Creators of space objects: when will Russia start training architects for extraterrestrial missions?
Natalia Klimova:
‘Architecture and space, both have no boundaries. But somewhere these systems must intersect. I think we are just at the beginning of a glorious endeavour. These are such ambitious tasks - from training to international dialogue - ICM ARCH is solving, creating the basis for breakthrough projects’.
On 25 April in Moscow within the framework of the II International Congress of Young Architects and Designers MKM ARCH 2025 during the workshop ‘Space Inspector: Check in Orbit’ a round table was held. The event, organised on the platform of the Moscow Humanitarian and Technological University - Moscow Architectural and Construction Institute (MSTU-MASI), reaffirmed its key role in shaping professional trends. The participants discussed the training of technical and creative professionals for the space industry, a topic that became a logical continuation of the mission of the ARCH ICM: to strengthen the link between education, industry and international co-operation.
The round table brought together leading experts from education, space industry, architecture and design. The discussion emphasised the need for systematic professional training, where the ARCH MCM acts as an important platform for the integration of knowledge and practices.
The panellists of the discussion were:
- Natalia Klimova (Head of the Organising Committee of the A.V. Kuzmin Council of Chief Architects of the Subjects of the Russian Federation, Advisor to the RAASN) and roundtable moderator;
- Anastasia Medvedeva (UN expert on asteroid safety, organiser of the CosMos festival);
- Valeria Barashkova (Sales and Marketing Director of Aerospace Capital LLC);
- Sergey Smirnov (industrial designer, General Director of Smirnov Design LLC);
- Elena Orlova (President of the Science, Art and Technology Foundation);
- Elena Bulgakova (Head of the Department of Architecture, Moscow State Technical University-MASI, Advisor of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Architecture Sciences);
- Alexei Baranov (Head of the School of Design of the National Research University MSCU);
- Yulia Bogolyubova (senior lecturer of MIIGAiK);
- Danil Voronin (Head of the Laboratory of Urban Planning Problems at ITMO);
- Kirill Vasin (architect, lecturer at MSTU-MASI);
- Alaa Abushreitakh (architect-urbanist, postgraduate student of MSCU).
The key topics of discussion are:
1. Interdisciplinarity as a basis for training. Participants emphasised that the integration of creative and technical disciplines is a key principle that ICM ARCH consistently develops through its stages: ‘Safe City’, “Sporty City” and “Creative City”. Elena Bulgakova noted: ‘The emotion that architecture brings to space projects is not a luxury, but a necessity. And such projects require in-depth professional training, which is provided by platforms like MKM ARCH’.
2. Adaptation of educational programmes. The introduction of space design courses and internships in companies was proposed. Valeria Barashkova added: ‘Already now student projects presented at the congress are becoming the basis for real solutions. Next year we plan to scale this experience through the new stages of MCM ARCH’.
3. Popularisation of space through culture. Elena Orlova: ‘Art and education are two wings that raise interest in space. The Congress knows how to connect these directions’.
4. International co-operation. Alaa Abushreitakh: ‘Russia can become a leader in creating space settlements, and the ARCH ICM is a point of attraction for global experts and young specialists’.
Recommendations:
- Creation of inter-university programmes with the participation of Roscosmos on the basis of methodologies worked out within the framework of IADC ARCH;
- Organisation of competitions for students to design space objects;
- Conducting internships in private and state space companies;
- Integration of neural networks and artificial intelligence into educational processes without losing the creative component.
Prospects:
The participants agreed to form a working group to develop a roadmap for co-operation between universities and the space industry. The final proposals will be sent to Roscosmos, the Ministry of Education and Science and specialised committees of the State Duma. Natalia Klimova noted that such initiatives will become the basis for scaling up the ICM ARCH project in 2026, with the expansion of geography and thematic tracks.
At the end of the discussion, the moderator emphasised: ‘Architecture and space require not only bold ideas, but also a professional base. This is exactly why the IADC was created - so that young professionals could grow in dialogue with the industry, and their projects could change the future’.
ICM ARCH 2025 is a platform for dialogue between young professionals, experts and industry, aimed at the formation of current educational and professional trends in architecture and design. Already in 2026 the project will be scaled up: new formats of cooperation, international collaborations and deepening of interdisciplinary research will be the next steps of the congress.
