Kyiv's balbek bureau develops modular town system to support refugees in Ukraine
The innovative solution offers flexible and sustainable housing for displaced individuals and families
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, over 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, with 3.5 million refugees seeking safety abroad and 6.5 million internally displaced persons finding refuge within Ukraine. To address the pressing issue of temporary housing for these individuals, the balbek bureau has developed the RE: UKRAINE modular town system.
The goal of the system is to maintain a decent lifestyle for temporarily displaced Ukrainians, with the understanding that while one's house can be taken away, their dignity cannot. To achieve this, the system has been designed to be flexible, adaptable to different terrains, and quickly implemented to provide housing for families who have spent weeks living in school gyms and metro stations.
At the core of the RE: UKRAINE system is a module with four modifications: residential, kitchen, sanitary, and public. The modules have the same area, regardless of layout, and are grouped into self-sufficient residential sections that have at least one bathroom, kitchen, and a common space for relaxation and socialization.
These residential sections can be grouped into full-fledged neighbourhoods with playgrounds and green areas, and if necessary, can be scaled to the size of a town that can comfortably accommodate over 8,000 people. The construction of the modules is proposed to use a wood-frame system, with the estimated cost of the project ranging from $350-550/m2.
The RE: UKRAINE system targets regions of Ukraine where there is no active conflict, but if space and funding allow, the settlement can be constructed abroad as well. The system is based on the analysis of global experiences in the development, construction, and maintenance of temporary settlements.
In conclusion, the RE: UKRAINE modular town system developed by the balbek bureau aims to provide temporary housing to the millions of Ukrainians who have been displaced due to conflict. The system's flexibility, adaptability, and scalability make it a promising solution to address the urgent need for housing for displaced individuals and families.
More about the RE: UKRAINE system here.
