Doctor of architecture Iryna Kravchenko is convinced: today, Ukraine must not only restore what was destroyed, but also design it anew – safer, smarter and on its own principles. "We have to be the authors of restoration projects on our own land," says a professor at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture.

According to her, the war exposed key problems of the industry. First – the security architecture: every public and residential facility should now provide built-in shelters. Secondly, the problem of material scarcity: destroyed buildings may and should be recycled, including concrete, to be used in new construction or to create infrastructure. Such decisions already form the basis of negotiations on the launch of concrete processing plants in Ukraine.

Iryna Kravchenko also joined the formation of the task of the international competition "School of the future for Ukraine", because new educational institutions are not just premises, but the architecture of a new mentality. Its department is already implementing international workshops and competitions with the participation of students, because it is young people who should enter the post-war reality with ready-made solutions.

Another important line is the focus on local resources: modern projects should take into account local materials, logistics, and energy efficiency. "It should not be copying, but its own architectural language – taking into account our experience, history, trauma and space," says Kravchenko.

Iryna emphasizes that foreign bureaus are already turning to Ukrainian specialists not only for advice, but also for co-authorship. However, in her opinion, the main thing is to preserve subjectivity: "We should not be performers of other people's projects. We are the creators ourselves."

In conclusion, she talks about the time factor: "To start, we need one more thing – mine clearance. We can't build a new one on mined land. But when it is cleared, we should be ready. And we will."