Saturday 28 June

09:00 - The architect's gather to hear a presentation from Marc Verdier, Professeur à l'Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de NANCY. Marc provides a detailed look at the site that has been selected for the new village. Sergei Zubar, Vice Mayor (Administration) of Cherepovets, speaks about the history of the town and its prospects for the future.

11:30 - After a coffee break the four teams gather in their separate rooms and start the process of developing the master plan. Team Eero Saarinen begins with a long discussion about fundamental issues such as "what is sustainable development actually?". It is quickly apparent that there are some strong opinions and more than a few cultural differences.

11:50 - Team Eero Aarnio held a short discussion at the beginning of the process and now they have started to draw. Banter flies back and forth, pens, paper and ideas are exchanged. These guys are having too much fun.

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12:10 - Team Eero Aarnio held a short discussion at the beginning of the process and now they have started to draw. Banter flies back and forth, pens, paper and ideas are exchanged. These guys are having too much fun.

12:20 - Team Eliel Saarinen started drawing right from the start. The team works individually and extremely quietly, careful not to disturb each other. The work looks interesting but how it will come together?12:50 - A quick visit to Eero Saarinen confirms the discussion is as heated as ever. Luckily it is time for lunch!

14:00 - Eliel Saarinen are still quiet and working studiously. There are an awful lot of drawings around but precious little conversation.

14:30 - Eliel Saarinen are still quiet and working studiously. There are an awful lot of drawings around but precious little conversation.

14:30 - Alvar Aalto have sat down but every now and then one or more of them stand up and have an animated conversation. A couple of the team members are highly proficient with their laptops and soon CAD is in use. Changes are tested quickly and adapted depending on the team's reaction.

15:00 - Eero Aarnio are hard at work but there seems to be a good exchange of conversation and more than a little laughter. After a session of individual planning the team have come together. Taking the best of the individual work they are developing a single vision.

15:30 - Eero Aarnio are hard at work but there seems to be a good exchange of conversation and more than a little laughter. After a session of individual planning the team have come together. Taking the best of the individual work they are developing a single vision.

15:30 - Eero Saarinen are still talking though there are a few drawings about. Two of the team members who do not share a language are exchanging a small plan between them, building on each other's ideas. Is this all the team will have to present tomorrow?

16:00 - Eliel Saarinen are talking now, combining their individual plans into one and are starting to think about their presentation tomorrow.

16:15 - Eero Aarnio have started to plan the presentation and where they will work later in the evening. Still too much good humour. Where's the angst?

16:30 - Eero Saarinen are drawing frantically. The discussion goes on but there seems to have been a breakthrough. But is it too late?

17:00 - It is time to clear out three of the rooms as they are needed by the hotel. Two teams elect to continue in one room, another leaves for a nearby office, while the fourth team heads back to the hotel.

Sunday 29 June

09:00 - The teams are back and working frantically on their presentations as the Jury visits. The spirit in all the teams is high but the questions from the Jury point out some less obvious flaws in the plans. Is there still time to make a change?

10:00 -  Eero Saarinen are smiling. Everyone seems to be supporting yesterday's grand idea for the master plan and there is a quiet confidence in the group. But is this just the eye of the storm?

10:30 - Alvar Aalto still sit down and stand up for no apparent reason but it seems to help. The computers are working overtime.

11:00 - Eero Aarnio continue to joke around. They seem to be well prepared.  

12:00 - Eero Saarinen show no nerves as they put the finishing touches to their work. There are even a few smiles.

14:00 - The presentations start and by 17:00 they are voting for their favourite. Each team member has been given a ballot paper that excludes the name of their own team. The votes are cast and the count begins....

20:30 - And the winner is... Eero Aarnio! With one vote between first and second I wonder if the different approaches made a difference. All the teams came together once they started drawing. Architect's think in pictures so perhaps it is no surprise. But I can't help thinking that perhaps Eero Aarnio's good humour and conversation earned them that extra vote.