestions of the former offhand, saying scornfully: «So, that’s your idea…». If there is mutual understanding between them – that’s the ideal designer.

It is important for both the architect and the engineer to really want to create a unique building. Think of the word «unique». Generally speaking, we don’t refer a building to unique ones according to the criteria stated in the Urban development code. It may not feature a big cantilever, a significant height, but it will still be unique, because it produces a “Wow!” impression instead of «Yes, fine». The construction of a unique building creates history: of the place, the event, the city and may be the whole country. And what this history will be like largely depends on the relationship in this tandem…

Julia Vladimirovna, you have experience of working both in the developer’s team and in the designer’s. What the developer’s team should be alike in your opinion?
As a rule, a different team is built up for any technically complicated project. Only professionals must work on such projects. It is fairly difficult for human resource representatives to staff the developer’s team with relevant specialists. Real professionals cost a lot, and there aren’t many.

It is also important both for the developer’s and the designer’s team to have people capable of making the final decision and taking the responsibility for it. They must be able to choose the right solution from a variety of suggestions. And here, in my view, not only work experience and knowledge, but also intuition are of great importance.

It is very-very difficult to design technically complicated projects in Russia today. There are so many obstacles, problems, challenges. So many risks, complications… That is why we, the creators of unique projects, may be called the heroes of the present time. I am not joking.

Full version you can download here

Text Tatiana Vasilieva, photos by Lakhta LTD.