This summer, I have the opportunity to work with CO-HATY by Metalab, a project that focuses on renovating vacant buildings in Ukraine to provide housing for internally displaced individuals. As a researcher, my primary focus is to investigate sustainable and cost-effective approaches for transporting, reusing, and upcycling donated materials from demolished buildings in Switzerland to be used in Ukraine. In particular, our team is currently exploring innovative ways to repurpose and retrofit doors in order to adapt them to the new environment. We also aim to enhance their functionality, such as incorporating storage solutions, to better serve the needs of the residents.
Laura-India's Story
In summer 2023, Laura-India worked remotely and traveled to Zurich, Switzerland, to work with Co-Haty (Ukraine) on a housing reconstruction for Ukraine's internally displaced families.
"[MIT-Ukraine internship] provided a wonderful opportunity to 'travel for work,' something I have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing. This has inspired me to want to pursue work opportunities in the future that would allow for these types of cross-cultural collaborations. More importantly, it served as a reminder of what is valuable to me in my architectural field: designing tangible solutions for people, to help alleviate even one problem in their lives, through design."
Laura-India Garinois
While in Zurich, I had the privilege of joining the CO-HATY team to kickstart our research initiative. We had valuable meetings with various stakeholders, including local architects, researchers, members of Swiss housing cooperatives, and organizations interested in donating materials from upcoming housing demolitions. These interactions provided us with valuable insights and perspectives to inform our work. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to personally examine the materials, including 30 doors, before they were transported to Ukraine. Seeing the materials and meeting the team in person enabled me to develop strategies for repurposing these materials for the CO-HATY project.
Major & Class Year
Architecture
Location
Switzerland, Ukraine
MISTI Host
CO-HATY by Metalab