ARKA Architects Academy
A program for the next generation of architects.
Learning through real practice, work in architecture studios, and participation in live projects.
First intake
25 places
ARKA is a learning environment where young architects join the professional community and follow a project from concept through working documentation.
Architecture
Composition
Reconstruction
Construction supervision
- 1year of study
- 25places in the first intake
- 3portfolio projects
- 4architecture studios
About the academy
Architectural education embedded in the industry
Contemporary architectural practice is evolving faster than traditional education.
ARKA Architects Academy offers a different learning model.
Young professionals often enter the field without understanding real design processes, BIM environments, cross-discipline collaboration, construction constraints, or how projects are delivered.
The program is built around real architectural practice: studio work, collaborative design, meetings, site visits, and project development in a production environment.
Students learn from practicing architects, studio directors, and specialists who work on contemporary architectural projects every day.
We train architects who can lead an entire project from idea to delivery, not just software users.
BrandbookThe ARKA concept
A system for training contemporary architects
ARKA brings together four core disciplinesthat shape a new generation of professional architects.
Architecture
Design thinking, spatial logic, contextual work, contemporary architectural culture, and a systematic approach to design.
Revit
BIM as a professional design environment: real models, collaborative design, documentation, and production workflows.
Composition
Developing architectural thinking through graphics, sketching, visual culture, proportion, and spatial work.
Construction supervision
Understanding construction delivery, working with contractors and constraints, and controlling project quality.
Who the academy is for
For those ready to enter the profession with purpose
Architecture college graduates
For those who want practical experience and a transition from academic exercises to real projects.
Young architects
For professionals who need production experience and an understanding of a real project environment.
Future BIM specialists
For those who want to work in today's architecture industry and master BIM professionally.
Growth-oriented architects
For those who want to understand design as well as project management, communication, and process organization.
What students gain
More than knowledge: a professional foundation
1
Work in architecture studios
Rotate through several architecture studios and work within professional teams.
2
Real projects
Design projects using current requirements and contemporary approaches.
3
Production-level BIM
Work fully in Revit and BIM 360 / ACC, collaborate on designs, and issue documentation.
4
Understanding the full cycle
From site analysis and concept through design documents, working drawings, and construction.
5
Project-management skills
Communication, client work, team coordination, deadlines, and process organization.
6
Professional portfolio
Two academic projects and one competition project by the end of the program.
7
Public reviews
Present projects to invited experts and the professional community.
8
Guaranteed employment
Internships and recommendations to partner architecture studios after the program.
Curriculum
Learning built around a real architectural process
The program is divided into two semesters and covers the full architectural design cycle, from concept to working documentation.
1
First semester
Light Industrial
Students work on an industrial project while learning the foundations of architectural design, BIM, and project logic.
Analysis
Initial data, the site, urban context, regulatory constraints, and precedent analysis.
Concept
Developing the architectural idea, site placement, functional diagrams, and spatial solutions.
Schematic design
Plans, elevations, sections, a massing model, and architectural presentation.
BIM and design documentation
Moving the project into a BIM environment, producing design documentation, and developing details.
Working documentation
Detailed documentation, specifications, and a complete drawing package.
Disciplines
A program combining architecture, technology, and management
BIM / REVIT
Production-level BIM, collaboration, documentation, standards, worksets, specifications, and working drawings.
Contemporary materials and technologies
Structural systems, façades, energy efficiency, details, and construction delivery.
Project management
Jira, Agile, client communication, deadlines, team management, approvals, and project economics.
Graphic software
Photoshop, architectural presentation, boards, diagrams, infographics, and visual project communication.
Contemporary architecture
Mixed-use typologies, urbanism, public spaces, and the architectural logic of contemporary cities.
Sketching
Hand drawing, architectural sketches, composition, space, and visual awareness.
Code-compliant design
Building codes, fire safety, accessibility, daylight, zoning, and design-documentation requirements.
Analysis software
Daylight, insolation, thermal performance, and the engineering logic of an architectural project.
Practice and studio work
Learning inside a professional environment
ARKA students train inside active architecture studios in Saint Petersburg. The program includes rotations between studios, teamwork, meetings, construction-site visits, and work with real BIM models. Learning takes place within the industry, not apart from it.
Partners
Speakers
Program instructors and mentors
Dmitry Kutuzov
Chief Executive Officer
Anzor Bersirov
First Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Mikhail Kondiain
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Oleg Manov
Chief Executive Officer
Andrey Parfenov
Chief Executive Officer
Sergey Lutchenko
Chief Architect of the Leningrad Region
Alexander Kollyagin
Partner
Denis Ragotis
Chief Architect
Saint Petersburg as part of the learning environment
Saint Petersburg is a city shaped by architecture. Its historic fabric, contemporary construction, urban scale, and architectural culture become part of the learning process.
Students work with the real urban context, visit sites, and study architecture both in the classroom and throughout the city.
City
What an ARKA graduate becomes
By the end of the program, students gain a systematic understanding of contemporary architectural practice and a strong professional foundation.
An ARKA graduate
uses BIM at production level;
understands the full design cycle;
works effectively in a team;
understands the regulatory framework;
can present and defend a project;
understands construction delivery;
ready to work in an architecture studio!
Partnership
The program was developed with SPASK
The academy is being created in partnership with SPASK and architecture studios in Saint Petersburg.
Practicing industry professionals shape the program around the current demands of contemporary architectural practice.
Admissions
First intake ARKA Architects Academy
Format
In person
Saint Petersburg
Duration
1 academic year
Schedule
5 days a week
Intake
25 students
Admission stages
Apply now01
Application
02
Portfolio
03
Motivation letter
04
Interview
Join ARKA Architects Academy
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FAQ
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ARKA is where professionals are made
Contemporary architecture requires more than talent: it demands an understanding of real processes, technology, and teamwork.
ARKA creates an environment where young architects enter the profession through practice, real projects, and work alongside practicing specialists.
