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Online construction tool for the restoration of rural houses in Ukraine
design

Online construction tool for the restoration of rural houses in Ukraine

Hype&Hyper · 11 04 2023

According to the latest report by the KSE Institute, 131,400 private homes in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed in the Russian-waged war. Although Ukraine’s allies are supporting local reconstruction initiatives, most households in rural areas are left to rebuild on their own. The latest development by the architectural firm balbek bureau aims to solve this problem. Their online tool, RE:Ukraine Villages, not only makes the restoration of private houses more accessible but also seeks to preserve the characteristic identity of Ukrainian villages.

Since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine, the architectural studio balbek bureau has been responding to the challenges of the war with various projects. Their series of non-profit initiatives is called RE:Ukraine System, and their latest development RE:Ukraine Villages is part of this.

To preserve the image of Ukrainian villages and revitalize them, the balbek bureau team launched an expedition to the de-occupied settlements of the Kyiv region in June 2022. The architects recorded both damaged and intact dwellings with cameras to examine façades, roofing, windows, and other unique architectural elements. After analyzing the findings and conducting further research, the team collected recurring common features. The resulting dataset was then turned into an online tool using an algorithm they developed.

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The resulting online building tool, RE:Ukraine Villages, allows anyone to rebuild their home or design a new one from scratch with little help. After completing all the steps, users receive a ready-to-use manual: a pdf file with plans, drawings, technical specifications, and other material recommendations. “Our efforts will not be in vain if the RE:Ukraine Villages volunteer project succeeds at simplifying the process of rebuilding or repairing at least one village house, making it our personal contribution to preserving the soul and identity of our villages,” says the studio’s website.

RE:Ukraine Villages currently features 211,680,000 unique house configurations for the Kyiv region alone. To add new areas affected by the full-scale war to the online constructor, the non-profit initiative needs financial support.

RE:Ukraine Villages | Web
balbek bureau | Web | Facebook | Instagram

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