Evolutionary Housing in Ukraine: Part 1 - Research

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EVOLUTIONARY HOUSING FOR POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION IN

UKRAINE

Part I

location: Ukraine
type: master thesis project, teamwork
programs: Revit / Archicad / ArcGis / Adobe Illustrator / Adobe Photoshop / Adobe Indesign / Figma
year: 2023

The post-war reconstruction in Ukraine is a complex task. This study delves into the war's impact across various aspects of life, conducting an analysis of the current situation and proposing a project solution to empower affected individuals in constructing their own homes. The goal is to create a detailed implementation manual, considering regional characteristics and family diversity. Key aspects of the project include affordability, energy efficiency, durability and structural variability.

Our project serves as a narrative, weaving together a story that reveals a key solution for post-war reconstruction in Ukraine. In this part, we delve into our research, delving into the ramifications of war on structures, the environment, familial dynamics, and housing requirements. We also explore climate sensitivity and bioclimatic strategies tailored to specific regions, alongside considerations of building resources.

For a full understanding of the thesis and detailed information, you can explore it by following the link: https://webthesis.biblio.polito.it/29903/

War in Ukraine

The first significant question revolved around the impact of the war on Ukraine—its populace, environment, and infrastructure. Here, we witness the aftermath within Ukraine's infrastructure sector, which has suffered severe damage due to the active shelling of cities. Over 50% of the housing stock in numerous urban and rural areas has been either destroyed or damaged. According to official sources, the direct costs of infrastructure damage for residential buildings amount to 53.6 billion dollars. Approximately 87 million square meters, or 8.6% of the total housing stock, have been affected.

The scale of damage caused by the war to the environment in Ukraine is already extremely high. This map demonstrates different types of disasters that affect nature and public health. As you can see on this diagram Russia’s invasion affects 20% of Ukraine’s natural areas that include air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution due to mines, shelling, explosions.

Last but the most important part is Ukrainians, which face this cruel event. It is a real humanitarian crisis when people loose their homes and properties. In the scale of the migration, according to the statistics, 3.6 million people left Ukraine, 6.5 mln moved within the country. People with damaged housing are 2.3 mln, people with completely destroyed housing are 0.17 mln.

Ukranian Family

It’s undeniable fact that housing is always about people. To create appropriate and comfortable dwellings, we learned Ukranians and Ukrainian family - its characteristics and characters or ‘personas’ and the challenges that they face today. We analyzed official statistics pertaining to population size, composition, and trends, uncovering vital insights to inform our project Our aim is to develop a flexible and adaptable housing solution capable of meeting various needs and scenarios across different contexts.

Plot

The beginning of the process of creating or restoring a «family nest» starts with the plot. Plots in Ukraine are more than just a piece of land,it is a place of the creation of a special environment for family happiness and development. First of all we decided to analyze plots of lands in Ukraine through cadastre. Since they were registered officially, it means that they are more or less similar everywhere in the country and we highlighted the most repeated. For the further development of the project, we took a plot of 25 x 40 m, as it is optimal ratio and prevalence.

Further we considered the plots acquisition, to be aware how people can obtain the piece of land. According to the Land Code of Ukraine, a plot can be obtained in 3 ways: purchase, lease and free gain from the state. As you can notice the function of the acquired site may also be different and also with different sizes.

The organization of plot plays a crucial role in people's lives, as individuals often have distinct parcels tailored to specific functions. As depicted in this illustration, there is a designated plot for residential purposes, which can seamlessly integrate with agricultural and farming areas. Additionally, the layout includes space for harvesting and storage, along with a garage area. This integrated approach ensures optimal utilization of land while catering to diverse needs and activities.

Climate Sensitivity

The climate has a direct influence on the architectural solutions that arise in different regions of Ukraine. The climate is diverse and has significant differences depending on the area. According to Köppen’s classification of climates in the country, there are four climate zones: subarctic climate, humid continental climate, cold steppe climate, humid subtropical climate. The continental climate zone covers most of the territory.

Therefore, for our research and project components, we selected three Ukrainian regions characterized by distinct climatic zones and unfortunately, high levels of destruction. Through our exploration, we identified key features of Ukrainian vernacular architecture and bioclimatic strategies. Much like central European architecture, traditional Ukrainian architectural styles are adept at adapting to the region's climate, which experiences notable seasonal fluctuations.

Building Resources

We discovered the issue about building materials, land use, soils and foundations to reveal important aspects related to possible sustainable construction in Ukraine. Building materials and methods of their use play an important role in our gradual efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. According to the map, which shows building materials production before February 2022, Ukraine produced a variety of building materials. For example, the Chernihiv region produces wall materials and concrete ones, the Kharkiv region has a lot of cement industries and the Mykolaiv region has different small plants of production of wall material and concrete ones. However, based on this map we can consider the appropriate for each of the regions construction strategies.

Based on the map of land use, we can highlight that the sufficient amount of the territory covers with woods, and according to official reports of sold timber on the domestic market harvesting of forest resources satisfied about a third of the needs of the national economy. However, the charts show the significant industrial decline that occurred in 2022 due to the war.

Summing Up

To sum up, our journey to build a new home is like a narrative with distinct chapters. We researched war's impact on buildings, family needs, land acquisition, considered architectural principles, regional climates and materials. Now, moving to the project phase, our goal is a simple, accessible design that reflects our research, emphasizing individual needs.