FUTURE SCHOOL FOR UKRAINE
ADAPTIVE PROJECT DESIGN FOR BUILDING SCHOOLS ACROSS UKRAINE
PROJECT VISION
The ‘Future School for Ukraine’ project aims to support Ukrainian people facing the daunting task of reviving school system, heavily impacted by war.
It will provide a ready-to-implement and free-to-use adaptive technical design for building new schools across the country. The availability of such a solution will save time and financial resources and will facilitate fundraising for the recovery of Ukraine’s school system.
A global architectural competition was held to obtain the best design idea chosen by the international jury. The ready to implement project design is expected to be developed by the winning team by Summer 2025.
Lithuanian Fund for the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid allocated €500,000 for the implementation of the project.
Over 3,000 Ukrainian school buildings are severely damaged or destroyed due to ongoing Russian aggression. Over a third of students rely solely on remote learning. Many children cannot attend school because of the lack of shelters, while internal migration has strained infrastructure in safer regions, with some schools operating three shifts. The key priorities for addressing these issues include:
- access to education,
- safety,
- educational gaps,
- teacher burnout,
- educators and student well-being.
Contribute to creating learning environments where generations of children can learn and thrive safely.
In terms of the needs of educational infrastructure which exist today and will remain in place for the near future, Ukraine will require the multi-purpose education centres in regional centres covering an area of up to 50 kilometres;
The examination of a multitude of arguments at the competition development phase has led to a decision to develop the concept of a Multifunctional Education Centre.
Multifunctional Education Centre is to accommodate around 550 children of all ages, from primary school to lyceum, with facilities for temporary accommodation for pupils and teachers, spaces for community activities and psychological rehabilitation, and a dual-use shelter.
WINNERS
1st place Scandurra Studio Architeturra srl (Italy) in collaboration with Mykhailo Vustianskyi (Ukraine). Download the 1st place winning project idea
2nd place NOVA architectural burro (represented by Pe Danila Bielokopytov, Ukraine) in collaboration with Orange architects (Netherlands), Download the 2st place winning project idea
3rd place Huttunen-Lipasti Architects Ltd (Finland), in collaboration Dmytro Sorokevych (Ukraine) Download the 3rd place winning project idea
To see all competition entries follow the link
NEB Lab
The initiative „Future school for Ukraine“ became an inspiration and the pilot project for a new
New European Bauhaus Laboratory PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR UKRAINE
Visit official website of the NEB LAB PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR UKRAINE
AIMS of the NEB LAB PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR UKRAINE
– to establish a hub of professional knowledge, and incubator for case studies, paving a
way for democratic, open, transparent, quality-oriented processes to obtain the best design and
implementation schemes for the public infrastructure in Ukraine.
– to connect Ukrainians (who need public infrastructure) and Europeans (who are willing to
donate or contribute) stakeholders
The Lab will explore and adapt the lessons and experiences of different methods of getting the
best design for a public object in Ukraine.
Relevant lessons learned (based on evaluation of the case studies) would end up as
recommendations for local and State administration to amend Ukrainian legislation, to ensure
quality processes and results when rebuilding public infrastructure in Ukraine.
What is New European Bauhaus ?
What is New European Bauhaus Laboratory ?
Contact us:
Coordinator of the NEB LAB Rūta Leitanaitė, [email protected]
CONSORTIUM of the NEB LAB PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR UKRAINE
Coordinators:
NEB community members: Architects Association of Lithuania (AAL), Architects Council of Europe (ACE), Ro3kvit Urban Coalition for Ukraine
NEB friends: Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Central Projects Management Agency of Lithuania
Partners: BKZT (Austria), CREA CULT project “ARCH-E”
EVERY REBUILT SCHOOL IS AN INVESTMENT IN FUTURE
How You Can Contribute
Build innovative, resilient schools with the Future School of Ukraine — a ready-to-adjust adaptive project design tailored to meet the needs of Ukrainian communities. With a growing demand for high-quality, adaptable designs for Ukraine’s recovery, we work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Education of Ukraine, DREAM and other UA’s institutions to continuously assess the needs of the education sector. Our data-driven approach ensures that every new school project is grounded in local needs, making a meaningful impact where it’s needed most.
Flexible Contribution Models You can contribute through a variety of funding mechanisms, including international development funds, bilateral aid programs, and other flexible models. One such option is the Fund for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, which accepts earmarked donations from international partners. The fund allows for joint programming and management of initiatives, offering the flexibility required in war-related circumstances.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) We also welcome the involvement of private sector partners through PPP models. Your contribution can make a tangible difference in restoring access to education in Ukraine while enhancing your corporate social responsibility profile.
Interested in Cooperation? Please contact:
Artūras Žarnovskis
CO-CREATE FUTURE OF UKRAINE PROGRAM MANAGER
Tel: +370 659 84642
PRIZE MONEY
1st prize
+ procurement contract.
Total procurement budget: €300,000.
2nd prize
+ entries will be added to a list of potential designs for potential investors or financial donors interested in restoring Ukraine’s educational infrastructure.
It's anticipated that more architectural ideas from the competition could also attract additional funding for their development, thus expediting the restoration process.
3rd prize
+ entries will be added to a list of potential designs for potential investors or financial donors interested in restoring Ukraine’s educational infrastructure.
It's anticipated that more architectural ideas from the competition could also attract additional funding for their development, thus expediting the restoration process.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How the competition winner was chosen?
A total of 15 projects were submitted to the call for proposals. Participants from Italy, Finland, Portugal, the UK, Lithuania, Japan, Germany, France, and Netherlands took part in the competition.
They were evaluated by an international jury of experts, including architects Viktor Zotov (Ukraine), Carl Backstrand (Sweden), Helena Sandman (Finland), Viktorija Blažienė and Rolandas Palekas (Lithuania), Ana Novosad, former Minister of Education of Ukraine and founder of the NGO savED, and Artūras Žarnovskis, head of the programme “Co-Create Future of Ukraine”. All the projects in the competition were evaluated based on five criteria: the quality of the architectural idea, its adaptability, functionality, sustainability and the cost of design services. The first prize-winning project, prepared by a joint Italian-Ukrainian architectural team, focuses on the efficient use of materials and rational construction solutions to make the most efficient use of funds. The materials used in the modular construction can be reused, which makes the construction more sustainable, and the layout of the school itself will also allow the various spaces within the school grounds to be used for a variety of community uses such as events, meetings and trainings.
How the project brought together local and global expertise?
Participants from Italy, Finland, Portugal, the UK, Lithuania, Japan, Germany, France, and Netherlands took part in the competition.
The vision of the Future School for Ukraine project and competition brief was developed with more than 20 Lithuanian and Ukrainian architecture and education experts during a two-day workshop in Vilnius. Experts defined the tasks according to the data from the Ministry of Science and Education of Ukraine, NGO’s and feedback from Ukrainian communities. As a result, a school project design accepted the concept of multifunctional educational center that accommodates up to 550 children from primary to high school, with facilities for students’ and teachers’ temporary accommodation, spaces for community activities, psychological rehabilitation, and a bomb shelter.
A team, entering the competition, was required to have at least 1 architect, who has a right to practice in Ukraine and at least 1 architect, who has a right to practice outside Ukraine.
Architects were introduced to the Arche-E platform, where they could register themselves to be visible for possible partners, and find the partners for the project.
During its competition phase CPVA team and Lithuanian Union of Architects organized Online Workshop “Cross-Border Networking for Architects: Practice, Platforms, Projects” with more than 70 participants from Europe and Ukraine, explaining project details and impact and facilitating the international cooperation for the teams from Ukraine and worldwide.
In April 2024 CPVA Future School for Ukraine participated in NEB Festival in Brussels, presenting the initiative to the wide audience of European, architects, urbanists, activists and politicians. At the opening of #NewEuropeanBauhaus, Ursula von der Leyen endorsed Lithuania’s “Future School for Ukraine” as one of the impactful initiatives reshaping Ukraine’s and European landscape.
What is an adaptive design?
Adaptive reuse architectural design means an architectural work, a set of architectural solutions for a building design featuring maximum solutions for the site, the interior and the exterior of the building, which can be applied independently of the specific target site or location, and could be re-used, in adapted form, for multiple different locations, each time by individually integrating and adapting it to the local context.
As the aim of the competition was to obtain the idea for an adaptive reuse architectural design, a specific site was not provided at the competition stage. In order to identify the volumetric and spatial adaptability of the proposals and the outdoor area solutions, three hypothetical sites with different characteristics were provided in the procurement documentation.
How can I receive the ready Future School for Ukraine project design?
Once the technical project design is developed by the winning team – expected to be finished in March 2025 and following all needed procedures of approval, it will be passed to Ukrainian communities, international donors, developments agencies and other parties interested in building schools in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Agency for Restoration and Central Project Management Agency of Lithuania will be responsible for passing the project.
NEWS
Future School for Ukraine at Italian Design Day 2025 in Vilnius
As part of Italian Design Day 2025 in Vilnius, the Future School for Ukraine initiative took center stage, presenting its vision for modern, resilient, and community-driven education. Hosted at the Italian Embassy, the event focused on the winning project, “Neighbourhood for Educational Wonder,” developed by Scandurra Studio Architettura in collaboration with Ukrainian architect M.A. Vustianskyi. […]
Future School for Ukraine Gets Ready for URC 2025: pre-conference event took place in Milan
In the lead-up to the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2025, Future School for Ukraine was presented at the “On the Road to URC 2025” event in Milan on March 5 2025. The project was introduced by Ambassador-at-Large Darius Skusevičius, who coordinates Lithuania’s engagement in Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery, and architect Alessandro Scandurra, whose studio is […]
The Contract to Develop the Future School for Ukraine Project is Signed with the Winning Team
On October 30, 2024, the winners of the Future School for Ukraine global competition were invited to the annual Development Cooperation Conference in Lithuania to sign a contract for developing their project. At the conference, the winning architectural bureau Scandurra Studio Architettura from Italy shared their vision for the project, which was co-created with Ukrainian […]
EVALUATION JURY OF THE COMPETITION
Anna Novosad (Ukraine)
Co-founder of SavED, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine 2019-2020; expert in education policy
Artūras Žarnovskis (Lithuania)
Co-create Future of Ukraine program manager, Central Project Management Agency
Carl Backstrand (Sweden)
Architect; partner and deputy CEO at White Arkitekter
Helena Sandman (Finland)
Architect; D.A., visiting lecturer at Illinois University
Rolandas Palekas (Lithuania)
Architect; Paleko ARCH studija; professor at Vilnius TECH University
Viktorija Blažienė (Lithuania)
Architect; 2L Architects & Engineers
Viktor Zotov (Ukraine)
Architect; ZOTOV&COENTRIES
We invite you to explore them by clicking this link to the page Entries >>>
