12.12.23. Our team is important to us! That’s why we decided to introduce you to our employees.
Andriy Golovchenko is an architect who has been a part of Drozdov & Partners for almost 7 years. Andriy’s experience includes projects of various scales – from urban design to interior design, from various competitive proposals (educational institutions, concert halls, pavilions) to restoration.
Why did you decide to become an architect?
When I was a kid, I used to go to my dad’s work at the Design Institute in Luhansk on weekends. It was a great opportunity to play computer games or draw. Later, he opened his own office, so I grew up in an architectural environment, saw him and my mother at work, talked to their colleagues, and loved the stories my grandfather told about his life and the implementation of various projects under his leadership in the postwar period in Luhansk.
Honesty, I never thought about the profession seriously, but at the end of the eleventh grade, I decided to try it.
Where did you study architecture?
In 2011, I went to study in Kharkiv, where I received a bachelor’s and later a master’s degree in Architecture at KNUBA. My master’s project was supervised by Oleksandr Kolesnikov, one of the future teachers of the Kharkiv School of Architecture. It was a great opportunity because he had an impressive experience and won numerous architectural competitions.
I try to update my knowledge and monitor lectures and studies of the world’s leading universities. In the future, I have an ambition to get a third cycle of education. I also do not exclude the scenario of completing another master’s program, preferably in the UK.
What skills did you develop the best?
One of the most important skills is endurance and respect, as these qualities are main in communication and between all actors in the design process. Also irreplaceable is the ability to formulate and convey your opinion, to see the boundaries between integrity and flexibility, and to constantly develop and reflect in time.
How many years have you been working in architecture?
For almost seven years now, Drozdov & Partners has been my first office.
What do you like most about your job?
I like the design process itself – creating things that have a certain logic and meet the diverse challenges of today. The space an architect works on has a direct impact on the life scenarios of a society or a certain group of people, their comfort, and inclusion. It is a great responsibility.
What is important in the work of an architect?
A healthy approach to work is crucial: the ability to stop perfectionism, focus on tasks, have competent management, and respect for personal time.
On the other hand, it is important to go side by side with the development of construction technologies and also understand the challenges and needs of society. In my opinion, architects should be ready to leave their comfort zone because this profession is becoming more and more interdisciplinary.
What kind of projects do you enjoy working on the most?
In general, I’m interested in different genres and scales, from the smaller (interiors, scenography) to the larger (urban design), but the scale of a building is the most interesting right now.
What is your favorite project in the bureau?
I can’t single out something specific over the years. All the projects I’ve been involved in are part of a history and experience, so to speak, the “folding” of work at the Drozdov & Partners office.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Fortunately, there are a large number of cool architectural offices in the world, including young ones. Unfortunately, in Ukraine, their number is not so critical, but I hope in the future this figure will jump up.
I want to say that at a certain point, the understanding of the top list of architectural firms is blurred and I, personally, began to be inspired more by ideas than by personalities. In particular, I am interested in the integration of circular economy principles, which has already begun in the EU, and the implementation of sustainable development strategies for the architectural environment. I also see the spread of advanced building practices, such as Volumetric building systems, which are already in the process of being introduced into the Swedish legal framework.
What is your favorite stage in architectural design?
I like developing a concept, a spatial solution, and materiality. I also like planning, exploratory modeling, and production when it’s not a race to the bottom with a deadline.
In the Drozdov & Partners office, everyone has the opportunity to go through all the stages of design and gain the appropriate skills.
What do you like most about working in the bureau?
I like the fact that we have a fully functioning mockup with 3D printers, a laser machine, foam cutters, and the incredibly experienced Vitaliy Pravik at the helm. I am pleased that since 2018 the office has started to implement VR technologies in work; photogrammetry has become an almost regular part of the input data for design. Among other things, I am impressed by the fact that each project has a certain research basis.
I am also grateful to have met many interesting people with diverse backgrounds who have worked in this office at different times and are still working here.
What projects would you like to work on in the future?
I am interested in housing, public buildings, and spaces. I also never exclude interior projects from my list of interests.
What do you think will be important in the future reconstruction of Ukraine?
The war has provoked a humanitarian crisis. 2.4 million Ukrainians have fled and have not yet returned to the country since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. As of September 1, 4.965 million internally displaced persons were registered in Ukraine, with unofficial estimates putting the number at twice that. Corruption must be eradicated from our mentality and, in addition to political, social, and security issues, one of the key factors necessary for the decisive return of large numbers of refugees is the urgent need for quality and affordable housing, as well as the environment in general.
After the war, Ukraine will become one of the most active construction sites in the world. However, it is already crucial to identify appropriate future development strategies, embrace sustainability, and integrate the best global practices. Concrete production alone accounts for about 5-8% of the total CO2 emitted into the planet’s atmosphere annually. If the future of construction is focused only on the production of new concrete structures, what impact will this have on the global environment?
Ukraine is also experiencing a certain crisis in the construction industry, and its development will be one of the key challenges of the future. In the 1960s and 1980s, at least two house-building plants were active in Kharkiv. A typical house could be built in 9 months, which was considered an extremely short term. Currently, in-situ construction technology dominates the market, while precast technology is used only for the production of hollow core slabs. Only several plants produce a wide range of precast concrete (BUDOVA, Odesa; Oberbeton, Kyiv) and one CLT plant (Rezult, Zhytomyr). The Soviet-era prefabricated housing plants have lost their original function and are no longer in operation. As for the new buildings, the quality of which is very questionable in most cases, the prospects for reconstruction are already about 20-30 years, which is completely unsustainable.
Photos: Margo Didichenko
