Charity organisation Sunflower Network has opened a paediatric clinic in Brody, Ukraine, which it claims is the country's first healthcare infrastructure to open since Russia's invasion in 2022.
Built beside the city's Brody Central City Hospital, the clinic provides a new purpose-built children's facility for the existing hospital, complete with modular treatment spaces that can be combined or expanded as needed.
The initiative, named Project Horizon, was developed by Sunflower Network in collaboration with international partners, including architecture studios CannonDesign and Pelli Clarke and Partners, following a 100 per cent surge in patient volume in the region due to mass internal migration.
In a bid to reduce strain on Ukraine's existing healthcare infrastructure, the new facility is expected to serve more than 120,000 patients annually.
"The new children's hospital in Ukraine is an early step toward rebuilding the nation's healthcare infrastructure," Sunflower Network CEO Dean Ross told Dezeen.
"Ukraine cannot wait for the war to end for new healthcare infrastructure," Ross added.
Based on a template hospital plan created by the design team, Project Horizon is composed of a single-storey structure fronted with a glazed entrance and wrapped in cladding.
Its modular structure was fabricated in Poland before being assembled on site to address local labour shortages caused by the war. According to the design team, this approach reduced construction time by up to 50 per cent compared to traditional methods.
"Modular construction's flexibility not only helped us overcome these challenges, but it also made the project more cost- and time-effective while reducing waste," Ross explained.
"We ensured the modules could collectively offer patient care space, corridors, and flexible multi-purpose central support rooms," health practice leader at CannonDesign Elisabeth Perreault added.
"The modules can also be combined or expanded to meet clinical care and programmatic needs over time."
The hospital's modules accommodate patient units, corridors, and flexible multi-purpose central support rooms across two wards, along with operating rooms and an intensive care department.
Drawing on trauma-informed design strategies that promote a sense of safety and care, the facility features patient rooms that accommodate families and elevated openings that draw in daylight while ensuring privacy.
Playful elements include artwork and a neighbouring playground.
"We designed the hospital to be more than just a clinical space, but also an environment of solace, dignity, and healing for children," Perreault said.
"We needed to create spaces that foster psychological and physical safety, which could bring hope and help to Ukrainians in their journey toward recovery."
Sunflower Network hopes that Project Horizon can serve as a scalable model for rebuilding healthcare infrastructure across Ukraine and beyond.
"We have designed a solution that works for Ukraine today, but the fundamental tenets that guided this project have applications anywhere impacted by crisis," Ross said.
"We think this new paediatric hospital in Ukraine can inspire a new generation of crisis response in healthcare and other infrastructure moving forward."
Established by Dustin J Ross, Sunflower Network started as a grassroots initiative delivering medical supplies to the front lines in Ukraine, before shifting its focus to reconstruction in the country.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian strikes across the country have left UNESCO-listed heritage sites badly damaged, including Kyiv's Dormition Cathedral and Lviv's 17th-century Bernardine Monastery.
The photography is by Marina Grynykha.