Open interview: Alessandro Scandurra on the role of architects for reconstruction
NEW Neighborhood for Educational Wonder, the winning project of international competition Future School for Ukraine, offers an opportunity to reflect on the future of collective architecture to shape the future of our cities. Read the interview to Alessandro Scandurra to discover more about this vision.
How did the NEW project come about?
The project was born in response to the international competition Future School for Ukraine, organized by the Lithuanian government to support the reconstruction of Ukraine. For us, it represented an opportunity to explore the role of architecture in fostering a sense of community. Based on this premise, we developed a system that goes beyond a project focused on a specific case: a prototype that is applicable, transportable, and sustainable, and can be replicated in different areas based on needs.
Why do you think it won the competition?
I believe it won because it goes beyond the specific requirements and looks at the school as a system. The idea of a model for the future of educational architecture, centered around the right to wonder and beauty as vehicles for learning, won. At the same time, the pragmatic approach was appreciated, one that considers the local context and provides a precise, essential design that is easily applicable based on local know-how and industry.
What are the main features of the project?
II could summarize them as: sense of community, flexibility, and sustainability. As I mentioned, at the center of the project is, on one hand, the process, evident in the choice to create a modular system, easily assembled and disassembled, transportable, and replicable. On the other hand, a fundamental aspect is the design of the experience: the modular system creates courtyards, and within them, we have recreated gardens inspired by the hortus conclusus of convent architecture. Classrooms, common spaces, auditoriums, and laboratories: each environment overlooks these episodes of beauty.
How does the concept of the school as a community laboratory fit into this context?
The NEW – Neighborhood for Educational Wonder project envisions the school as a community laboratory, a place that goes beyond education to promote social interaction, creativity, and well-being. The prototype is modular, sustainable, and adaptable to different contexts. With large flexible spaces, garden courtyards, and the use of natural light, the school fosters informal learning and a connection with nature. The green facades and recycled materials symbolize the transformation of the traces of the past into opportunities for growth.
What are the design steps?
After the competition phase, a preliminary project and a final project are planned. We want to emphasize that the project was developed with the support of a local studio (GRA Architects, with Vlad Goldakovsky and Michailo Vustiansky), as well as close collaboration with high-level consultants such as Deerns for sustainability and systems, and Ceas for the structural part.
Where are you now? Can you share the latest developments?
We have just submitted the preliminary project, which is under approval by the Lithuanian and Ukrainian governments. The final project will be produced as a manual to be used and adapted to the different contexts where schools need to be built. The current requirement, as indicated by the government, is about 1600 buildings. What has been submitted will then undergo formal technical validation by the Ukrainian government. Unless there are changes, we should have a favorable outcome by the end of June.
What do you hope for to make this project feasible?
In recent months, we have had the opportunity to present it at various public and institutional events, especially in Lithuania, the country that initiated the project. Everywhere, the response has been enthusiastic, and we know we are on the right track to demonstrate that architecture can promote rebirth starting from communities. It is a project that Lithuania is offering to Ukraine, imagining finding public or private actors who want to help fund the construction of these schools. It is therefore essential that the project is disseminated to reach as many potential partners as possible. We hope to continue working with more and more interested stakeholders to replicate it and demonstrate its applicability for future generations.