A joint project between Scandurra Studio in Italy and Ukrainian architect Mykhailo VusKanskyi, NEW – Neighborhood for Educational Wonder won the international competition Future School for Ukraine. Funded by the Lithuanian government, the competition was conducted by the Central Project Management Agency in collaboration with the Lithuanian Union of Architects.
No fewer than 1663 schools in Ukraine have been damaged in the ongoing war, while 201 have been destroyed. According to recent UNICEF data, over 50% of teachers report a decline in their students’ language and math skills, and only a third of students attend all lessons in person. This underscores the urgency of implementing a plan for rebuilding schools.
Unveiled at the Annual Lithuanian Development Cooperation Conference, held October 30 in Vilnius, the Scandurra project won the competition for its replicability, adaptability, sustainability, and rapid construction times. Financed by the Lithuanian Fund for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance, the project represents a model for the rapid and efficient construction of new schools in Ukraine. It will be available to Ukrainian institutions and international partners by mid-2025.
Central to Scandurra Studio’s vision is the idea of schools as community laboratories and of architecture as an educational tool to encourage social interaction, creativity, and expression. This reflects the studio’s own research into the role of architecture in reconciling physical space with its deepest meanings.
The project is based on a modular grid to create a large spatial system that allows flexible configurations within a fixed perimeter. From individual classrooms to masterplans, the approach produces highly versatile spaces.
The design team turned to the hortus conclusus of convents to create courtyards that form interconnected garden spaces. These outdoor areas function as open-air workshops, where contemplation, silence, and tuning into the rhythms of nature all enrich the learning experience.
Indicative of the project’s circular economy approach, the green façades incorporate recycled and salvaged mineral aggregates. On a symbolic level, this conveys the idea of using the ruins of war to build a better future.
Scandurra’s design proposal embraces the principles of design for disassembly, using prefabricated elements, and significantly reducing construction times and CO2 emissions.
It also follows Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) guidelines for non-invasive design in terms of local conditions, which meet nZEB standards for high-efficiency energy buildings. Given the complexity of the project, the team includes DEERNS Italia, for energy design, and CEAS, for structures and prefabrication.
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Rendering and Drawings courtesy of Scandurra Studio