The Architectural Competition for the Design of Small Group Homes in Ukraine Received 17 Entries

An impressive 17 entries were submitted to the architectural competition organized to create a standard design for a small family-type group home to be built in Ukraine. Each entry represents a successful collaboration between architects from Estonia and Ukraine. The purpose of the competition was to create an innovative design of a factory-produced wooden building that can be adapted based on location, while ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for children orphaned by the war. The first two small group homes will be completed in 2024 in the Zhytomyr region.

“The competition sparked a lot of enthusiasm and interest. The jury now faces a difficult task of selecting a design that cleverly combines Estonia’s skills in modern space creation, the production of wooden buildings, and experience in building a system of family-based substitute care,” explained Andrea Kivi, Acting CEO of the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).

The architectural competition was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Union of Estonian Architects. The competition jury consists of Tarmo Needo, Eva-Maria Liimets and Anna Silem from ESTDEV, Johanna Jõekalda from the Ministry of Culture, Andro Mänd and Siiri Vallner from the Estonian Architects’ Union, Olena Oliynyk from the Ukrainian Architects’ Union.

The jury is set to convene on July 20-21, 2023, to review the entries and select the winner of the competition. The prize fund of 20,000 euros is financed by the Ministry of Culture, ESTDEV and Thermory.

“Once the winner is chosen, ESTDEV will start negotiations to secure a design contract. ESTDEV will then announce public tenders for the construction works,” said Tarmo Needo, ESTDEV’s Program Manager for Infrastructure Construction.

There are currently an estimated 25,000 orphaned children living in boarding-school-like orphanages in Ukraine. Even before the war, Ukraine had begun to reform its child welfare system by transitioning out of orphanages and into small group homes. Estonia stands ready to support Ukraine in developing an inclusive social welfare system, as well as to build small family-type group homes displaying excellent architecture that meets the quality and sustainability standards upheld in the European Union.

Building small group-homes in Ukraine is one of the Estonian development cooperation’s initiatives to support the reconstruction of Ukraine. This project is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by ESTDEV.  Other major reconstruction projects include the opening of a kindergarten in the city of Ovruch in June of this year, and the reconstruction of the bridge in the center of Malyn city. ESTDEV also organises the trainings of Ukrainian officials responsible for EU negotiations, supports the reform of primary and vocational education, and facilitates capacity building in the field of rehabilitation.