Marco Casagrande is a Finnish architect, bio-urbanist, social theorist, professor of architecture, and visiting professor at the King Danylo University. He is the winner of numerous awards, including the UNESCO Global Award for Sustainable Architecture. In 2003, he founded the multidisciplinary design and innovation bureau “Casagrande Lab.” Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, he has been actively helping Ukraine. He supports the construction of underground schools in frontline regions to ensure children receive a full education and socialization. He discussed this, as well as technologies for recycling materials from destroyed buildings and project ideas in the Carpathian region, in an interview with King Danylo University.

- Could you please tell us about your mission in Ukraine?

My mission started in 2021. At that time Finland understood that Russia would attack, but we didn’t know whether it would be Finland or Ukraine. We were prepared for war. So, immediately from the first day of the war, we cut down all relations with Russia, and our government was committed to supporting Ukraine. Of course, the military side is kind of simple – you need materials, and okay, that we can take care of. But then there is the other side – civil society, how to keep it resilient and strong, because that's as important as the zero line. So, I am one of those people who go to different places in Ukraine, especially in eastern Ukraine, in Kharkiv Oblast, and look for situations and troubles where we can help, and then I direct Finnish help for these situations. That's my mission.

- Your country has the same neighbor and a long history of wars with Russians. You said that your state was ready. But what about society? Do people really understand what is happening?

No, nobody understands war until the war comes. Even if the military is prepared, nobody understands what war does to soldiers. Nobody comes back the same. And nobody can prepare civil society for taking the veterans back, because they are different. Nobody can prepare for the wounded – there are a lot of them. So war is always a shock, a huge shock. And that is also a test for society. If the society learns how to survive during the war, and still keep civilization high and the heart is there, then it is like a real society – like Ukraine is a real society.

- You understand this because you have military experience…

For me, there are some aspects that come from military or war experience. I am a war veteran myself, and I have been wounded. So, I know maybe much more than ordinary people. So, of course I understand military necessities, how the war more or less goes. But I also understand the needs of civil society and how veterans feel.

- You work on the project of underground schools in Kharkiv. Please, tell us more about this.

Kharkiv City is somewhat simpler in this sense, because they have a subway system, so children can be in the underground schools at metro stations, even sleep on the trains. So that part is somewhat taken care of. But in the oblast, there is a different challenge, because they've been very close to the zero line. They've been also occupied and then taken back. Kids cannot go to school there because it`s not safe. So we must build for them underground schools, prepared for different situations, if they are forced, they can stay there for a long time. So of course you have different classrooms, but we also include a small clinic or hospital. It should be independent, so we need water filtration systems, reserve food, places to sleep and then we make geothermal energy for warming it up. The school is designed to be self-sustained and safe. The roof is designed so it can take a straight hit from a ballistic missile.

- So the question is: should the war stop first, or can this be done during the war?

No, we are not waiting for the end of war. We start now. People need to live. And the critical concern is the children. Because if the children are working online, they cannot meet each other and that is a bad thing. So I think the underground schools, for example in Kharkiv Oblast, that is like a critical thing. This is what we need to do fast.

- You plan to use recycled materials from demolished buildings for construction. Is it difficult to sort and reuse them?

It`s difficult, but possible. The answer comes from the mining industry. So basically, mining companies view this kind of broken city as a big mine with materials. First, we have to analyze what is inside. Usually, there is asbestos, plastic, glass, concrete and steel. So then we need blocks or modules for the chain. As a result, we have various types of raw materials. For example, crushed glass can then be used to make cement. We would also like to use your mining industry waste — slag heaps—for this purpose. In Kryvyi Rih, there are hundreds of millions of tons of it.

- You also have experience in rapid construction of residential buildings. For example, this experience could be useful for internally displaced persons.

Yeah, that is another line of our operations. And there are two technologies that you can choose from. One is a movable factory. But we have to figure out how to protect it from possible missile strikes. Another option is to build houses out of solid wood. But people usually think that wood burns. Ours doesn't, because the technology provides adequate protection. But I can't tell people from Mariupol, whose homes have burned down, that I will build them a wooden house. Although, in fact, you in the Carpathians are very good at producing wood, so this could be a good place to locate such a factory.

- Do you already have ideas for cooperation here in Ivano-Frankivsk region?

Yes, I visited one of the rehabilitation centers for militaries and plan to support and improve it. It was nice to see that the food for the veterans there was prepared by PLAST Scouts. I am Scout leader myself. It's good when different generations come together. If a soldier has an amputation, he thinks he is outside of society. But when there are people around him, young people, it helps him return to life step by step.

- You collaborate with King Danylo University in Ivano-Frankivsk. Why did you choose this university?

I started collaborating with King Danylo University over a year and half ago, when I was invited to give an online lecture. After that, I was asked if I would like to become a visiting professor. I agreed. For me, the academic side here supports tactical and strategic operations.

- And now it was the first time you met your students face to face?

Yeah, and that was great. Because when I'm having lectures in Kharkiv, there may be only ten students maximum, because they take a risk going to the university. But it`s always good to see reactions of the students and understand their kind of intellectual power too. So, it's important.

- Your art projects are fantastic. Have you considered dedicating one of them to the war in Ukraine?

Yeah, I must do this. Sometimes, when you are addressing bigger questions, so this kind of artistic tool can be very powerful. The war has been going on for more than three years. So, if we make some spectacular works here, of course they will gain attention from the world. And I think that's a bit needed as well. People don't want to read long texts or look at too sophisticated works, but when they see something very striking, that can be a kind of constructive propaganda.