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. 

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, and bathrooms that can accommodate the needs of those with newborn children. The firm shares: "The main task we have set ourselves is to maintain a decent lifestyle for temporarily displaced Ukrainians [...] it is possible to take away one's house but never one's dignity."

Future inhabitants of RE: UKRAINE will have spent the past weeks sheltered in school gymnasiums, libraries, subway stations, or even sleeping on the street. Some have even lost their lives huddled in the basements of historic structures, such as this month's tragic incident at a drama theater in Mariupol.

Now, with space and time serving as a complicating factor, the team seeks to implement its systems across areas of Ukraine where there is no active combat. Each module layout measures 6.6 m x 3.3 m (21.6 ft x 10.8 ft) and is grouped into sections. They are then grouped into larger neighborhood-type formations, creating a scalable concept that can accommodate more than 8,000 people. 

The firm analyzed a myriad of examples of temporary settlements for displaced refugees to develop a malleable system that can be used in different geographical conditions, climates, and densities. The result is a wood-framed construction that can be easily assembled at the cost of $350–500 per square meter. 

"Because time plays against us, the system is designed to be implemented in a short amount of time," the studio explains. "Families who have spent several weeks sheltering in school gyms and metro stations need to find homes as soon as possible, even if those homes are temporary."

Balbek Bureau is now in the process of gaining state approval and selecting construction sites. The firm also mentions, "provided there is space and funding, the settlement can be constructed abroad as well." More details can be found here.