MO.RE.
Basic information
Project Title
MO.RE.
Full project title
MODULAR RESILIENCE - emergency architecture for the case study of Kharkiv, Ukraine..
Category
Prioritising the places and people that need it the most
Project Description
Our concept aims to find an immediate solution that can guarantee the safety and well-being of people with an emerging need for help. The choice was directed towards the design of a healthcare-type module that can be used whenever a timely response is necessary after a catastrophic event. The emergency situation in the city of Kharkiv due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be taken as a case study.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, 61000., Ukraine
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
In a world where uncertainty prevails, which country is structured enough to face a war with thousands of refugees? Each region has its own priorities: climate, topography, natural sources, and social systems change in response to these contextual conditions.
At the moment our challenge is to create an immediate solution that can guarantee the safety and well-being of people with an emerging need for shelter. The choice was directed towards the design of a “universal” module which can be used whenever a timely reconstruction of shelters gone missing is required ,after a catastrophic event. We have choosen to focus on a case of study to better improve our concept, so we have decided to analyse the war situation (2022) between Russia and Ukraine in the city of Kharkiv.
The work has as its theme the analysis and development of resilient, flexible and high-performance temporary healthcare structures for emergencies, built with sustainable materials and specifically designed to be "spaces for people", in which everyone can find help and feel less oppressed.
So, our ultimate goal is to create modular emergency structure with healthcare, psychological help, listening and supply functions, applyed in the Ukrainan city, that combines architectural, urban and engineering qualities, keeping the comfort and needs of people in these difficult moments in the foreground.
At the moment our challenge is to create an immediate solution that can guarantee the safety and well-being of people with an emerging need for shelter. The choice was directed towards the design of a “universal” module which can be used whenever a timely reconstruction of shelters gone missing is required ,after a catastrophic event. We have choosen to focus on a case of study to better improve our concept, so we have decided to analyse the war situation (2022) between Russia and Ukraine in the city of Kharkiv.
The work has as its theme the analysis and development of resilient, flexible and high-performance temporary healthcare structures for emergencies, built with sustainable materials and specifically designed to be "spaces for people", in which everyone can find help and feel less oppressed.
So, our ultimate goal is to create modular emergency structure with healthcare, psychological help, listening and supply functions, applyed in the Ukrainan city, that combines architectural, urban and engineering qualities, keeping the comfort and needs of people in these difficult moments in the foreground.
Key objectives for sustainability
Our MORE project aims to use sustainable, low-carbon materials for the creation of its emergency structures. This means reducing the environmental impact of the production and use of buildings. Furthermore, buildings are designed in such a way that they can be reused in the same context or in other contexts by changing the function or ensuring that their materials can be reused, recycled or reused, thus contributing to economic sustainability and minimizing the overall impact on the environment. To ensure sustainability, the modules aim to achieve energy and water independence by integrating active and passive strategies into the project, such as the use of renewable energy and rainwater collection systems, in order to promote sustainable practices. The project also wants to be sustainable from a social point of view. We recognize the importance of creating inclusive and welcoming spaces that promote social cohesion and support all populations affected by disaster or conflict. The emergency structures we design are not only physical places but also environments that promote interaction, sharing and solidarity between people. Through thoughtful and functional design, our goal is to create community spaces that will promote well-being ,social resilience, inclusion and community.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
It is never enough to emphasize how central people have been to our design concept. The needs of individuals have been the basis of our choices. Understanding how much a single material, a shape, a color, can affect a person in a weakened state, is crucial in these situations (and it should always be).
The choice of wood for wall coverings and structural parts arose from ecological needs, but also from neuroscientific needs. Neuroscience was able to guide us, and through discussions with experts in the field (IUAV University of Venice and studio Lombardini 22) we imposed our choices rationally; that is, decisions were made taking into consideration the consequences on the human sphere. Furniture with organic forms, natural light, sustainable and natural materials, plants within enclosed spaces, muted colors, higher ceiling heights, can only give positive feelings to individuals. In addition, to follow people's needs, which may change over time, individual modules are designed to be very flexible, both internally and externally. Depending on the location and the emergency they are going to follow, they can adapt in multiple configurations.
It was not enough for us to put humans on the pedestal only as far as emergency modules were concerned, so we reasoned about how we could donate positive experiences and personal rebirth within public spaces. Creating spaces where people can create community and express their thoughts in different forms was central to our project (Kharkiv case study).
The choice of wood for wall coverings and structural parts arose from ecological needs, but also from neuroscientific needs. Neuroscience was able to guide us, and through discussions with experts in the field (IUAV University of Venice and studio Lombardini 22) we imposed our choices rationally; that is, decisions were made taking into consideration the consequences on the human sphere. Furniture with organic forms, natural light, sustainable and natural materials, plants within enclosed spaces, muted colors, higher ceiling heights, can only give positive feelings to individuals. In addition, to follow people's needs, which may change over time, individual modules are designed to be very flexible, both internally and externally. Depending on the location and the emergency they are going to follow, they can adapt in multiple configurations.
It was not enough for us to put humans on the pedestal only as far as emergency modules were concerned, so we reasoned about how we could donate positive experiences and personal rebirth within public spaces. Creating spaces where people can create community and express their thoughts in different forms was central to our project (Kharkiv case study).
Key objectives for inclusion
Accessibility has been designed for everyone, both within the modules and in the park. Ramps will be used for the modules to ensure easy access and usability for people with limited mobility; even within the park, the paths will be linear and easy, without too many differences in height. Thus, universal accessibility will be guaranteed. It was also crucial for us to think about how we can provide emergency and general information, so we have set up totems inside the park, featuring braille characters, so that they can be easily interpreted and read. The choice of wood was not accidental, thanks to the principles of neuroscience we learned how by touch this particular material can be rewarding for the blind. Another aspect to consider is economic inclusiveness, to be affordable by any government/institution the modules will use cheap, sustainable and readily available materials. In addition, since the modules are prefabricated and in small in size, the cost of on-site labor will decrease. Cost analyses will be done to explore this further.
In this project everything was designed to be easily accessible by everyone, even the organization of the interior spaces, characterized by flexible furniture, was designed to ensure easy and pleasant use for everyone.
We would also have liked to make our arguments more explicit through participatory planning, but this was not possible due to the critical situation on site; despite this, we were able to obtain with interviews key testimonies, which guided us throughout the project.
In this project everything was designed to be easily accessible by everyone, even the organization of the interior spaces, characterized by flexible furniture, was designed to ensure easy and pleasant use for everyone.
We would also have liked to make our arguments more explicit through participatory planning, but this was not possible due to the critical situation on site; despite this, we were able to obtain with interviews key testimonies, which guided us throughout the project.
How Citizens benefit
One of MORE's goals is to increase citizen participation and impact on civil society for healthcare. MORE is committed to providing people with new therapeutic spaces where they can connect with nature and other people, through activities such as psychotherapy, dance therapy and art therapy. At the same time, we recognize the importance of providing people with adequate support even in healthcare facilities, offering them comfort, listening to experts and the opportunity to share their experiences. Furthermore, Mo.re encourages the expression of emotions not only through words but also through other forms of creativity. In MORE the participation of people is central, the objective is to ensure that people's needs are also taken into consideration at the time of design, MORE involves the creation of therapeutic spaces, creating relaxing and healing environments where the person can Connect with nature and share experiences with others. Garden therapy, dance therapy and art therapy are just some of the activities that allow people to express their emotions non-verbally, promoting healing. The designed healthcare facilities offer spaces for citizens to find help and comfort, empathetic and professional support, listening to citizens' concerns and offering a safe environment in which to share their experiences. The impact of citizen involvement in the design and implementation of the More.re concept is significant, in fact by actively listening to the experiences and stories of the people who kindly supported us in the design choices. Thanks to therapeutic spaces that promote contact with nature and other people, as well as the support of medical facilities, we want to create a professional support environment that responds to the real needs of the community and promotes a sense of belonging and social community.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
Integrating architecture with neuroscience is a very important factor in our opinion in the architecture of emergency and in the architecture of trauma in general and this aspect regarding the effect of emergency architectural choices is not always taken into account by designers. For this reason, the emergency modules designed want structures that are sustainable, flexible and quick to implement in different contexts, reducing the overall environmental impact and improving the well-being of people and the community.
Emergency architecture and emergency contexts, very often do not analyze the situation in detail and end up not giving proper importance to people's real needs. Therefore, in addition to being an innovative project in terms of technique, compared to traditional "emergency tents" or "containers," our concept also tries to give a lot of relevance to its own effect on people.
Emergency architecture and emergency contexts, very often do not analyze the situation in detail and end up not giving proper importance to people's real needs. Therefore, in addition to being an innovative project in terms of technique, compared to traditional "emergency tents" or "containers," our concept also tries to give a lot of relevance to its own effect on people.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
Integrating the discipline of architecture with the discipline of neuroscience was one of the key aspects of our concept; if we had not followed the guidelines of trauma design and neuroscience applied to architecture, our concept would probably look completely different now. In addition, having had the opportunity to apply multicriteria techniques, and thus of the discipline itself, we made rational and reasoned choices and had the chance to experiment with new methods of analysis, also thanks to the use of special dedicated software. The multi-criteria analysis thus allowed us to obtain objective results both for the selection of the project area with the AHP analysis and for the most important design criteria from examples of emergency structures already realised. in this case the smarter analysis was used.
Not to be forgotten is certainly the contribution that the Italian red Cross was able to give us, which opened us the door to the world of international emergencies and gave us the opportunity to understand how to act in these complex situations.
In the area of environmental sustainability we certainly tried to make environmentally sustainable choices from the point of view of transport, manufacturers and in the choice of materials, trying to choose mostly local materials that were easy to obtain despite the war and therefore easy to transport to the construction site, but also bio-based that could therefore reduce c02 emissions into the environment.
Another aspect that is important to us is circularity, especially with regard to the reuse of rubble in other contexts. This aspect is still being studied and we will certainly develop it further in the coming months.
Not to be forgotten is certainly the contribution that the Italian red Cross was able to give us, which opened us the door to the world of international emergencies and gave us the opportunity to understand how to act in these complex situations.
In the area of environmental sustainability we certainly tried to make environmentally sustainable choices from the point of view of transport, manufacturers and in the choice of materials, trying to choose mostly local materials that were easy to obtain despite the war and therefore easy to transport to the construction site, but also bio-based that could therefore reduce c02 emissions into the environment.
Another aspect that is important to us is circularity, especially with regard to the reuse of rubble in other contexts. This aspect is still being studied and we will certainly develop it further in the coming months.
Methodology used
Our process began with preliminary analyses, regarding natural and hand-made catastrophes, thanks to scientific articles and papers. Subsequently to bettere know our project area, we did a series of urban analyzes on the city of Kharkiv, and the area of our project. In particular, analyzes of the bombed buildings, the green places, the history and the different types of the buildings.
The next step was the study and the analysis of 30 case studies, modular structures that already existed and were already used for emergencies. From these we derived 16 criteria which were placed in order of importance thanks to a SMARTER-type multi-criteria analysis.
From here the concept was created which then became our project, of which in the upcoming months we will carry out more in-depth; from a structural, ergonomic and systems points of view. already existed and were already used for emergencies. From these we derived 16 criteria which were placed in order of importance thanks to a SMARTER-type multi-criteria analysis.
From here the concept was created which then became our project, of which in the upcoming months we will carry out more in-depth; from a structural, ergonomic and systems points of view.
The next step was the study and the analysis of 30 case studies, modular structures that already existed and were already used for emergencies. From these we derived 16 criteria which were placed in order of importance thanks to a SMARTER-type multi-criteria analysis.
From here the concept was created which then became our project, of which in the upcoming months we will carry out more in-depth; from a structural, ergonomic and systems points of view. already existed and were already used for emergencies. From these we derived 16 criteria which were placed in order of importance thanks to a SMARTER-type multi-criteria analysis.
From here the concept was created which then became our project, of which in the upcoming months we will carry out more in-depth; from a structural, ergonomic and systems points of view.
How stakeholders are engaged
During our concept creation process we tried to get in touch with as many local people as possible, including architects and psychologists. It turned out to be very complex to find answers to our questions right away, and we had to wait some time to get the information we needed . In the city of Kharkiv, given the delicate and complex situation still in place, it would have been very useful for us to "get our hands on the ground," but it was not possible. Contacting people from Kharkiv universities, but more generally experts in the emergency field, guided us along the realization of our project concept. The head of international emergency management of the Italian Red Cross provided us with key information, so that we could move forward with our ideas. We have decided to work with minimal modules and on healthcare facilities as a result of the conversations we had with the experts and with citizens. Indeed, the need for more physical and psychological help facilities emerged, given the large percentage of people with trauma and psychological problems. In addition, through the construction of health-type areas, it is possible to classify the area where the facilities will be placed as a protected area (by the white cross) and thus theoretically not attackable by enemies.
Thanks to the multi-stakeholder analysis process, we were also able to define the list of stakeholders who might be affected by our project and who might be interested in our project; including: the Kharkiv Municipality, UN, European Union, non-profit City Associations, and many other international and non-international associations.
Thanks to the multi-stakeholder analysis process, we were also able to define the list of stakeholders who might be affected by our project and who might be interested in our project; including: the Kharkiv Municipality, UN, European Union, non-profit City Associations, and many other international and non-international associations.
Global challenges
We have envisaged the creation of emergency structures that can impact a specific territory, but which can also be positioned in other contexts and in other emergency situations. So these modules can adapt to more different conditions. Not to forget the fact that through the use of sustainable materials it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint and therefore the global situation can be improved.
Unfortunately, it should be noted that in recent years the ongoing conflicts are increasing, and as of today November 2023 the situations are very critical in some parts of our planet. Therefore, going in an emergency to conceive new aid structures can be very helpful, in general, to humanity in need.
Another objective we have set ourselves is to help people overcome the trauma caused by the emergency, in the case of Kharkiv, by the war. This is a truly complex challenge as each person reacts differently to the catastrophe. but certainly thanks to the scientific studies carried out on neuroscience, on multi-criteria analyses, on materials, on shapes, on colours, on external spaces and on the criteria to be applied we have tried to obtain a project suitable for everyone and which could help overcome the trauma during a emergency in progress.
Unfortunately, it should be noted that in recent years the ongoing conflicts are increasing, and as of today November 2023 the situations are very critical in some parts of our planet. Therefore, going in an emergency to conceive new aid structures can be very helpful, in general, to humanity in need.
Another objective we have set ourselves is to help people overcome the trauma caused by the emergency, in the case of Kharkiv, by the war. This is a truly complex challenge as each person reacts differently to the catastrophe. but certainly thanks to the scientific studies carried out on neuroscience, on multi-criteria analyses, on materials, on shapes, on colours, on external spaces and on the criteria to be applied we have tried to obtain a project suitable for everyone and which could help overcome the trauma during a emergency in progress.
Learning transferred to other parties
Through our modular design idea we are evaluating how our structures can adapt to the most varied situations and how they can be flexible towards the context in which they will find themselves. We therefore have in mind to evaluate different application scenarios and not just the one referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. We have already started working on this aspect by applying multi-criteria analysis methods (MCDA), like AHP and SMARTER, so as to be able to compare different scenarios according to specific criteria and sub-criteria. In this way, through well-defined methodological processes, we can complete a complex process and understand the effects of our decisions.
Also carrying out LCA-type analyses, we would be able to understand what the life cycle of our structures could be and how much the single module would influence the amount of CO2 produced on our planet. In the past years our planet have suffered a lot the effect of the CO2 the construction sector is among those the one that most influence the increase in carbon emissions.
Furthermore, to create an effective emergency module, the key for us is to build quickly as possibile and with the lower impact on the territory. For this reason we thought a lot about how we could actually put our module into production and then position it in the specific area. Thanks to in-depth research and reasoning with experts in the technical construction industry, we arrived at our final concept. Through the pre-fabrication of two modules with minimum dimensions, it is possible to create multiple aggregations, in order to create spaces with different dimensions based on the needs and functionsrequired. With this prefabricated, sustainable, wooden technology, it is therefore possible to conceive a building capable of responding to different types of needs. But also not to be underestimated is the possibility of building on site in a very short time and with a very reduced impact on the surrounding environment.
Also carrying out LCA-type analyses, we would be able to understand what the life cycle of our structures could be and how much the single module would influence the amount of CO2 produced on our planet. In the past years our planet have suffered a lot the effect of the CO2 the construction sector is among those the one that most influence the increase in carbon emissions.
Furthermore, to create an effective emergency module, the key for us is to build quickly as possibile and with the lower impact on the territory. For this reason we thought a lot about how we could actually put our module into production and then position it in the specific area. Thanks to in-depth research and reasoning with experts in the technical construction industry, we arrived at our final concept. Through the pre-fabrication of two modules with minimum dimensions, it is possible to create multiple aggregations, in order to create spaces with different dimensions based on the needs and functionsrequired. With this prefabricated, sustainable, wooden technology, it is therefore possible to conceive a building capable of responding to different types of needs. But also not to be underestimated is the possibility of building on site in a very short time and with a very reduced impact on the surrounding environment.
Keywords
Resilience
Relationship between architecture and neuroscience
Modularity
Sustainability
Adaptability
