Fighting a war comes at the expense of ordinary citizens of the country. It takes away shelter from a person and forces one to flee away from the place they are born and brought up to be in a safer place. Ukraine is in the same position due to the invasion of Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, stated that efforts to rebuild Ukraine will require “colossal investments”. Local architects have already started building emergency housing, healthcare, and educational facilities in cities farther from the Russian border as leaders meet to develop a “Marshall plan” to rebuild the country.
Drozdov & Partners have been coming up with temporary solutions to make shelters for the displaced citizens of Ukraine in Lviv using school campuses and other large-scale facilities as temporary housing. Around 132 individuals were housed in the first shelter built by the Children and Youth Sports School architecture firm. There were after the construction of more than 15 shelters throughout the city. One of the project’s essential components was adapting the existing buildings to shelter the citizens through private-public partnerships. Temporary rapid fixes predicted to cause issues shortly had to be rejected.
Over 7.1 million individuals are thought to have been internally displaced within Ukraine since the start of the war. UNESCO has confirmed damage to 139 monuments as of May 30. These sites include 62 religious structures, 12 museums, 26 historic buildings, 17 buildings used for cultural events, 15 museums, and seven libraries, with Kyiv suffering the most significant impact. After months of unabated hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, which negatively affected both urban and rural areas.
Early on, a large number of displaced citizens sought refuge in western Ukraine, where combat has been less fierce. Children languishing in strange environments are crammed into shelters for refugee families and youngsters in Warsaw, Poland, and internally displaced children in Lviv. The war even led the Kharkiv- based architectural office to move to the city of Lviv. Like the rest of the population, the firm began volunteering during the first few days of the conflict, primarily in logistical and fundraising efforts. However, as soon as the second week of the battle started, the firm resumed its architectural duties.
The main goal was to create a comfortable environment for the citizens. They developed furniture alternatives for the centers and tested various styles. They concentrated on the solution of Shigeru Ban‘s modular cardboard pipe frameworks, which can be recycled, reused, and is simple to install. In various parts of Lviv, accommodations have been set up for more than 440 people. Requests for thirteen centers in different Ukrainian cities have already been received, and hence, vast voids will transform into oases of hope.
After analyzing the scenario, they enlarged and refined the current concept by designing modular kitchens that would significantly improve the shelter inhabitants’ living conditions. They worked to develop practical and durable kitchens that could be utilized by other institutions after the war, according to the premise that all the materials used in the project must be recyclable and multipurpose. The project is now on hold because of a funding shortfall. Even though this isn’t a brand-new house, it is a place where people may feel secure and at ease.
Most of us today require compassionate privacy, respect, and sensitivity toward one another. Besides creating shelters for internally displaced citizens, these architects face problems running their offices. The war has affected a lot of businesses throughout the country. Even architectural offices are facing issues in finding projects. Many studios are desperate for commissions from international clients since there is a severe lack of work at home and uncertainty about when it will restart.
References:
- Stouhi, D. “Drozdov & Partners is Transforming Schools into Temporary Shelters for Internally Displaced People in Ukraine” 04 Jul 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed 4 Jul 2022. URL: https://www.archdaily.com/984704/drozdov-and-partners-is-transforming-schools-into-temporary-shelters-for-internally-displaced-people-in-ukraine
- Barker, N. (2022). Ukrainian studios ‘need support from international clients now’ to survive war. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/29/ukraine-war-architecture-design-international-clients/ [Accessed 4 Jul. 2022].
