From Rubble to Resilience: Circular Reconstruction for Rebuilding Ukraine

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

1. A Radical Rethink of “Waste”

Theo and Roman unpack the core idea behind S3:

Treat rubble as a resource, not a burden.

Separate aggregates and cementitious materials and reactivate hardened cement so it can be used again.

Move away from a mindset where “waste is a material without identity” to one where each material is known, valued and reused.

Instead of simply crushing debris into road bedding – the current “wet dream” of many municipalities – S3 shows how to rebuild structures directly from rubble, dramatically cutting embodied carbon and energy demand.

2. Decentralisation, Jobs and Local Power

The team make a compelling case for decentralised reconstruction:

Mobile modular systems can move from town to town, processing concrete on site rather than relying on a handful of global cement giants.

Circular systems create local jobs, skills and resilience, instead of funnelling value to a few transnational players.

Communities become less dependent on imports and more able to build with what they have, even in post-conflict or post-disaster settings like Ukraine, Gaza or earthquake-hit regions.

For Jackie, this decentralisation story sits right at the intersection of climate justice, livelihoods and technical innovation – a powerful counter-narrative to despair.

rebuilding Ukraine S3

3. Embodied Memory, Identity and the Psychology of Reconstruction

One of the most moving strands in this episode is Roman’s reflection on embodied memory:

Destroyed homes contain not just embodied carbon, but embodied heritage and personal history.

Temporary container housing may solve an immediate shelter problem, but it can erase that sense of place and continuity.

“All the embodied memory that was there – it’s quite strong psychologically. Then people are put into temporary housing, often just a container, simply to give them shelter. Reconstruction has to take those people and those memories into account.” Roman Pushko

In projects like the “Circularity on the Edge” Venice Biennale installation, fragments of material from destroyed houses in Bucha are used with AI and light to tell stories of loss and determination to rebuild better.

Reconstruction, as Jackie draws out, must be about respecting local aesthetics, cultures and memories, not just about pouring new concrete faster.

4. Inclusion: Women, Veterans and New Voices in Construction

The S3 consortium is also trying to change who gets to rebuild:

The project’s JETZ component focuses on gender equality, disability and social inclusion, bringing women and veterans into what has been a heavily male-dominated industry.

Circular reconstruction demands more hands and more skills – from sorting and testing materials to operating mobile plants – opening up new types of work in war-torn communities.

This isn’t just a technical pilot; it’s the beginning of a new construction culture.

5. Hard Realities: When Green Meets Everyday Needs

Roman speaks frankly about the tension between advanced circular ideas and people’s immediate needs:

In the Teplo project, his team proposed using natural materials and timber façades for a 1930s Soviet residential block – but residents pushed back once they learned about long-term maintenance costs.

For many households, having heat and insulation now outweighs the promise of more ecological materials later.

This leads into a bigger question that Rhiannon and the guests explore:

How do we design reconstruction that is green, circular and inclusive, and genuinely reflects people’s financial and practical realities on the ground?