White and Ukrainian Studio Zmist initiate cooperation agreement

Months of fierce fighting have devastated large parts of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. And almost all the architectural and construction markets are frozen in Ukraine. Hence, Studio Zmist reached out to a couple of architectural studios for collaboration in the post-war reconstruction and development of Ukraine.

– Soon, we will need to rebuild damaged and develop destroyed buildings and cities. And we will need to do it together, with our colleagues from White and other studios and companies who will be ready to work together in the nearest future. We believe that collaborating with international studios for Ukrainian architects could be a win-win case right now, said Markiian Maksymiuk, Architect and Partner at Studio Zmist.

In difficult times, when things are put to the extreme, new possibilities and collaborations emerge that can lead to something very positive. When White Arkitekter received the email from Studio Zmist, the Swedish-founded practice was quick to invite a dialogue that led to a tangible cooperation agreement based on equal terms. It is not just about rebuilding what has been destroyed, it is as much an opportunity to make major changes for a more sustainable development and right old planning problems.

– Ukrainian architects do not seek cooperation to survive, but to be able to deliver greener and more sustainable cities in Ukraine, not only repair and restore them to their original form. The agreement with Studio Zmist is built on complementing each other with knowledge and experience. In this case we will learn from each other and collaborate in specific joint projects, said Carl Bäckstrand, Deputy CEO and International Director at White Arkitekter.

In addition to knowledge exchange and joint projects, the architectural firms hope that this cooperation agreement will inspire more cross-border collaborations between actors in the construction industry.