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Kyiv-based Balbek Bureau develops modular refugee shelters for displaced Ukrainians

2022-03-29T16:58:00-04:00

With more than 3.7 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country and another 6.5 million internally displaced, architects in Ukraine have been hard-pressed to put their skills to work by creating the necessary shelters and accommodations required for those uprooted by the brutal Russian war machine.

One such firm at the forefront of this effort is Kyiv-based balbek bureau, an award-winning 70-member practice whose peacetime portfolio ranges from retail and residential spaces to corporate offices, hotels, restaurants, and wellness centers. Led by its founder Slava Balbek, the team has pivoted to the refugee crisis with a new project for temporary housing titled RE: UKRAINE.

Rendered image © Balbek Bureau.

The modular town system is meant to provide a modicum of dignity for their fellow citizens via the expedited delivery of an adjustable set of structures centered around four basic elements: private rooms, public recreation areas, adequate kitchens, an...

Balbek Bureau morphs 100-year-old church into contemporary cultural center

2019-12-11T18:56:00-05:00

Located in a bustling area of the city, historic San Francisco landmark #204, The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been repurposed into a multi-functional architectural complex. Intended to be a launchpad for young startups to live, work, socialize, and develop with like-minded people, Kyiv-based Balbek Bureau imagined a multi-use space that could be used for events such as lectures, hackathons, presentations, exhibitions, and more.

The design group had to analyze and restore portions of the space in accordance with its historical past and had to be sure that any modifications proposed did not disturb the exterior envelope of the building. Primarily an interiors project, Balbek Bureau sought to emphasize the the architectural historicity of the space by contrasting it with inherently modern shapes, shown through the furniture and other additions to the main hall.

As a whole, the complex includes a three-level residential building, now a co-living space, a freestanding education c...