The 1to1 architectural and design team focused on creating a concept for the renovation of a children’s and youth sports school in Bashtanka, Mykolaiv Oblast. The school was entirely destroyed as a result of russia’s massive military invasion of Ukraine.  

When developing a new school concept, we applied a European approach to the design of educational buildings, according to which the main goal is to create functional spaces and comply with the requirements for barrier-free access to the facility, as well as the availability of shelter. 

The building’s faсade solutions reflect a commitment to modern architecture and design trends. The reconstruction’s goal is not only to restore the school building to better functioning conditions, but also to provide a new source of social interest in the region. The children’s and youth sports school is intended to be a multifunctional sports facility, not merely an educational institution.  

There will be three sports fields on the school grounds: basketball, volleyball and football. At the same time, the project provides spectator stands on both sides of the football field. 

The main VIP grandstand will be positioned on the 2nd floor of the new building. There will be a parking area near the school with 14 places. A security building stands at the entrance to the parking lot, and directly behind it is an underground tunnel that serves as an emergency exit from the shelter.  

The project involves the construction of 2 above-ground floors and one underground. The height of the underground part will be 3 meters, the first floor – 3.6 m. The height of the second floor will vary from 3.2 to 4.6 m. The differences in height are associated with the spatial and organizational features of the configuration of the halls. 

Underground level 

The underground floor consists of two halls, each representing a shelter and measuring 221.4 and 304.13 sq m, respectively. The halls have a combined capacity of 500 people. The shelter’s facilities include utility rooms, technical rooms, food barns, restrooms, a medical room, and an evacuation tunnel.  

Locker rooms, showers, restrooms, and recreation areas for two football teams are all designed at this level. There is also a distinct collection of technical rooms, each with its own emergency escape. 

1st floor 

The ground floor houses all the primary sports halls, including a universal, wrestling, and weightlifting room. All of them have the required number of bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, and inventory areas.  

Two elevators are planned for the two-level lobby entrance; one will be utilized to transfer fire departments, if necessary, in compliance with existing regulations. Nearby, there are bathrooms for school visitors, including those for those with limited mobility. There is also a changing room and a buffet just next to the lobby.  

Separately on the ground floor, the concept includes a swimming pool with sauna and auxiliary spaces such as a locker room, a bathroom, and showers. 

2nd floor 

The layout of the second floor includes a sports museum, a conference hall, administrative and medical premises, coaching staff rooms, two spectator boxes (for 72 people) and a spectator balcony of the universal hall (ground floor) for 92 seats. 

To ensure the required level of illumination for medical and training premises, a courtyard is being designed, which will become a unique feature of the project and additional space for recreation for workers, students and athletes. 

From the outside, the school building appears to be a laconic rectangular form with varied planes accentuated by textured ribs or stylized functional grilles. Materials used include visual imitations of wood, micro-concrete made from HPL panels, and metal pieces.  

As a result, the general style leitmotif was natural materials coupled with processed metal, as well as the Scandinavian region’s minimalism.