Introduction

Buildner is pleased to announce the results of the Kharkiv Housing Challenge.

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.

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 a world-class interdisciplinary jury panel with local, regional and international representation: 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.

Buildner, its collaborators, and its jurors thank all participants of this competition for contributing their excellent work, and congratulate the winning teams.

We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise

Norman Foster

Norman Foster Foundation

Spain

Farshid Moussavi

Farshid Moussavi Architecture (FMA)

United Kingdom

Ihor Terekhov

Mayor of Kharkiv

Ukraine

Stuart Smith

Arup Berlin

Germany

Belinda Tato

Ecosistema Urbano and Harvard GSD

Spain

Ammar Azzouz

University of Oxford

United Kingdom

Yurii Spasov

Kharkivproject Institute

Ukraine

Olga Demianenko

Kharkiv City Council

Ukraine

Anna Soave

Head of Country Programme – UN-Habitat Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Enter the next competition edition
Norman Foster Foundation
Kharkiv Freedom Square Revival

Redesign Freedom Square in Ukraine

Norman Foster Foundation competition series ideas COMPETITION

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Healing Kharkiv: From Rubble to Renewal

Fundamentally building designers want to give something of quality back to the world. Architecture competitions are important because they allow designers to play and experiment without the same constraints that exist in live projects. This freedom provides an opportunity to explore new ideas so we always take something away from these competitions that we can use in our day-to-day projects.

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Company
Cundall, in collaboration with Gensler
Authors
Andrew James Jackson
John Edward Badman
Country
United Kingdom

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

BLOOMING TOWARDS THE SUN

We believe that humanitarian concerns transcend borders and should not be influenced by politics. Through this competition, we hope to convey our warmth and care for the people of Ukraine. We also aim to use our expertise to contribute, however modestly, to the post-war lives of ordinary citizens and to help rebuild hope for the future.

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Author
Zigeng Wang
Country
China

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

Modus Vita

We participate in architecture competitions to challenge ourselves and grow as designers. Each competition offers a new perspective, encouraging us to develop innovative solutions and refine our architectural approach. We view every competition as a valuable opportunity to learn, collaborate, and contribute to our professional growth.

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University
YTU - Yıldız Technical University, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi
Authors
Melek Serra Saral
Oleksandr Kinash
Didem Arman
Elif Ilgin
Country
Turkey
+72 points Buildner University Rankings

Honorable Mentions

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Project name

No matter how you axed me, it didn't hurt me, it sprouted.

Architecture, more than any other technical or professional discipline, profoundly influences human lifestyles and is deeply intertwined with personal life. I can confidently say that architectural design has ignited our passion for problem-solving and seeking solutions. We view architectural competitions as opportunities to challenge ourselves and explore creative solutions to complex issues.

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Authors
Arian Karimzadeh Torabi
Sahar Samadi
Country
Germany
Project name

Bio-module.

Participating in competitions expands your abilities and challenges your team by exposing them to diverse realities and situations. It strengthens collaboration and decision-making.

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Company
studio SAAM
Author
Judith H Ten Kate
Country
Netherlands
Project name

Healing Network

For the Stantec Buildings practice, competition projects stretch our design thinking, show what’s possible, and make room for innovation. They give us a chance to apply our designs, critical thinking, and collaboration to pressing issues facing society.

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Company
Stantec
Authors
Aida Luisa Sanchez-Gomez
Raul Pinol
Jiayun Hodges
Agustin Wladimir Salas
Country
United States
Project name

From Rubble to Renewal

We participate in architecture competitions when the briefs resonate with us, presenting challenges we are passionate about and providing opportunities to apply our knowledge and creativity.

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Authors
Yi Shi
Chuxi Zhou
Country
United Kingdom
Project name

The Kitchen Drama

I participate in competitions when the topics align with my experience, as this allows me to consolidate my knowledge into a single project.

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Author
Andrian Sokolovskyi
Country
Germany
Project name

REkharkiv

We believe in cultural debate and discussion. To be able to compare positions, attitudes, and possibilities, ideas need to be put on the table and evaluated. Architecture can stimulate societal perspectives and foster a vision of where we want to go as a civilization. Thus, we participate in selected competitions out of interest in the core question and the desire to contribute with specific perspectives to this discussion.

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Author
Philippe Nathan
Country
Luxembourg

Shortlisted projects

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Pimples

Piotr PaweŁ Kutek

P.K.Studio_2.0

Poland

Modus Vita

Melek Serra Saral
Oleksandr Kinash
Didem Arman
Elif Ilgin

YTU - Yıldız Technical University, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
Turkey

From Ruins to Renewal

Peyman Baktash
Netherlands

Adaptable Puzzle

Ang Li
Xueyan Wang
Ziqin Fu

BJ Architects International Pty Ltd

Australia

From Rubble to Renewal

Yi Shi
Chuxi Zhou
United Kingdom

FlexiBulid

Dong Jin Lee
Yucheol Shin
Yoorim Jun
Sang Joon Chung
South Korea

BLOOMING TOWARDS THE SUN

Zigeng Wang
China

BACKBONE

An-Tai Lu
Kohki Hiramatsu

GSAPP, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

Bio-module.

Judith H Ten Kate

studio SAAM

Netherlands

Mriya

Oleksandr Fil
Olesia Dovhal
Hlib Semiakin
Liliia Kasianenko
Ukraine

Reimagined Living

Tetiana Pavliukhina
Anastasiia Demikhovska
Dmytro Mazur
Andrii Otkydach

MAST

Ukraine

Kharkiv new life

Nazar Tykhoniuk
Anastasiia Demianchuk
Yuliia Davydovych
Dmytro Leikovskyi

Lutsk National Technical University

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Ukraine

ENERGIZE

Wijaya Suryanegara Yapeter
Tan Stanisia Finley Buwono
Indonesia

Mod

Bruna Alexandra Do Santos Martínez
Federico Daniel Bresque Curbelo
Uruguay

The Space Between

Sang Min Cha

PLANM CO., Ltd.

South Korea

Healing Kharkiv: From Rubble to Renewal

Andrew James Jackson
John Edward Badman

Cundall, in collaboration with Gensler

United Kingdom

Project FIN-IX

Swee Yew Yong
Anastasiia Bushkova
Stephan Shen Yizhe
Singapore

ReShape. ReConnect. ReBuild.

Lau Chee Meng

Kyoob Architects Pte Ltd

Singapore

No matter how you axed me, it didn't hurt me, it sprouted.

Arian Karimzadeh Torabi
Sahar Samadi
Germany

Resilient Habitat

Byungchan Ahn
Jimin Park

OCAD University (Ontario College of Arts and Design University)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Canada

RE;NEIGHBORHOOD

Ji Eun Lim
South Korea

The Kitchen Drama

Andrian Sokolovskyi
Germany

Implementation of sustainable community spaces in post-war micro districts of Ukraine.

Johan Steven Martinez Romero
Juan Jimenez
Nathaly Torres Contreras
Maren Camila Morales Correa

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Colombia

Framing the Future

Kyle L Mertensmeyer
Ines Bici
Logan Eric Plaisted
Gongqi Wei

Green Missions Foundation

United States

Healing Network

Aida Luisa Sanchez-Gomez
Raul Pinol
Jiayun Hodges
Agustin Wladimir Salas

Stantec

United States

Fragments to Foundations

Jihoon Kim
Ka Heun Hyun
Yun Jeong Han
United States

ReLIFE

Diana Rokova
Dinmukhammet Orazaly
Vlada Pokoruk
Kateryna Soroka

Czech Technical University in Prague (České vysoké učení technické v Praze)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Czech Republic

REBIRTH FROM THE RUINS

Rezart Struga
Albania

Reclaiming Agency and Identity

Devashree Shah
Stuti Murarka
Cindy Yiin
United States

Prosthesis

Maria Agustina Nieto
Mauro Ivan Barrio
Lucia Uribe Echevarria
Camila Lucia Guerra
Argentina

DORMITORIES TO COMMUNITIES : A manifesto for war resilient housing

Manisha Agarwal
India

CONNECTED ISOLATION: HEARTH

I Tan Chen
Chi Ching Chang
Kjestyn Yee

Delft University of Technology, TU Delft , Technical University Delft

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Netherlands

Sheltering Community

łukasz Michał Danilczuk
Zuzanna Derska
Urszula Radosława Jędrzejak

Warsaw University of Technology , Politechnika Warszawska

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

Resilience in Time

Muhaimin Islam
Fatiha Tanjim Oni
Sihinta Sabin Shamama
Farjan Shahriar
Bangladesh

Twist. Transform. Thrive.

Hlib Novosolov
Dana Akylbayeva

Technische Universität München , The Technical University of Munich

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Ukraine

Project Saltivka

Kevin See-Yat Leung
Yana Kushpitovska
United Kingdom

The Great Repair

Mujahid Nawazir
Aousten Aloysious
Germany

Kharkiv Echelon

David Munteanu
Dragos Irimie
Andrei Birligea
Ioan Latcan

Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism - UAUIM

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Romania

Enchanting Domesticity

Gonzalo Jose Garrido Lopez
Sophia Victoria Lopez Lilles
United States

REkharkiv

Philippe Nathan
Luxembourg