A residential complex for a cat: children’s architecture workshop was held at "The Birth of Scale" exposition

---

Young participants of the workshop "Modelling — a Prototype with Your Own Hands," held on May 31 at the National Centre RUSSIA, took on the role of industrial designers of cat houses. The event continued the children’s educational programme as part of the architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale."

Together with Pyotr Drozdov, a teacher at the HSE Art and Design School, the children came up with ideas, drew sketches, carried out construction work, and created their very first real models — using materials and techniques employed not only by beginners but also by professional design engineers.

"At this workshop, the children got to be industrial designers for a moment and went through a fast-track journey from an idea to its realisation, using materials that we, as professional designers, also work with. We used cardboard and glue guns — the same tools adults often use in their projects. And cats are always a winning theme, because kids either have pets or love them, which makes it easy to empathise and come up with something. The results are very creative, and some of the children even go on to enrol in our courses after taking part in workshops like this one," said Pyotr Drozdov, the workshop’s instructor, industrial designer at the Artemy Lebedev Studio, and co-founder of the drozd.design studio. 

Thanks to the children’s imagination, the architecture class turned into a place where not just cat houses but entire residential complexes were created — complete with designer entrances, cosy bedrooms, play areas, and separate feeding zones for guests.

Young Sofia designed a house made up of several "blocks." Between them is a huge hammock, where the cat can comfortably relax with family and friends.

"Here she sits, here she eats, here she sharpens her claws, and here she purrs. I hope my cat would love a house like this. I really enjoyed the workshop — everything was so cool and interesting," Sofia shared her impressions of the creative process. 

"The Birth of Scale" architectural exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA reveals the grandeur of Russia through its architectural legacy. The exposition includes both items from the National Centre RUSSIA and pieces provided by museums and private collectors from across the country. Among them are tools used by architects from different eras, blueprints and models, and architectural designs — both those that were successfully built and those that remained bold concepts. A separate section is devoted to the future of Russian architecture: children’s creative studios, student workshops, and works by young architects.

Watch the series of educational lectures of the National Centre RUSSIA by art historian Yelizaveta Likhacheva and learn more about Russian architecture.

Partners of "The Birth of Scale" exposition include DOM.RF, the Ministry of Construction of Russia, Gazprom, the State Research Museum of Architecture named after A. V. Shchusev, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Yakov Chernikhov Architectural Foundation, and the HSE Art and Design School.

You can join a guided tour of "The Birth of Scale" exposition and take part in workshops of the educational programme "Children's Architecture Studios" free of charge by registering in advance on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA: russia.ru. Up-to-date information about the workshops is available in the "Events" section.