A new project aimed at improving the educational experience of Ukrainian schoolchildren is helping students at the Kharkiv School of Architecture participate in their country’s concerted response to an infrastructure crisis that began in February 2022 and has seen the destruction of an estimated 331 educational institutions nationwide, thus far. 

The "First-Aid Spatial Kit" initiative is being taught as part of the school’s first-year construction practice curriculum and allows students to develop copyable designs for various interventions (furniture, pavilions, play spaces, etc.), which, in turn, can be implemented using readily-available materials by affected school districts looking for “self-help” solutions in rebuilding.

Over the course of four weeks, students developed a suite of six solutions that were also marked by a consideration for accessibility and universal design. Each of those proffered can be delivered on-site and without the need for any special construction equipment. Instructions left for their assembly include material calculations, drawings, and related descriptions. The school says all will be made available via an open-access library that’s set to expand as the project grows.

The six projects are described as follows:

Soft Collider
Students: Olha Kozachenko, Volodymyr Petryk, and Danyil Semenchuk

"Many schools lack common spaces for student interaction, which contradicts the principles of modern education. The Soft Collider project is an attempt to create such spaces for spontaneous student communication in order to develop their soft skills. Based on the principle of universality, the project can have different configurations and adapt to various contexts. Different combinations of modules create countless scenarios. In the largest configuration (3000x3000 mm), it allows for conducting lessons in small groups, finding solitude, having meals together, and organizing or observing spontaneous play activities. The presence of hammocks in protected and separated zones provides privacy. The different levels of the structure ensure a wide range of interaction scenarios."

Rest, relaxation
Students: Anastasiia Irtiuha, Dmytro Mykhalov, and Yegor Nikolenko

"At the initial stage of work on the project, the team operationalized the concept of 'rest, relaxation' and investigated what form a separate activity in the form of furniture, pavilions, etc., can take. It was important to take into account individual needs and space limitations, as well as ensure safety and ease of use when designing furniture for relaxing. So the main principles of the team's work were: modular design, ease of transfer, strength and stability of the structure, and adjustable elements. The goal of the project is to create an opportunity for assembling furniture, even for children. That is why the idea of a modular chair that can be transformed arose. The chair consists of four main modules: back, seat, and side parts. The chair is easily placed in corridors, in the yard, and it can also be placed in a classroom. The ease of assembly is provided by the colored connections: the child can associate the color with a comfortable position."

Usamitnen
Students: Olga Demydiuk, Myroslava Kudelia, and Yakiv Rozov

"The project was formed based on research conducted in Ukrainian schools, which revealed a lack of spaces for solitude and recreational areas. Students mostly spend their time in classrooms and do not have the opportunity to switch to something else beyond the classroom space. The idea of the project is to improve the productivity of users, their emotional state, and develop self-reflection skills. Tranquility, absence of household noise, a hiding place, personal time, and the ability to assume a comfortable body position all contribute to solitude. The project solution became an armchair-recliner that mimics the shape of the human body and has an additional wall that separates the user from external stimuli. The construction material consists of two layers of wooden plywood: the first layer is 15 mm thick (the main frame), and the second layer is 4 mm thick, which, due to its flexibility, creates a seating area. The mobility and stability of the material allow the object to be used both indoors and outdoors."

Nomad School
Students: Mykola Bykov, Yanina Kyryniuk, and Oleksandra Sira

"The goal of the project is to make furniture for learning portable and minimize its quantity. This will help address the problem of limited learning space, inefficient use of corridor space, lack of funds for furniture procurement, and the need for quick shelter during air alerts. The key design principle of the project is to provide students with the ability to transport furniture outdoors, to shelters, or home. The workstation consists of a folding chair and two sizes of a support board — one for adults and one for children. The furniture can be easily made by oneself using simple materials and basic tools."

Active Recreation
Students: Maryna Lavrenyuk, Danylo Nepochatov, and Nikita Shulga

"The goal of the 'Balansun' project is to provide active recreation for children at school, which helps develop their independence through play. Children can manually create games using the available items in the box. Active recreation is important for students as it allows them to release emotions and shift their focus to a completely different activity than learning. The idea of the project is to reduce stress among children at school and foster their independence. The key design principle of the project is the ability to create games using simple tools from a plywood sheet. The set for active recreation in school consists of various elements for independent game modeling by children."

I am exploring the World

"The goal of the project is to help teachers develop students' proactivity and inventiveness while studying the world. The project consists of open-air pavilions for studying the subject 'I am exploring the world.' As part of the school education reform, this subject fosters critical thinking and helps children learn how to conduct research. The typology of Soviet schools, which is predominant in Ukraine, never envisioned infrastructure for learning under the open sky. But can students fully explore the world limited by the window frame of a classroom?"

Option 1: The Moth by Philip Gribak and Maksym Klymach

"The key design principle is a pavilion with movable panels that are used for learning during the day and protect school property at night. The mobility of the pavilion elements allows for various scenarios and different numbers of people to use it. The pavilion's size in the closed state is 6x2m, in the open state — 6x6m, on a wooden platform — 6x6m. All main connections are made using perforated plates intentionally exposed on the facade for additional structural strength."

Option 2: The class out by Vladyslav Kolomieichuk

"To make children comfortable outdoors, they need to be protected from the cold ground, rain, and scorching sun. A wooden podium, measuring 6x6m, is slightly elevated above the ground and forms an open square space of the best shape in terms of flexibility. Along the perimeter, there are 12 columns that support the slanting roof without obstructing the panoramic view. The metal half of the roof, facing directly south, provides shade. The other transparent half opens up to the sky. Curtains made of tent fabric between the columns allow for partial shielding from wind and sun on the desired side. Inside, the teacher, together with the children, can experiment with lesson formats and furniture arrangements, promoting students' creativity. During recess, the pavilion serves as the core of activity in the courtyard. By removing the furniture, it can transform into a space for various scenarios: movies, school theater, dancing, hosting celebrations, fairs, and more."

The school shares finally: "Identifying and responding to the challenges faced by Ukraine’s cities and citizens today, in the midst of war, is part of the social responsibility that the Kharkiv School of Architecture has taken upon itself. Beyond the immediate crisis, physical destruction alongside the devastation of communities and paradigms demands a new educational program for the architects, urban planners, and built environment professionals of Ukraine’s future."

Links to the instructions for each project can be found here.