Kyiv Architectural Studio Balbek Bureau developed modular buildings that can become a temporary housing for refugees. Modules of different types can be combined with each other and one can increase their number to the size of the town of 8000 inhabitants.

According to the founder of the studio Slava Balbek, the idea of a town is to give people the opportunity to live decent and feel comfort they had at home. The project was called «RE:UKRAINE» which encodes the word refugees, as well as a hint to the need to restore and rebuild the country.

The project was developed in such a way that the town can be built quickly and from the materials that are at hand. This protects a project from the unpredictability of wartime when the supply chains are unstable.

“If there are problems with one option, we switch and continue to work with another,” said the founder.

The basis of temporary housing is a module of 6.6 by 3.3 meters. They are combined into self-sufficient residential sections with common shower rooms, kitchens, and public spaces where residents can rest and communicate with each other. Interiors of modules can be changed under different needs.

Residential sections are combined in blocks, where green zones and children’s playgrounds are planned. By increasing their number, you can build a small town that can take 8,000 people at a time. “The most important thing is that it is really a system for hosting refugees,” explains Slava Balbek.

Now the team is working to create three variants of modular housing from different materials including an option from aluminum panels with isolation to ensure their durability. According to the founder of the studio, materials can endure 20-30 years. However, he hopes that no more than in three years the cities and houses will be restored and the refugees will be able to return to their homes.

The team negotiates with the government and private investors. They hope to start building the town soon, especially in the western regions of Ukraine, which are better protected from the war now.