COR. MEM. PROF. ARCH. ATANAS KOVACHEV, D.SC. WAS CONFERRED ON THE TITLE OF HONORARY PROFESSOR OF VFU "CHERNORIZETS HRABAR"
09 May 2024
Cor. Mem. Prof. Arch. Atanas Kovachev, D.Sc. - Head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies at Varna Free University was conferred on the title of Honorary Professor of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar". The award was presented to him by the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Varna Free University, Prof. Anna Nedyalkova, D.Sc. by decision of the Academic Council, for a significant contribution to the development of the university, for popularising and strengthening its image and in connection with his 70th anniversary.
Prof. Kovachev was also honoured with the honorary title of Dосtоr Ноnоrіѕ Саuѕа of the University of Forestry, a gold medal of the Russian Academy of Architectural and Construction Sciences, an honorary sign "Marin Drinov" of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. On the occasion of the celebration, congratulatory messages were sent by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, by the Mayor of Karnobat, which is Arch. Kovachev’s hometown, from the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria, from the Union of Architects in Bulgaria, the Union of Landscape Architects, the National Agency for Assessment and Accreditation, etc.
Arch. Atanac Kovachev finished "Vasil Levski" secondary school in Kapnobat with honours, then Architecture at the Higher Engineering and Construction Institute, Sofia and Architecture at the Moscow Institute of Architecture with distinction, where he was a PhD student later. He specialised in Landscape Architecture at the University of Belgrade, Territorial Planning and Urbanism at Sapienza University of Rome, Urbanism and Urbanism Ecology at the Moscow Architectural Institute, Landscape Architecture at the Moscow Institute of Forestry. He has a PhD in Architecture, PhD in Architectural Sciences; he is a corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2008). Arch. Atanac Kovachev is also a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, professor at the International Academy of Architecture, Sofia, professor of the International Academy of Architecture, Moscow.
Individually or as a team leader, he has worked on more than 170 projects, plans and investment projects, most of which have been implemented.
Over half of them have been won in different competitions since 1980, including for Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Kardzhali, Pleven, Svishtov, Pravets, Shabla, Pirdop, Chirpan and for more than 10 other municipalities. Some of the master plans were developed for the first time in the 50-year-old history of industrial installations (Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant), or in the over 140-year-old history of Urban parks (Borisova gradina Park in Sofia).
Among park panning projects, developed under the guidance of Prof. Atanac Kovachev are structural scheme of South Park -3 part in Sofia, Mir I Druzhba Park in Sofia, Kazarmite Park in Sevlievo, Arpexos-north and Business park, Kardzhali, Sarafovo park in Burgas, Artileriiski park in Stara Zagora.
As a team c leader he worked on a total of 8 different operational programmes for universities, parks and pedestrian zones in Sofia, Pernik, Smolyan.
He has held the position of dean of the Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture in the University of Forestry and at VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" - dean of the Faculty of Architecture, chairperson of state examination boards, head of expert groups for institutional accreditations (University of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy, Sofia and Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”, Varna), accreditations of the professional areas of majors from the regulated professions, of habilitation councils, academic councils, etc.)
Individual and collective winner of awards, among which the Building of the Year National Award in Education and Sport category for the project Modernization of the Library and Information Centre, Introduction of Energy Efficiency Measures and Building of Accessible Architectural Environment In The University of Forestry, Sofia.
His publications include 31 monographs, textbooks, dictionaries and books of reference in Bulgaria and abroad, over 370 scientific studies, papers, reports. Among the most cited publications in the Bulgarian language is "Urban planning. Part 1. Fundamentals of the Theory and Practice of Urban Planning", "Sofia's Green System. Urbanistic aspects", "Spatial Planning" (second main revised and updated edition), "Thesaurus of
Architecture, Urbanism, Spatial Planning, Local Self-Government, Immovable Property" (in co-authorship with K. Kalinkov), etc.
Arch. Atanas Kovachev is an honorary member of the Ukrainian Academy of Architecture, an honorary citizen of Karnobat, an honorary professor of Moscow Institute of Architecture. He is a recipient of many honorary certificates of achievement and diplomas, and other distinctions and nominations in various international and national conferences.
