Gardens and People | Grand Design Pihat

Gardens and People 2019

Russian Landscape and Garden Design Festival

Location: Moskova
Year: 2019

• Project Design

The festival theme is announced the previous autumn at a seminar organized for Russian industry professionals and students. I was also invited to attend this seminar, which I participated in alongside my friend, Moscow-based landscape architect Artem Parshin, who also served as my interpreter since the seminar was conducted in Russian.

The 2019 festival theme was “The Fifth Element.” Each designer had the freedom to interpret this concept in their own work. I decided to create a design where the four classical elements—earth, water, air, and fire—were physically present, while the fifth element was energy. I was motivated by the fact that renewable energy was still a relatively new concept in Russian society and was largely unknown to the general public.

I aimed to highlight environmental conservation, the use of ecological materials, solar and water energy utilization, and stormwater management. The meadow-like planting around the canopy structure attracted butterflies and pollinators. The canopy itself featured vivid sky blue and a striking contrast of pink. It consisted of two merging wings, one of which had a green roof (Image 8). The glass sphere atop the canopy symbolized a solar panel system, collecting energy and transferring heat to the space below. While designed as a canopy for the exhibition garden, the structure represented a modern architectural element.

The green roof’s sedum plants absorbed much of the stormwater, while the rest was directed through a gutter system toward a water feature. Overflow water was then redistributed to surrounding plants. A powerful waterfall represented hydro energy. Behind the canopy, a forest-like planting area with small hills symbolized the protection of natural landscapes, forests, and vegetation. The lingonberries growing on the slope reflected the importance of natural and healthy nutrition. The gravel ground cover contributed to stormwater management.

• Altrain Energy

The Gardens and People festival is Russia's most prestigious private international exhibition garden competition, primarily aimed at Russian garden and landscape design professionals and students. For foreign professionals, it is an invitation-only competition.

The festival, known in Russian as Sadiludi, is structured around show gardens selected through a competitive process. The construction of these gardens is carried out by industry professionals in collaboration with the designer, following a mutually agreed-upon plan. The role of a foreign designer is to oversee the planting work, though they may choose to supervise other aspects of the project at their discretion.

I received an invitation to participate in the festival competition a couple of years earlier. However, I took more than a year to consider the opportunity before deciding to accept this significant challenge. My previous experience at the Flower Jam festival in Moscow made the decision easier, as it provided me with essential knowledge and skills.

I shared my concept with the competition organizers, and they were highly enthusiastic about it. They promised to help me find a sponsor if I was unable to secure one from Finland. I submitted my competition entry by the deadline, and just two hours later, I was informed that a sponsor had been arranged for me. The sponsor would cover all costs related to the construction of my show garden.

My sponsoring company specialized in rainwater systems and LED lighting. The company's owner, Sergei Melnikov, wanted to promote environmental awareness in Russia. Altrain, the company, also represented LED lighting, making it essential that my garden incorporated a compelling lighting design. We made final adjustments to the lighting plan on the last night, and the end result was quite fascinating.

• Construction and Modifications

Construction began with soil preparation, which was done manually as excavators were not permitted on-site. The canopy structure was pre-fabricated in a workshop and delivered by truck with a lifting crane. Once on location, the elements were assembled, and welding work was inspected. At this stage, all surfaces were still unfinished and had to be processed immediately after installation.

Weather conditions sometimes disrupted the construction schedule, requiring adjustments. However, the biggest modifications were due to plant selection issues—only half of my planned species were available, and substitutions had to be made. Additionally, the garden had to be expanded by 25 m² because the slope behind the canopy could not be constructed as steeply as planned. This expansion resulted in the largest garden in the festival in terms of both size and plant quantity, with a final area of 125 m².

Unexpected challenges also included:The solar energy sphere on the canopy turned out much smaller than planned due to technical difficulties in fabrication. The slate stone for the water feature was of completely different color and size than expected, requiring alternative aesthetic solutions. The canopy roof welds required multiple repairs to prevent water leaks. The final days of painting were affected by continuous heavy rain, forcing us to work under tarps, day and night.

Despite all these changes, we were ultimately satisfied with the final result.

• Team and Division of Work

Understanding my garden design in three dimensions was a challenge even for me. Since I had not yet mastered 3D modeling software, I created a clay model with the help of my mother, allowing me to calculate elevation differences more accurately.

During the detailed design phase, I was assisted by structural engineer Sonja Kukkola, who drafted technical construction drawings and ensured the stability of the structures. However, she was unable to be present on-site for construction supervision. We finalized the material quantities together for procurement.

Because my main sponsor was Altrain, they wanted their name incorporated into the garden’s title. Thus, the fifth element of energy was combined with the sponsor’s name, resulting in “Altrain Energy.” My sponsor paid the organizers the agreed sum for our collaboration, after which they arranged for a professional construction team to build my garden.

I was fortunate to receive an experienced team, who had worked on the festival’s gardens in previous years. The main contractor employed both Ukrainian and Russian subcontractors. The team included general laborers as well as specialized workers such as a metalworker/welder, a painting artist, a gardener, electrical experts, a lighting designer, and installation specialists. The main contractor coordinated all these workers based on my design plans.

Initially, my role was only to oversee the planting work, but as various unexpected changes arose, my presence was required on-site for the entire construction period.

• Awards

The head judges of the competition were James and Helen Basson. I had met James the previous year while working on my special project for Flower Jam 2018.
 
My garden was praised as innovative, bold in color and form, and clearly conveying its underlying narrative. The theme was considered important, and my method of storytelling was engaging. The evening lighting was stunning, and the color scheme of the structure was especially beautiful in twilight. The planting design was well-received, particularly the forest-like section.
 
However, the judges were strict, and I received valuable constructive feedback on my design. One major critique was that my garden was too open, allowing viewers to see almost the entire space from one angle. Another key observation was that using metal in competition gardens in Russia posed risks, as the quality of local welding work was unpredictable and could significantly impact the final outcome.
 
I was awarded an international bronze medal. However, my greatest joy came from the many compliments from colleagues and visitors, who considered my garden the most beautiful work of the entire festival.