Journal

17 July 2025

Voices of Recovery, at London Festival of Architecture

As part of the London Festival of Architecture 2025, we are co-organising a panel discussion that focuses on the vital role of young people within architectural and urban recovery discourse. Featuring testimonies from young individuals joining remotely, many from conflict-affected regions, this event aims to centre their experiences and aspirations within the wider conversation on post-conflict reconstruction.

The panel provides a platform for these young voices to share their visions for the recovery and rebuilding of their homes and communities. Alongside them, practitioners and educators in architecture and urban design - together with representatives from NGOs and humanitarian organisations, who are often the first responders on the ground - will offer insights into their work and highlight the importance of collaboration in shaping resilient futures for affected communities.

By bringing together youth perspectives, humanitarian expertise, and knowledge from live, on-the-ground projects, the discussion seeks to spark dialogue around inclusive, sustainable, and community-led recovery approaches. These are embedded within the broader framework of sustainable development in conflict-affected countries and regions. The conversation underscores the urgent need for coordinated, cross-sector engagement in planning and recovery processes, ensuring those most directly impacted are not only heard but also meaningfully empowered and supported over the long term.
Panelists:

Lady Lucy French OBE, Founder, Never Such Innocence
Amelia Rule, Global Lead, Shelter and Settlement, Norwegian Refugee Council
Khojesta Rahmani, Norwegian Refugee Council
Prof. Robert Mull, Architect and Educator, Kharkiv School of Architecture
Aga Podgajna, Architect and Urbanist, Resilient Futures

Art Exhibition:
A collection of artwork by young people aged 9–18 will be displayed at the event, offering powerful reflections on the impacts of war and conflict through their eyes. MORE under this LINK

8 May 2025

Venice Biennale
2025 “Living With“
Exhibition

The outcomes of our workshop generating ideas for the sustainable rebuilding of Odesa are currently being exhibited at the Venice Biennale, as part of the French Pavilion.

Presented under the theme "Living With," the pavilion explores architecture’s role in addressing global challenges such as climate change, conflict, and instability, using a combination of natural, human, and artificial intelligence.

The exhibition is organised around six thematic sections:
- Living with... the existing
- Living with... proximities
- Living with... the damaged
- Living with... vulnerabilities
- Living with... nature and the living world
- Living with... collective intelligences

These themes reflect a commitment to sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity in architectural practice. The pavilion's design incorporates reused materials and aims for a zero-waste approach, aligning with the broader goals of the Biennale to promote eco-responsible practices.

10 April 2025

Exhibitions in Kyiv and Odesa

The outcomes of the workshop were exhibited in Kyiv and Odesa, generating vibrant discussions around recovery, the role of education, and the value of an integrated approach to planning. The exhibitions brought together voices from across the recovery landscape — including policymakers, development agencies, educational institutions, and the humanitarian sector - fostering dialogue on sustainable, locally driven approaches to rebuilding.

At the heart of the discussions was a clear recognition of education’s crucial role in recovery - both as a means of empowering individuals and as a foundation for building local capacity to support long-term reconstruction. The workshop underscored the importance of a transdisciplinary approach, fostering collaboration across architecture, urban planning, social sciences, business, politics, technology, humanitarian efforts, and other sectors to tackle the complex challenges faced by conflict-affected regions. Overall, the exhibition served as a platform to inspire ongoing dialogue, strengthen partnerships, and promote innovative approaches that integrate diverse perspectives for holistic and resilient recovery.

10 February 2025

Building Back
Better: Odesa

In January, we hosted a second nternational workshop focused on developing Ukraine-led strategies for the sustainable recovery in Ukraine. The workshop that took place simultaneously in Lviv and Warsaw, emphasised the need for interdisciplinarity, knowledge transfer, and collaborative efforts towards sustainable development planning in Ukraine.

This year's workshop, supported by UN-Habitat, facilitated the ongoing integration of architecture, urban design, research, academia, engineering, and the humanitarian sector, strengthening connections and building bridges between these disciplines.

Through this edition of the workshop, we continued to contribute to the development of tools and frameworks for a locally-driven recovery approach, with a broader focus on the subject of the Architecture of Recovery we have been shaping. By creating spaces and places that empower local communities with self-reliance, we aim to positively impact and encourage psychological recovery, while supporting scalable and sustainable reconstruction practices, community empowerment, and the rebuilding of not just physical structures, but lives, post-natural disaster and conflict.

The culmination of the workshop was an exhibition of projects exploring four scales: sea, city, neighbourhood, and home. In March, the exhibition will be open to the public in Kyiv, and elements of the workshop will be featured at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, as part of the French Pavilion.

Building Back Better: Odesa

26 September 2024

Architecture of Unity

Sustainable Recovery through
Education and Collaboration

The event in Kyiv, organised by Alex Davies (Norwegian Refugee Council), the Kharkiv School of Architecture, and Aga Podgajna, convened stakeholders dedicated to supporting Ukraine and advancing sustainable rebuilding efforts. It served as a vital platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and strengthening partnerships.

The exhibition showcased themes developed during Building Back Better: Dnipro, providing an opportunity to discuss sustainable recovery in a multisectoral setting. Attendees included representatives from ministries working on sustainable recovery, members of the humanitarian sector, local NGOs, international embassy representatives, architecture and urban design students, researchers, and professionals.

The discussion centered on empowering local actors to develop initiatives, projects, and strategic frameworks both medium- and long-term that not only support sustainable reconstruction but also enhance resilience, address current challenges, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable future for Ukraine.
Thank you for joining us in Kyiv.