Studio Buschow worked with Arup on a 10 hectare site just outside St.Petersburg to develop a dense housing masterplan around a new golf course designed by Greg Norman. 250 stylish apartments and 10 ‘luxury’ cottages were required – and each with a view of the golf-course.
Our proposals suggested a balance between openness and light (key in such a northern location) and privacy whilst achieving thermal performance.
Five sets of blocks were developed using the metaphor of five fingers. The spaces between the fingers (the buildings) being as important as the blocks themselves. This ensured the development was well connected to the greens of the golf course as well as to the surrounding landscape just off the Baltic Sea.
In addition, a new clubhouse design was developed to provide a community centre for residents during the cold winter months. As well as being positioned within a 5 minute walk of every residence, the clubhouse could just as easily be accessed from the first, the ninth, the tenth and the eighteenth holes to ensure it was at the heart of visitors golfing experience.
Ralph and I have dealt together for about 10 years on projects ranging up to $50 million in Russia and the Ukraine. During this time he has managed to handle tricky sites, trickier clients and bring his immense creativity to bear on whatever ‘impossible’ brief has been set before him.
Each time he has been both attentive and sensitive to the clients demands and needs and often helped them find ways of delivering more than they originally hoped for at the outset.
I would make no hesitation to introduce his team to any client knowing that they will be in good hands and he will ensure that the project is considerably better than without him.
David Owens, Arup
