On 8 April, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine hosted a presentation of a new biological building by environmental architect Oleksandr Kucheravy. This forward-thinking design rethinks post-war rural housing in Ukraine through the lens of sustainability, resilience and local innovation.
The concept promotes the creation of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and affordable homes using biomaterials such as straw and hemp, resources that are climate-resilient, locally sourced and easily produced in Ukraine.
The event also launched the Build Back Bio programme, an initiative to introduce and scale up these innovative building models in war-affected rural communities.
We are pleased to announce that the consortium, consisting of Rawblox, Hempire UA and OpenDoorUkraine.nl, has been awarded a €4 million grant from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The project is funded by the Ukrainian Partnership Facility (UPF). UPF is a programme of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. UPF supports damage repair and reconstruction projects for the public and private sectors. The UPF aims to contribute to the recovery and sustainable reconstruction of the Ukrainian economy and society in the sectors of water, health, circular economy, sustainable energy and agriculture.
This funding – part of the Ukraine Partnership Facility (UPF) – will support:
– Import and installation of three modern biopanel production lines in Ukraine
– Construction of 450 biotechnology-based circular houses using hybrid straw and hemp technologies
– Development of a green, local housing sector
– Integration of European standards into green construction;
Main benefits of the initiative:
✔ Up to 60% energy savings for future residents
✔ Reduced construction costs compared to conventional housing
✔ Use of local materials that create value for Ukrainian farmers
✔ Compliance with the best EU standards for energy efficiency and carbon neutrality
✔ Integration of respect for property and labour rights for construction workers
✔ Creation of local jobs and training for construction workers
✔ Supportive policies and regulatory reforms aligned with the European Green Deal
During the event, partners, government officials and industry experts joined a panel discussion highlighting the transformative potential of circular bio-based construction in Ukraine’s recovery efforts.
A special highlight of the day was a double exhibition. The first, curated by OpenDoorUkraine.nl, featured a powerful series of photographs capturing the story of recovery and resilience from completed or ongoing housing projects. The second featured natural materials, including straw, hemp and other biological components, which offer the opportunity to simultaneously get to know the building blocks of Ukraine’s green future.
We express our sincere gratitude to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for hosting this important event and to all our partners for their commitment, trust and shared vision of sustainable, inclusive reconstruction of Ukraine.