UREHERIT Workshop happened on 13-14 November 2024

In November one of the CPD-workshops of UREHERIT was dedicated to architectural design competitions. The participants from Ukraine presented current projects in the effort to recover Ukraine’s built heritage. Åsa Bexelius, Sveriges Arkitekter, gave insights into good practices of ADC organisation and procedure with a special focus on a recently developed Swedish model.

In the framework of the project cooperation with UREHERIT Kathi Fröch, BKZT, gave insights into ARCH-E’s mission, especially regarding the mapping of differences in national competition frameworks being based on the according EU-directives binding for all member states. As the ARCH-E SWOT tool is considering challenges on a procedural and office level throughout the mapped countries it served as a starting point to discuss topics participants might encounter as ADC organisers as well as contestants.

This multi-day event explores architectural competitions as a catalyst for preserving and revitalizsng cultural heritage across Ukraine. Through insights from the President of the Architects' Council of Europe (ACE-CAE), alongside regional and Ukrainian perspectives, participants are delving into ways to protect and rebuild Ukraine’s architectural identity. One focus is the ARCH-E EU Platform—an assessment tool for architectural design competitions—that could play a valuable role in guiding Ukrainian projects.

War has heavily impacted the built environment, challenging cultural identity. Rebuilding Ukraine’s urban and architectural heritage is more than restoration; it’s a chance to shape a sustainable future. The U-RE-HERIT project unites Ukrainian and European planners, local officials, and municipal leaders to guide reconstruction efforts through meaningful architectural competitions, fostering collaboration and innovative planning for Ukraine’s cities.

War destroys the built environment and thus cultural identity. The reconstruction of Ukraine's urban and architectural heritage is a key task that will shape the country's future. This is also an opportunity to establish a sustainable building culture. The U-RE-HERIT project brings together interdisciplinary teams of Ukrainian and European planners, as well as officials from local authorities and municipalities in Ukrainian cities, to organise the reconstruction with the help of architectural competitions.

Feedback and inputs gathered in this workshop will be included in an iteration of the evaluation tool specifically developed for UREHERIT.