“Allies,” “Meditating On The Drawing” and “The Architectural Valhalla”: The Vocabulary of FAS(t)

The projects of FAS(t) reveal the architects as being thorough, contemplative, and laid-back, and what their architecture cannot tell us about them is communicated by their manner of speech. Alexander Ryabskiy and Ksenia Kharitonova — the founders of FAS(t) — have been working together for a long time, which is apparent from the way they speak. Over the years of collaboration in their studio, they have developed their own professional language, which they continually draw on in the course of our conversation. As you listen to them, you become aware of how important it is to come to a mutual understanding, even when it comes to everyday words. Divergences in understanding sometimes open up a chasm. Let’s say there’s “architecture” as the art of construction, and then there’s “just construction.” People go into the profession aspiring to practice the former, but oftentimes end up getting immersed in the latter, without realizing it or admitting it to themselves, says Alexander about the state of contemporary Russian architecture. “Today in Russia people are interested not in architecture, but in the construction and realization of square meters. That is, thoughts and energy are directed elsewhere. It seems that we utter the same exact words, but we diverge greatly on mental and culturological levels. When architects talk about concrete, what they mean is the material, a particular aesthetic, and a certain kind of tectonics, whereas others think about how many cement mixers will be required, how quickly they can get them to the construction site, how much concrete will be poured, how the construction sector ought to operate and boost the city’s economy… It’s also good, but then we should tell it like it is: we are prioritizing construction in this country. What counts most is that there’s construction going on… of something by some means.” “Inside professional community people are discussing beautiful graphics, proportions, architecture. But outside of that, they do things that are entirely different, and what’s more, they award each other prizes, hold countless forums all over the country,” continues Alexander. “I have never understood the point of these events. Why discuss things that sound great, but end up being mere words? It would be more honest to use these forums to discuss how to pour a greater amount of concrete at a greater speed, how to decrease the costs of construction and increase profit margins. But what does architecture have to do with any of this?” The studio Alexander co-founded with Ksenia in 2011 strives to take a different approach. “Allies” Besides the co-founders, FAS(t) has eight permanent employees. They are young—practically everyone came here right after architectural university. Alexander and Ksenia call them “allies” regardless of their position. “We can’t say that they simply perform their jobs,” explains Alexander. “What’s very important is their attitude and desire to really practice architecture. Even when carrying out basic tasks at every phase of the process, they have to be done consciously, not as a mere formality.” Can you become an “ally” if you don’t fit in with your colleagues, and how important are personal qualities for working in the studio? “We work here not as disparate individuals, temporarily sharing a single space, but as collaborators,” replies Ksenia. “It is only through shared values and aspirations that people can become closer. If you have those things in common, then it doesn’t matter what kind of person you are, whether you’re cheerful, sad, shy, “black or white.” At some point of working side by side with them, you achieve a certain naturalness of exchange in dialogue as you attempt to solve various problems, at times even the simplest ones. But this is precisely what creates our universe here. “I used to teach at one point,” adds Alexander. “I started during my fourth year at Moscow Architectural Institute and learned quite a lot from that experience. One of the things, and this is very important, is that I became aware of the fact that there’s no such thing as hopeless people. Every individual has capabilities and potential that have to be discovered and developed. That’s what I believe. This is essentially how we went about creating our current team.” A strong sense of connection is nevertheless important at FAS(t): “Our teamwork brings us closely together, not least psychologically,” remarks Ksenia. “It’s all too obvious when a person is mentally absent, when they’re somewhere else. In a sense, it’s as if we practice the same “religion,” and the workshop is a single organism. What we do here is not forced, but voluntary, based on shared values and ideas of the work you want to do and love doing, a shared understanding of how it should be performed thoroughly and in a well-thought-out manner. When what you do makes you happy.” “This is why we are so meticulous about the space (studio) and our team, and why we maintain such close contact with one another. Accordingly, our team members are always aware of our thoughts, intentions, and future steps,” says Ksenia, pointing her hand towards the studio. “The Venus Grotto/Skete” FAS(t) has not always been in their current location—the space on the ground floor of a pre-revolutionary residential building on Bolshoi Znamenkiy lane. When the architects received the money from their first commission in 2010, they, along with their first employees, opened up a studio right before New Year’s in a space to which they refer to as “the Venus Grotto” or “the skete.” It was a miniscule space in the Shchusev State Museum of Architecture. It used to house an editing studio, with six rooms cramped in an area of a mere 32 sq. m., divided by plaster partitions. The walls had been covered with soundproof material. The first thing the architects did was to have two handymen clear the space and demolish unnecessary walls. “It was very romantic,” recollects Ksenia, “the space with a single window looking into the courtyard was blocked by a bas-relief that had been taken down from the Triumphal Arch. It had a strange trapezoidal shape, and it seemed that nothing but our workshop could possibly exist there.” The architects worked at the museum on barter conditions: they carried out various tasks in exchange for using the space and ability to work on their own projects in their spare time. Three years later, they moved into their own studio. “Meditating On The Drawing” Alexander explains their special approach to drawing: “We use the following method: as soon a drawing is completed, some time must be set aside to simply look at it. Even after making a number of sketches, when you are already working with, say, AutoCAD, you still have to look at it once more. An onlooker might think that you are staring at and studying it carefully. But in fact, you are actually going over all the possibilities. We call this “meditating on the drawing,” that is to say, it becomes an object of contemplation. What’s more, it has nothing to do with the graphics or aesthetic execution. It is, first and foremost, an architectural analysis, which the drawing illustrates. Nobody likes rushed solutions at FAS(t). Time, according to them, is an indispensable tool in the work of architects. Thus was born another rule: “Sometimes it so happens that there arise doubts regarding certain points, in which case we say honestly, “we don’t know what kind of door should be here; we need time to figure it out.” This happens not because we haven’t put enough of an effort into it, but because there’s a range of options, and we have to work on it a bit more,” explains Ksenia. How do clients respond to this? Do they not rush them? It turns out that in the majority of cases, the client does not mind waiting: “On the contrary, an architectural connoisseur will appreciate the courage and frankness, and treat the architect as a person who is wholly committed to their work and does not wish to lie either to their clients or themselves,” says Alexander confidently. This approach makes it impossible for FAS(t) to take part in commercial development projects, where speed is of utmost important. The studio, however, does not aspire to that. “Inventions” According to FAS(t), the architect should be “the principal builder,” and their projects should have an intellectual impact and be thought-provoking. The studio’s heroes—Scarpa, Zumthor, Kahn, Palladio—were all about that. Palladio called his buildings “inventions” (invenzione). Zumthor’s works illustrate the same concept: “when you enter his building, you get the feeling that he did not know how to build, and invented it all over again,” says Ksenia. Alexander thinks that the key to good architecture lies in this approach: “we were once asked, what do you think has to happen for a breakthrough to occur in architecture? We joked that the use of all the modern technologies out there should be prohibited. This way, instead of inserting windows and door slabs, you would have to rethink all the elements, and invent them yourselves. When you visit Scarpa’s buildings, for instance, it seems as if he had invented everything down to the door locks and keys.” “For us, architecture is always a projection of our inner world. The artistic subjective perception, ingenuity, and their transmission through architecture—these are the treasures of the profession, which bring us the joy of creation and happiness of freedom,” conclude the architects. “The Architectural Valhalla” “We believe in the architectural Valhalla,” say Alexander and Ksenia, part seriously, part in jest, by which they mean that sooner or later, at the end of every architect's life comes a moment when they have the opportunity to become part of a workshop where they would be fortunate enough to work alongside their “architectural heroes”. But the portfolio-based selection process will be exceptionally rigorous—”the guys there are serious”. They have turned their heroes into their harshest critics. “Why do we leave blanks spots in our projects? Because you imagine to your horror that among your judges is, for example, Louis Kahn. After that, you cannot produce ill-considered solutions, approach the problem as a formality, just so that you could submit it a day early. You never have a ready answer, and this is what makes the profession both challenging and interesting. If you are not churning out things, but actually trying to develop an invention, you cannot foresee the future and state with certainty, “yes, this project will be successful, and we will make this much money,” That’s not business.” The Most Important Ally Besides their team, FAS(t) considers their clients to be their most important allies. Alexander and Ksenia’s experience has confirmed that sometimes a client without architectural qualifications can seriously enrich the project, offer support, and act as an excellent mentor. This is what happened with their “black house” or “Villa Z.” It all began with small sketches at the end of 2013, and grew into a gargantuan amount of work. The guest wooden house was simple in construction and small in size, so we managed to realize it quite quickly. But then came the villa itself, the general plot plan of the property, pavilions, the main entrance house, landscape, and a wide array of other elements. “The client kind of got carried away by enthusiasm. He kept asking us why we adopted certain solutions, spoke of certain architects and thought of certain things. It was important for us to move forward with working out the details. It was all conceptually interrelated, it was a world with its own rules and structure. He became immersed in it, and he enjoyed it,” recounts Alexander. It’s worth mentioning the attitude of architects towards corrections from clients. They think that requesting changes is not “putting a spoke in their wheel,” but another key to a successful project. “At first, we would get upset when a client told us, “no, let’s do it differently.” But then we started to feed off of it,” says Ksenia. “You are given another chance to try out different solutions, without immediately rejecting any of them, but also approaching the process consciously, multiplying your options, thinking them through and this, of course, is a source of pleasure. That is because the time it takes to do this has a positive effect on the resulting quality, proper understanding and a detailed, correct realization of the project. At the same time, it’s important that all the participants of the process understand that time is probably one of the most important resources, essential for the creation of architecture. It’s important for a client to be able to agree on things, but it’s even more important when they exercise a conscious approach to the project. “What’s necessary on the client’s part is the desire for quality and a clear understanding of why they have chosen a specific architect,” adds Alexander. “They have to value what the architect can offer them. In that case, anything can be realized, and we have cases when we have achieved this. It’s impossible to create something good without this relationship, without both parties understanding that they were meant to work with each other.” The last question for Alexander and Ksenia is whether they are satisfied with their completed projects, taking into account their high standards, sophisticated philosophy, and reverential attitude towards the profession. “In our completed projects everything turned out more or less the way we wanted to,” answers Alexander. “There are a number of projects under construction, some of which have dragged on a bit, unfortunately… Sometimes there’s a lack of… let’s call it construction wisdom. There are construction and artistic wits, and then there’s wisdom, which is something we could use more of. We need to keep on working, as a lot remains to be learned. The road ahead is long, but very interesting.” arch:speech _ https://archspeech.com/article/soyuzniki-meditaciya-na-chertezh-i-arhitekturnaya-val-halla-slovar-byuro-fas-t