BRJN（“Native School”互动空间）丨乌克兰

BRJN

Location: Berezhany, Ukraine​​​​​​​

Area: 476,60sqm

Year: 2023

Millions of people have left their hometowns and their familiar environment. More than half of them are children.

In addition to the housing issue, it is necessary to respond to the social and cultural consequences of population displacement.

Project goal: Creating a space for children and youth, establish connections and develop existing local relationships. After all,everyone needs someone!

Analysis of international experience:

Skateistan: a board instead of bombs.

Created by an international charity organization for the skateboarding community in Afghanistan, operating amidst war and bleak prospects. In Kabul, Skateistan’s students come from a wide variety of ethnic and social backgrounds. About 40% of the total number of students are girls, children who have to work and children with disabilities. In addition to skateboarding, they are engaged in studying, creativity, culture, traditions and cross - cultural interaction. Students choose the direction they are interested in. The main task of Skateistan is to bring them together in a safe space where everyone can develop in the area one consider important.

Bar Elias, Lebanon.

Providing a sense of normalcy for children is essential to help them and their families recover and cope with the challenges of displacement. A playground will allow children to study via game, provide a sense of normalcy and, importantly, create a space where they feel safe.

Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

The Jarahieh School is not just a school for children; after 4 p.m. it is a school for adults, and on weekends it is a community cinema and a place for distributing aid. The square formed between six small buildings creates a public area for all camp residents. Development began nine months before the space opened. The construction was realized through interaction with the residents of Syria and Lebanon, using distinctive local materials, namely sheep’s wool as a soundproofing material. This strategy was not only sustainable, but also supported local farmers and workers.

Analysis of Ukraine’s experience:

Uzhhorod. UzhNU has created a space for displaced children, where they have clubs and psychologists and teachers working with them.

Vinnytsia. There is a free leisure facility - dry swimming pool, organized for displaced people in Vinnytsia.

Lviv. Urban Camp Lviv is a new center for internally displaced Ukrainians that will also developing and popularizing street cultures. The cultural and social center was set up in the former LORTA cultural center. The building is not only housing for IDPs, but also a public space for various events.

The situation. The town of Berezhany, population 17,139. The number of internally displaced people is 2,383.

Location. The facility is located in the central part of the city. The building dates back to the 19th century, where the Ukrainian pedagogical society "Ridna Shkola" operated in 1903-1939.

Currently, the ground floor of the two-story building is partially used as a commercial facility. The second floor is not in use.

A "space of interaction" that returns the "Native School" to children and youth.

The main principles of the space solution are: contextuality, functionality, humanity.

Contextuality. Respect for the space in a historic building. Preserving the authenticity and purpose of the building for the interaction of children and youth.

Renovation and restoration of existing structural elements, preservation of the geometry of the window binding, fixing of existing doors, sparing of existing moldings, restoration of some finishings.

Functionality. The basic criterion that brings maximum advantage to a person. Comfortable, flexible and understandable space.

The space is divided by leisure activities. Also, the space is divided according to the children’s age. The left wing is for active leisure for children under 10. The central part - for active leisure of teenagers and young people combined with a recreational area. The right wing has a cozy atmosphere, allowing you to concentrate and work on creating or learning something new.

The functional space for children and youth leisure is formed by furniture and equipment that provides for a given activity.

Humanity. The environment is friendly and comfortable for a person to be in. Interaction with tactilely pleasant materials and appropriate lighting. We use the most ergonomic separate furniture elements and individually produced furniture, which is made by local craftsmen.

The functional space for children under 10 unites two rooms and is formed by two-level attractions with slides, dry pools, soft areas for active leisure and built-in cozy corners.

The space for leisure activities for children under 7 with a caregiver is formed by two zones: a play area with toys and an educational area with comfortable seats at a table for drawing or other processes.

Background: wall finishing - white stable, tinted floor tinted board. Dominant feature: mezzanine play structure for children. Accents: carpeting and decorative wallpaper made in Ukraine. Accents: lighting fixtures made as glass and paper lamps. Accents: by shape - furniture

The location of the administrative unit that regulates the flow of visitors. It is a buffer zone between the leisure space for children and young people and the recreation area. In this space, there is a small wardrobe separated by a lightweight structure. The bathroom can be accessed through a built-in room with a wash basin in it.

A room with a common kitchen for visitors, filled with the necessary kitchen equipment - refrigerators (under the countertop), plumbing and dishwashers, small appliances and furniture.

Background: the walls are finished in white, the floor is made of tinted planks. Dominant: kitchen island by location and color. Accents: by shape and material - lighting fixtures made of black and white metal lighting fixtures. Accents: by shape - furniture

A recreational area for visitors that provides a free function for communication and for various cultural and leisure activities. The space is equipped with an amphitheater-type seating structure, custom-made bookshelves, and ergonomic individual furniture that forms cozy areas for communication. It is also possible to install a projector, which will expand the functionality of the space.

Background: wall finishing - steady white, floor - tinted board. Dominant: amphitheater-shaped seating structure. Accents: shape and material - lighting fixtures made of milk glass. Accents: shape and color - furniture

A space for leisure activities for young people, equipped with comfortable spots for playing board games in different groups. The rooms also have custom-made shelving for books and board game sets.

Background: wall finishing - steady white, floor - tinted board. Accents: lighting fixtures and furniture in form and material.

Entrance group and corridor space. Providing convenient and clear navigation and equipped with recreational areas - places for waiting

A space for active leisure and interaction of young people, equipped with places for playing Playstation, table football and modular places for rest and communication.

Background: wall decoration - steady white. Background: floor and wall finishing - carpeting. Accents: by shape and material - lighting fixtures. Accents: by shape and color - furniture

A gallery is a publicly accessible space that serves the cultural development and interaction of visitors with art and demonstration of their creative achievements. It also provides for holding conferences and meetings, which helps to develop the city and the space in the context of the city and the citizens’ needs.

The recreational area, which acts as a buffer zone between the gallery and the workshop, is a space for meetings, exchange of experience, and communication between visitors.

Background: wall finishing - steady white. Accents: by shape and material - lighting fixtures. Accents: by shape and color - furniture.

A room for holding clubs and workshops for children and youth. It is equipped with the necessary equipment and storage space.

A room for the administrator work, ensuring quality work, interaction between participants and the development of the space. There are convenient places for work, storage of documents and a comfortable area for communication.

Bathrooms in the existing wet area. Tile finishing, which creates a geometric ornament.

Bathroom 1, in the central part of the space, includes two cubicles with modern plumbing and a space with two sinks built into the countertop, which is decorated with tiled countertops.

Bathroom 2, in the area close to the children’s part of the space, is equipped with two wash basins of different heights and a possible location for a folding changing table for babies.

The lighting is neutral glow, wall sconces are ball/half - ball, milk glass.

The project involves creative works by young Ukrainian artists: Andriy Kalkov, Andriy Horbal and others. In the concept of the Space of Interaction, it is advisable to involve works by Ukrainian artists, as it contributes to the development of Ukrainian culture.