The new "Sirius" educational complex is a unique project located within the federal territory of Sirius, in the Sochi urban agglomeration. This area is being developed as part of a strategy to create one of Russia's key centers for sports, education, and science & technology. The complex comprises a school for 2,500 students, a kindergarten for 320 children, and public spaces, forming an essential element of the territory's educational and social infrastructure. The ambition to create the best school in Russia has driven us to adopt the most advanced pedagogical concepts, sustainable solutions, and tools for building urban communities.
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The distinctive characteristics of the site—its elongated shape and immediate proximity to the ornithological park—have defined the core concept of the project: architectural integration of the urban environment with the surrounding natural landscape. Instead of a single, continuous building, a cluster structure was chosen, dividing the complex into several functionally specialized volumes: kindergarten blocks, an elementary school combined with a community and recreation center, and a high school. These functional zones are interconnected by terraces, pedestrian bridges, and carefully considered spatial zoning, creating the image of a miniature city with diverse morphology and intuitive wayfinding.
The central compositional element is a public boulevard, which provides open access to the buildings via separate, isolated entrances from the street, including dedicated entrances to the libraries and workshops of both the elementary and high schools. Entrance groups from the boulevard are also organized for the sports facilities, including a swimming pool located within the kindergarten area. This spatial solution unlocks the potential of the educational complex as a new public zone for the district. At the same time, to ensure a safe infrastructure for younger students, enclosed passages are provided between the elementary school buildings and the standalone kindergarten.
School classrooms and common areas are organized around central public spaces—multi-story atriums that create a dynamic, multifunctional environment for communication, learning, and recreation. This architectural solution fosters the development of internal communities, which is a key factor in promoting social integration and creative interaction among students in large educational centers. In addition to traditional classrooms, the complex features specialized technical clusters that support innovative educational scenarios, project-based learning, and extracurricular activities.
The architectural solutions also take into account the climatic and geo-technical characteristics of the region: the seismic resistance of the structures is designed to withstand forces up to 9 on the Richter scale, while the site's topography has been adapted to prevent flooding by elevating the building levels. Special attention has been given to the project’s ecological sustainability, implemented through the use of terraces that compensate for the limited site area and create additional play and educational zones. The orientation of the buildings and their volumetric-spatial composition have been optimized considering solar exposure and prevailing wind conditions, enhancing student comfort and expanding their learning opportunities.
Moreover, the complex pursues energy efficiency objectives: sunshades and a double facade act as screens, solar panels are installed on the roofs, and a natural ventilation system reduces energy consumption for maintaining an optimal indoor climate.
The landscape design incorporates numerous zones for study, sports, and recreation, along with extensive greenery that seamlessly transitions into the adjacent park, which features educational areas dedicated to the study of rare plant species. Wind protection elements, such as bamboo plantings, have been integrated into the landscape composition to ensure comfort in the outdoor spaces.
Beyond its educational function, the complex serves as a major community hub for the district, offering a variety of spaces for exhibitions, public events, workshops, and laboratories. The flexible layout allows for spatial transformation to accommodate different usage scenarios, ensuring the building’s functional resilience over the long term. Of particular importance is the conference hall with an 800-seat capacity and a separate entrance, designed to host scientific conferences, lectures, and large-scale events.
The Sirius educational complex reflects the latest global trends in the design of modern educational environments: the creation of open public spaces and multifunctional infrastructure, consideration of the climatic conditions of the southern region, and the use of environmentally sustainable technologies. These include detailed solar exposure analysis, the integration of renewable energy sources, and seismic-resistant construction. The project is intended to act as a catalyst for the development of the entire district, strengthening its position as a promising center for science, technology, and education.
| Location | Russia, Krasnodar Krai, Federal Territory Sirius |
| Project development | 2024 |
| Site area | 5.8 ha |
| Total area | 73 800 m2 |
| Total school area | 49820,3 m2 |
| Total kindergarten area | 6630,6 m2 |
| Number of floors | 4 |
| Building height | 25 m |
| Project Team | Anton Nadtochiy, Vera Butko, Petr Alimov, Anna Vorobyova, Anastasia Galutkina, Artem Karpets, Ekaterina Kotlova, Olga Yefimova, Olga Kozak, Diana Mingazova, Yana Oshkina, Ivan Khripkov, Nikita Rybin, Yuri Uymanov, Yulia Mazurova, Almira Shagiakhmetova |
