Lerato took part in the International Building Challenge: ‘It’s fantastic to work with people from a different culture

In May, students from Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy (both in Russia), University of Westminster (UK), VIVES University of Applied Sciences (Belgium) and Saxion University of Applied Sciences participated in the International Building Challenge. Over two weeks, the students attended lectures and took part in masterclasses and practical training, after which they worked in groups on a case of their choice. One of the participants from Saxion was Lerato, who studies Construction Management. Working together with her group, she produced an ‘urban plan’ for Melnica Space, a former farming area just outside Moscow. ‘The client wanted to turn this into a tech hub, and although there was already a plan, we were given the opportunity to contribute ideas. How would you develop an area like this?’

One of the ideas they worked on was a bread sharing concept. ‘Melnica Square was once used for flour production. We also turned it into a kind of Silicon Valley 2.0 and provided the floor plans and models for it. As a participant, you could choose from various assignments and this was my first choice, as urban planning is exactly the direction I want to go in. It was great to be involved in this full time for two weeks. Although it was intense, it was definitely a positive experience.’

Other ideas

In another group was Russian student Avagyan, who studies at Moscow State University of Civil Engineering. He and his group were also tasked with breathing new life into a building in Moscow. ‘We wanted to preserve the historical character of the building,’ he says on a Zoom call. ‘So, we thought of building a museum on the ground floor and putting some flats, cafés, shops, and a supermarket on the second floor.’

He participated in the International Building Challenge mainly to learn how to work more effectively with other people, but also to brush up on his English. During the interview, he relies on Google Translate to communicate. ‘By taking part in international projects like this, I can practise speaking English. All in all, it was a great experience and amazing to work with Dutch and other students. They have a lot of knowledge, and also have ideas that differ from mine.’

Missed out on a nice trip

The fact that not all the Russian students had a good level of English made communication a bit difficult at times, including for Lerato. ‘But despite the language barrier, I loved working with people from a different culture. It’s very clear that they learn in a different way from us. People in the Netherlands are more direct, including when giving criticism. Personally, I appreciate being told when something’s not right, but I’m aware that people in other countries avoid the topic.’

Lerato learned a lot from the project. ‘This idea of conceptual thinking isn’t something we focus on a lot in our programme, and we never have to be so creative. This challenge was very creative, sometimes very conceptual, but fortunately that’s how my brain works. It’s also great to work with people from other disciplines, as that’s what we as architects will have to do in the professional field in the future. However, it was also stressful. ‘Especially as I had to take over the role of team captain at one point. But it was very fun and educational, even though everything was online. Imagine how amazing it would’ve been if we’d been allowed to go to Moscow,’ she says, laughing. ‘We missed out on a nice trip!’