«THE PHILOSOPHY OF HAPPINESS - HOW HABITABLE CONCEPTS OF COMFORT CHANGE DURING ISOLATION»

The global pandemic did more than just shut down cities and countries for months. Its influence is much deeper. Isolation 2020 took people by surprise, breaking the usual rhythm of life with dinners in cafes, meetings with friends in parks. The space of a person was suddenly limited by the square meters of his own apartment, in which the townspeople had previously spent only a few hours, by the kitchen, where earlier family members met only for breakfast. And suddenly it turned out that this is not enough for a comfortable life. In addition, the pandemic made everyone think about the likelihood of a repetition of such force majeure and the need to be prepared for them in the future, which, of course, will lead residents of megacities to revise their lifestyle, affect the criteria for choosing a house, and therefore affect urban infrastructure and architecture.

It should be noted that changes, even in such an extraordinary situation, do not happen instantly. Changing lifestyles have been talked about long before the black swan pandemic. One study published several years ago looked at the preferences of the wealthy millennial generation (i.e., those born in the 1980s and 1990s). To summarize the findings, it turns out that the “cream of society” are mostly technocrats who prefer to live in a “beautiful place”, “compact” and “in the society where their friends live,” says Liam Bailey, head of research at Knight Frank ... An important factor for the new generation is the proximity of all necessary infrastructure, and it is better if it is located right in the complex. They don't want to give up their comfort, but they expect to have a family. "For wealthy family millennials, it's important to have a fashionable lifestyle," said Dan Conn, CEO of Christie's International Real Estate. "But at the same time being close to good schools and other infrastructure, which, for example, is due to the popularity of areas of Manhattan such as Tribeca, West Chelsea, and Hudson Yards."

Another important component that sociologists pay attention to is the formula for happiness, which, as it turned out, can be created with the help of architecture and the right place for building housing. The formula for happiness is not a metaphor at all, but a clear set of data obtained from the results of many years of research. As it turned out, to feel happy, a person needs a sense of security, attractive green areas near the house, and, of course, interior spaces full of light.

The main finding of a study conducted in London in 2019 emphasizes that the beauty of the environment we encounter in our daily lives, and therefore the decisions we make when designing such environments, affect people's everyday happiness.

All these parameters are relevant and in-demand not only among those buyers who are about forty. There are more and more fans of a measured life, when everything is nearby and there is no need to rush, in all age categories. The main principles of life in large cities around the world are compactness of residence, versatility, large areas, reasonable planning solutions. According to the architects, dense urban structures designed taking into account the lessons of the pandemic may well become an alternative to residential complexes of the "old" format. Multifunctionality will be developed with a verified balance of private and public life and all the services necessary for life instead of monofunctional. There are already examples of this all over the world. In the same Hudson Yards, more than 1.5 million real estates areis already being built with the envisaged zoning of residential and office parts of public spaces, including a large art center. More and more often, similar multifunctional residential projects of a new format are being created in Asian megacities - Singapore, Hong Kong.

The unique residential complex Interlace in Singapore has been honored with numerous architectural awards. The sophisticated structure allows air to enter the courtyards and allows for the creation of magnificent roof gardens. Even the trajectory of the sun was taken into account in the design. The complex has an extensive modern infrastructure - a theater, a cinema, 4 swimming pools, a spa center, a fitness center, a market square, numerous outdoor areas, entertainment pavilions, and even has its own pond, waterfall, and bamboo garden.

The brand new Raffles City complex in China matches it, the internal infrastructure of which includes a 50-meter swimming pool, a garden, and numerous restaurants.

In such multifunctional complexes, among other things, patios, open areas on various levels and roofs, sports grounds, and even small indoor parks are designed, which gives residents the opportunity to be outdoors, keep fit, keeping a distance.

Moscow is not lagging behind. And as always, the best ideas come to the high end first. So, in the west of the capital, on Kutuzovsky Prospect, ANT Development is implementing the Poklonnaya 9 project - a 32-storey premium-class apartment complex with a 5 * hotel under the management of an international hotel operator. The project has been widely recognized by the international real estate community. In 2019, the Poklonnaya 9 project was awarded the title of the best in two nominations at once in the European stage of the International Property Awards, one of the most famous and prestigious professional awards in the field of architecture and real estate. Poklonnaya 9 became the first in the Mixed-use Architecture and Mixed-use Development nominations. The jury members especially noted the modern architecture, originality and unique concept of the project.

The leading architectural bureau METEX has worked on the creation of the residential part of Poklonnaya 9, with a portfolio of many projects around the world. The project turned out to be really beautiful. The architectural concept of the house includes the Stalinist Empire styles and the best skyscrapers in Chicago and New York. 

Architect Murat Tabanliolu, partner of Tabanlıoğlu Architects, is responsible for the architecture of the hotel in the project. And the first thing that the architects paid attention to was how the hotel would affect the urban environment, since the first floors are exactly what people see in the first place, walking down the street. And, of course, integrating a five-star hotel into a residential complex with apartments was the main task in terms of structure, says the architect: “Everything had to be harmonious and convey the status and level of the project. For example, the canopy, which distinguishes the hotel from other buildings, seems to welcome visitors, and the arches give the entrance an expressive and welcoming look. "

The project includes 505 apartments and 16 penthouses with full finishing in three design styles. It is worth noting that the presence of a strong brand and complete readiness of the apartments are among the preferences of modern buyers. The presence of a hotel under the management of a world-renowned hotel chain provides not only excellent service to the owners, but also guarantees demand when renting out. “Even if they are very wealthy, people want their assets to work for them,” says Hugo Thistlethway, head of international Savills. "Branded residences are attractive because they do all the rental work for the owners."

The big world seeks to create "small safe worlds". This trend did not begin with the pandemic, but today it has received a new impetus for development. How did the actual services of online delivery of any goods and online purchases even of such expensive things as real estate develop?

Buyers of Ant Development projects have access to online video consultations with managers through the Zoom Meeting system, which allows them to demonstrate all the advantages of the project, the necessary materials, documents, renders for selecting the best offer at the request of the client. A video tour showing the sales office, construction site, and detailed advice about the object has been published on the project website. For a complete immersion in the project, at the request of the client, contactless home delivery of presentation materials home is carried out. A personal meeting of the client with the developer may only be needed to sign the documents upon entering the deal. But this issue is also resolved as conveniently as possible for the buyer. The courier will bring the documents and leave them in a sealed envelope.

Application of the best international experience is one of the tasks that ANT Development sets itself in Russia. All projects of the company are being built taking into account the latest international trends. Now the developer is actively preparing for the start of his new project - Victory Park Residenses, which will also have modern and rich infrastructure. The details are still kept secret, but the company assures that it will be able to exceed the expectations of even the most discerning buyers.