In the current context of an increasingly unstable international political climate, troubled by military conflicts and the specter of looming global crises, today's cities have been substantially reshaped to meet environmental and social needs or to be rebuilt after natural disasters or war.

A design firm from Toronto has developed a prefabricated-modular system aimed at saving thousands of structures in Ukraine that were partially or completely destroyed during the war. This system aims to integrate construction technology into new buildings to create more sustainable communities.

In the case of the conflict in Ukraine, the reconstructions of "Khrushchyovka" — a type of apartment building five to nine stories high made with cheap concrete or brick paneling — are particularly telling. These buildings helped address the housing crisis in the USSR during the Cold War. The Speedstac prefabricated/modular construction system was created to save partially or fully destroyed structures, facilitating the stacking process of buildings, accelerating construction time, and making this innovative system solution cost-effective.

This is a key factor, as in units where load-bearing walls are part of the facade (as in most Khrushchyovka), they cannot be replaced for maintenance or reconstruction.

The system is made from ISP (Intelligent Structural Panel) panels manufactured off-site and installed on-site with minimal labor, becoming fully functional once "connected." Many components that are traditionally installed after the structure is in place (e.g., mechanical, electrical, IT, etc.) are integrated as part of the ISP panel.

The ISP "box" slides units into the existing building, replacing the damaged section with new residential units in record time.

The concrete modules are designed to significantly reduce applied finishes (i.e., drywall, carpeting, tiles) and include a special "sandwich" layer that eliminates the need for sealed walls. High-strength concrete addresses common acoustic and fire separation issues by assembling panels on all four sides of the unit while also tackling sustainability and lifecycle concerns.

This represents market speed, reduced material usage (20% to 40% fewer carbon emissions), and potential cost savings compared to complete reconstruction.

The concept has been approved by the Ukrainian Embassy in Canada in collaboration with this Toronto design firm. Another example of crisis-driven innovation is a temporary housing modular system developed by a firm in Kyiv. This system, with a short implementation timeframe, adapts to different types of terrain and settlement densities, being useful in the initial renovation of shelters for internally displaced persons (IDP) from Lviv and its region, using school campuses and other large facilities as temporary housing.

The article can be found here.