Buildner has announced the results of the Kharkiv Housing Challenge, the first competition in a two-part series focused on rebuilding Ukraine. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has been deeply affected by the ongoing conflict, and this competition is part of a broader effort to rebuild its housing and public spaces.
Buildner also calls on participants to join the second ongoing competition, the Kharkiv Freedom Square Revival, with an upcoming final registration deadline of 5 November 2024.
Norman Foster invites submissions for the second competition in the Kharkiv series.
As a key component of the Kharkiv Masterplan project—a collaboration between the Kharkiv City Council, UNECE, the Norman Foster Foundation, Arup, and the Kharkiv Architects Group—the competition called on architects and designers to develop modular systems to retrofit existing concrete housing blocks and revitalize public areas. Proposals focused on safety, energy efficiency, and community vibrancy, with considerations for bomb shelters and modular facades, while providing solutions for rebuilding damaged structures with a modern yet locally inspired identity.
Winning proposals will be offered opportunities to move into detailed development, with the potential for teams to collaborate with local communities. Given the modular nature of Kharkiv's housing, these designs could be adapted across the city, playing a vital role in its recovery and long-term resilience.
Proposals were evaluated based on their modularity and innovation, adaptability and scalability, sustainability and environmental considerations, design for community engagement and empowerment, as well as their economic viability and potential to be realized.
Buildner worked with an interdisciplinary jury panel with local, regional and international representation:
- Lord Norman Foster, President of the Norman Foster Foundation and founder of Foster + Partners, is renowned for promoting interdisciplinary thinking and sustainability in architecture, with major projects worldwide and a Pritzker Prize in 1999.
- Farshid Moussavi, Director of Farshid Moussavi Architecture and professor at Harvard GSD, is well known for her contributions to architecture, including serving on various academic and professional boards and being appointed an OBE in 2018.
- Igor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv, has a background in construction and public administration, playing a key role in the city's development and receiving numerous awards for his leadership, especially during Ukraine's defense.
- Stuart Smith, Director at Arup, leads structural design projects globally, focusing on sustainability and circular economy principles, while also serving on the Holcim Foundation board and the Norman Foster Institute.
- Belinda Tato, founding partner of Ecosistema Urbano, is a Spanish architect known for her innovative urban designs like the Eco-boulevard in Madrid, and her focus on community engagement.
- Ammar Azzouz, a research fellow at Oxford, examines the impact of violence on urban environments, with a particular focus on Syria, and has published extensively on architecture and conflict.
- Yurii Spasov, head of "Kharkivproject Institute," is an architect responsible for numerous prominent buildings and urban regeneration projects in Kharkiv.
- Olga Demianenko, Advisor to the Mayor of Kharkiv, oversees international relations and coordinates major redevelopment projects for the city, including collaboration with the Norman Foster Foundation.
- Anna Soave, an urban development expert, leads UN-Habitat's Azerbaijan office and has extensive experience in post-conflict urban planning, having worked on recovery projects in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Projects:
First Prize Winner
Project title: Healing Kharkiv: From Rubble to Renewal
Authors: Andrew James Jackson and John Edward Badman, of company Cundall in collaboration with Gensler, from the UK
This project focuses on reinforcing buildings with locally manufactured recycled materials, enhancing security, accessibility, and thermal insulation while expanding living spaces with winter gardens and terraces. It integrates sustainability by considering material reuse, water collection, and energy efficiency, with modular solutions that allow for flexibility based on the terrain. Public spaces are integrated with canopy structures for rainwater harvesting and green space preservation. The proposal emphasizes social cohesion and healing, reflecting a community-centered approach to reconstruction that involves local suppliers while addressing emotional and cultural recovery.
Second Prize Winner
Project title: BLOOMING TOWARDS THE SUN
Authors: Zigeng Wang, from China
The project offers a comprehensive approach to addressing the architectural, economic, social, and cultural challenges of reconstruction. By integrating architecture with agriculture, the project focuses on creating spaces for sunflower cultivation, a symbol of Ukrainian identity, to promote self-sufficiency and food security. It proposes various interventions based on the extent of building damage, incorporating fragments of destroyed structures into public spaces as a reminder of resilience. The design extends housing with new facades, adds planting balconies, and includes community facilities like a library and planting areas. It also addresses water management, modular systems, and construction sequence, with a focus on rebuilding Kharkiv's community and resilience.
Third Prize Winner
Project title: Modus Vita
Authors: Melek Serra Saral, Oleksandr Kinash, Didem Arman, and Elif Ilgin, of the YTU - Yıldız Technical University, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi, Turkey
This project proposes a modular system for underground shelters using high-strength concrete panels, allowing flexible use for public events in peacetime and shelter during conflict. In public areas, partially preserved existing structures and modular additions will support social and commercial interaction, particularly near roadways or public transport. A multilayer insulation system will enhance the energy efficiency of residential facades, and damaged building sections will be replaced with standardized factory-made blocks for continued habitation or conversion into public spaces. The approach balances restoration with adaptability while addressing both residential and community needs.
Highlighted submissions
Project title: Protsvitayuchyy
Authors: Hafsa Burt, from the USA
Protsvitayuchyy (Ukrainian for "thriving") envisions the revitalization of Ukrainian communities through nature-focused landscapes and sustainable building practices. Drawing on Ukraine's rich vernacular heritage, pathways and public spaces will be lined with local Oak, Pine, Birch, and other native trees, using natural materials like gravel, wood chips, and stone for eco-friendly trails. Community gardens will thrive through composting and traditional companion planting, fostering community involvement. Instead of demolishing damaged buildings, Protsvitayuchyy integrates modular strawbale prefabricated panels for repair, reducing environmental impact. These panels, lightweight and efficient, offer excellent insulation and sustainable adaptability, creating a vibrant, resilient community space.
Project title: Vertical Community - Block 86
Authors: Senmiao Guo and Yuntian Shi, from the USA
The project fosters social connections in post-war apartments through modular extensions, including bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and external staircases, designed to enhance vertical interaction among residents. Made from Ukrainian-sourced mass timber, each module features triangular designs that provide double-height spaces, improved lighting, and encourage community engagement. Flexible combinations of modules create public spaces, while embedded support structures and insulated wood surfaces enhance thermal efficiency and repair damaged concrete. Key features include private bedroom balconies, living rooms with quick access to bomb shelters, and dining areas that support social gatherings in compact apartment layouts.
Project title: An Approach to Kharkiv's Challenges in Three Steps
Authors: MJZ, in collaboration with DiM84 and Buro Happold
In Kharkiv's reconstruction, three key steps are identified: restoring neighborhood grids to reinforce community and resilience; building underground shelters with dual functions and emergency exits to public areas for increased safety; and modernizing buildings through prefabrication to enhance living standards. Inspired by Kharkiv's modernist legacy and Warsaw's rebuilding model, the project emphasizes use of local materials from ruins and treating existing structures as adaptable assets. A drone network monitors and guides real-time rebuilding efforts, while nearby storage and parking areas facilitate efficient sorting, recycling, and assembly of prefabricated materials, optimizing the city's transformation.
Project title: Kharkiv Housing
Author: Christopher Andrew Williamson, from the UK
This project revitalizes war-damaged buildings by using locally sourced stone, crafted with care and community labor, echoing the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where mended areas become stronger and more beautiful. Stone panels and pre-tensioned stone arches reinforce and insulate the structures, creating durable homes and community spaces for a rejuvenated Saltivka. Rooftop accommodations and an integrated public plaza with a bomb shelter establish a new community hub, fostering resilience and honor for Ukraine's citizens.
Buildner's other ongoing competitions include: the 2025 edition of the Kingspan MICROHOME competition; the Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge to address the housing crisis in Colorado by inviting innovative design solutions for mid-rise, single-stair housing; and the Unbuilt Award, which honors unrealized project proposals with a 100,000 EUR prize fund.
