Smart city: real estate for living well

Imagine a residential building where all appliances, heating, and lighting are controlled through a mobile app or a remote control system. And the smart devices are also in sync with each other, complementing and compensating for each other’s activities. Sounds like fantasy? It’s the reality in Moscow!

It’s no surprise that Moscow ended up on the list of top 5 of the world’s major cities and agglomerations in terms of readiness to introduce new technologies. Things that seemed impossible not so long ago are becoming reality in the Russian capital. This was the main concept behind the conference held by the Moscow Business Club – the theme of the conference was “Smart City: Real Estate for Living.” The conference gathered top managers, the heads of major real estate companies and banks, and analysts. It’s symbolic that the business conference took place at the Smart City IT Center, which was established at VDNKh at the initiative of the Moscow City Government. The participants discussed the concepts of comfortable living with the use of new technologies, taking into account modern consumer preferences.

Alexander Kolontay, Deputy Director of the GenPlan Institute of Moscow, set the tone for the conference. “Modern urban theory is characterized by an emphasis on humanizing the urban environment,” he said. What does this mean? It means that a city shouldn’t be an aggressive jungle made out of concrete and glass, but a comfortable place that is pleasant to live and work in. Where there are parks and squares, playgrounds, and comfortable, safe homes. In Moscow, all of this either already exists or is being created. For example, according to Marina Lubelskaya, First Deputy General Director at Krost, it’s time to start talking about “a new Moscow style of architecture,” thanks to which “our favorite city will become the most beautiful in the world.” “Columns, stucco molding, bionic forms, mosaics – everything that was previously only available for luxury housing and required work by sculptors can be mass produced out of modern construction materials today,” she said, “Advances in construction technologies and the emergence of innovative materials led to the decorativeism of almost all new buildings in Moscow.”

But advanced technologies are doing more than changing the external appearance of buildings in Moscow. They’re also altering what happens inside. Here is what Alexei Gusev, General Director of Glavstroy-Nedvizhimost, said during his speech at the conference: “We’re using the best smart home technologies, giving the consumer a remote control to manage the material world – a smartphone app. Thus, we’re giving people the option to manage their home technology from a distance or order any service without leaving the house. This creates a sense of total comfort and security, which is an integral part of modern life.” Alexey Boldin, Vice President and Director of Sales & Marketing at Leader Invest, expressed similar thoughts – he talked about digital development and the types of smart services the developer is ready to offer to the new generation.

During the conference, the participants were introduced to the Iskra-Park district, which features all the advantages of a modern city district. It includes a modern business center, an administrative office building, and a residential building with 772 apartments. The project’s total area is 229 300 square meters. Conference participants had a chance to appreciate the project’s interesting architecture and the bright, futuristic look of the office building, which was erected with the help of unique construction technologies.

Alexander Poduskov, Director of Development at KR Properties, spoke about the redevelopment of luxury properties in a modern city. “In spite of the technological complexity and higher costs of working with historical buildings, buildings with histories are gaining popularity on the luxury real estate market. They sell faster. Restored historical buildings are becoming a valued part of a modern city.”