“NEW – Neighbourhood for Educational Wonder” is the winning project of the international competition “Future School for Ukraine”, initiated by Lithuanian government for a faster and efficient reconstruction of schools damaged after the invasion of Ukraine, implemented by Central Project Management Agency in partnership with Lithuanian Union of Architects.

“NEW – Neighborhood for Educational Wonder” prototype is replicable, adaptable, scalable, and sustainable. To efficiently address the project’s complexity, specialists from DEERNS Italia for energy and systems and CEAS for structure and prefabrication, were included in the design team. The design incorporates Design for Disassembly principles and uses prefabricated elements, which support modularity and quick transportation, assembly, and disassembly, significantly reducing construction time and CO2 emissions.

The project is based on a grid of modules, creating a large spatial system that allows for flexible interior configurations within a given perimeter, ensuring adaptable spaces for any need, from individual classrooms to entire masterplans. A test of adaptability successfully integrated the design into two different contexts, proving the prototype’s versatility and responsiveness to the evolving needs of the community.

In its basic configuration, over 10,000 square meters include educational and recreational spaces, as well as areas dedicated to care and civil protection. The features also hybrid spaces for different educational levels to encourage social exchange and community life. Hallways can be transformed into dynamic spaces for informal learning and social interaction, maximizing space usage.

The courtyards form interconnected internal and external garden spaces, drawing inspiration from the hortus conclusus of convents, and offering moments of beauty and discovery. Central to the design is the interplay of natural light, which seamlessly connects indoor and outdoor environments. These garden spaces function as living laboratories, where the rhythms of nature enrich learning through quiet contemplation.

At the core of our studio’s vision is the belief in schools as community laboratories, and in architecture as an educational tool to promote social interaction, creativity, and expression. The winning project embraces the competition’s mission: responding to the devastating destruction of the country’s education system. The project continues our studio’s research into the role of architecture in reconciling physical space with its deeper meanings, with education being a key area of ongoing exploration.