We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Dmitry Pozarenko ("DP").
Architect Dmitry Pozarenko 1986 – 1992 – Ural State University of Architecture and Arts (USUAA). Department of Industrial Design. Chair of Industrial Art. Since 1993 –Architectural and interior design specialist, implementation of residential and public use projects. Since 2008 – Lead Architect for the Dmitry Pozarenko Architectural Bureau. Achievements: 2015-2016, Golden A'Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category. 2015-2016, Silver A'Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category. 2019-2020, Silver A'Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category Laureate and GRAND PRIX Winner at the All-Russia INTERIA AWARDS 2015 Interior Design Contest. Nominee for the INTERIA AWARDS 2012 Contest. Laureate of the INTERIA AWARDS 2011 Contest. Creative Motto: "Architecture is 25 thousand compromises that are supposed to create a thing of beauty".
Dmitry Pozarenko Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Dmitry Pozarenko.
Dmitry Pozarenko Design - Sense of Forest Perfumery Supermarket
Dmitry Pozarenko Design - Nostalgia Perfumery Store
Designer Interview of Dmitry Pozarenko:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
DP : I’ve been painting since I was ten years old, went to children’s art schools, therefore, choosing education, I chose professions in which my artistic skills were in demand. When I entered the USUAA (Ural State Architectural and Artistic University), I chose the direction of Design.
DI: What is "design" for you?
DP : Design for me is a prism through which I look at the world. It can also be compared to a movie - you watch a movie and you either believe in the naturalness of the events and it carries you away, or you don’t believe it and you think it’s a fake. Design is the point of application of my strength, that is where I can be effective.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
DP : I like to do what I’m good at. I make beautiful shops and private residences.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
DP : I love product design. The equipment of the stores that I designed is also made by me. The interior of the residences I designed is also filled with objects executed according to my drawings.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
DP : I have been working for the same company for a long time. The first thing I was asked to design was a drywall ceiling with an area of 50 square meters. It was necessary from the already existing space to continue the plastic line into the new space. And I took the job with enthusiasm.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
DP : Now it is difficult to imagine a design without three-dimensional models. Autodesk 3ds Max and Revit are the main tools. However, a huge number of drawings are hand-executed - and this is a primary: you can build a volumetric model only when you know what and how you want to build.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
DP : When I got enough sleep. And when I’m pinned down. Not necessarily by timing, but also by circumstances. For example, suddenly during the design process it turns out that a huge plume of communications passes through the whole space and it’s impossible to remove it - and this is where the time comes for some amazing ideas.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
DP : I pay attention to all aspects of design, but most of all - to the function. For me, everything should be justified by the function. Apparently, the long design period with a limited budget affects.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
DP : Design is not just about the constant bursts of dopamine. It is also a frustration from rejected first-class solutions, apathy, when everything went wrong, the work of a whole working week is crossed out and it is necessary to start all over again ...
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
DP : The realization of a beautiful project is a sweet feeling. At such moments it is very strongly felt that thought is material.
DI: What makes a design successful?
DP : When I’m designing, I always try to tell a story. It’s like in a movie: there is a time and a place for narration, and it’s better not to stray from the genre. Eclecticism requires extra effort and resources, and therefore is given to a few.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
DP : The first criterion is whether an attractive image has been created. If so, by what means. What was the idea, how was it developed in the course of the project.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
DP : Design and architecture are experiencing a quiet, but very tangible, technological evolution. Volumetric modeling will grow by leaps and bounds. Programs will become smarter and more powerful, and soon, after five clicks on different pictures, any consumer will be able to get a visual concept to his taste. In other words, I think that living designers have a “golden decade”. "Golden" - because the inhabitants of the planet are becoming richer and their demands in the field of design are growing steadily. In the end, only well-known and eminent bureaus will remain, since all super-expensive projects will need exclusivity, in addition, investors of such projects will be interested in the supercompetence of performers. All low-budget projects will be executed by programs.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
DP : Inspiration is “given” by customers. They say, “I want it like that!” And then you go around and think: "Lord ... How to do this in such a way that it also becomes beautiful..."
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
DP : Probably my style in design is architectonics. If I put the pipe upright, then I will definitely take care of what it stands on and what it comes into. Sometimes it seems to me that I have been creating support and beam structures all my life, only in design.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
DP : I live in Yekaterinburg. This is the third city in Russia in terms of financial flows. The place of life certainly leaves its mark on the design. When I design a house, I strive to make it «local». But the technology influences the design even more, I mean the ability to manufacture something on the spot. Fortunately, metalworking is not bad in Yekaterinburg. With regard to cultural heritage, one of the two projects submitted to the A’Design Award in 2020 is dedicated to this - its name Nostalgia speaks for itself. The project is a story about our recent industrial past, when faith in a bright future dawned on all of humanity. Therefore, the reconstruction of images of the 60-70s gives rise to a special atmosphere of warmth and community of people.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
DP : A company should realize that its competencies are very far from design and architecture. I would choose specialists or bureaus awarded in the most prestigious competitions, a and then review their work and mark the favored ones. At the junction of these two criteria “designs - awards”, I would make my choice.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
DP : The most valuable advice I could give today is to work at a good bureau. This experience is invaluable. And even if you outperform your teachers, remember, it was they who influenced your professional growth, created a special environment in which your brain learned to solve creative problems.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
DP : The plus is obvious - you enjoy a beautifully executed project, it’s even more pleasure to drink tea in a fully implemented project. Minus - you will never become rich ... I mean - really rich. There are no designers or architects on the Forbes list. At best, you will earn very well.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
DP : The first. Do not believe the pictures, check all the textures with your own hands. Second. Do not believe the small samples, in the mass everything will look different. Do not paint the meter, paint the wall. Third. Do not be afraid to remake - this is a much lesser evil than a mediocre result.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
DP : Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Revit. Nothing spurs inspiration more than the need to turn in work on time.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
DP : Timing helps! The best system for me is an hour and a half of work and a twenty-minute break.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
DP : Why is it so expensive?! And I have to explain that such a detail has never existed up to that point… I had to take a sheet of steel, cut the strips with water, then weld them, then sand them, and then cover them with a tint varnish to create the desired effect.