CLUST SPACE is a non-commercial project, because the organizers did not foresee a plan for the return of invested funds or profitability and transferred the management of the premises to the administration of KPI. Sikorsky immediately after the opening. According to the plan of the organizers, later similar locations should also appear in other educational institutions of the country. The nearest goal is CLUST SPACE at DNU named after O. Honchara.
View of the shelter at the entrance. Image: CLUST
CLUST SPACE as an idea
CLUST SPACE has become another successful project of the CLUST company, which is owned by Ruslan Timofeev and is positioned as a venture ecosystem for the growth of IT products. CLUST accompanies entrepreneurs at all stages of the development of their companies and helps them enter the markets of Europe, Asia, the USA and Latin America. When the war started, Ruslan Timofeev and the CLUST team began to receive requests from the military, Teroboronivites, refugees and volunteers.
"When the peak of tension subsided and it became obvious that the struggle would last a long time, I realized that I wanted to help systematically and intelligently. This meant that it was necessary to find an important niche for society and direct resources there. I chose the field of education, because this topic is very close to me. I have been doing international business for many years, so I have seen from my experience that Ukrainian specialists are very qualified. They are significantly ahead of foreign specialists in terms of education, responsibility, proactivity and creativity. It is the employees of the IT sector who attract the most attention. For this to continue, it is important to develop education and create a modern infrastructure for learning at all levels. This is how the idea of CLUST SPACE appeared — a smart multifunctional shelter that guarantees a continuous educational process during the war," said Ruslan Timofeev.
Ruslan Timofeev: "When we were developing the CLUST SPACE idea, we were inspired by Harvard and Stanford universities. The main advantage of these educational institutions is the presence of a student community, which in itself represents an opportunity for creativity and joint work on the development of new ideas."
A location that can be transformed for any student's needs. Image: CLUST
CLUST SPACE is a room perfectly adapted for air alarms, because there is always light, clean air and even bathrooms that work without interruption. The ventilation system for the room was designed by the company "Apfel Group". The fully autonomous structure is equipped with special filters that will be able to protect people from chemical compounds and radioactive exposure for three days.
Zoom room and a toilet area with a shower room. Image: CLUST
"The space is located in the basement, so we decided to combine engineering and security solutions. In the event of a power outage, those staying in the shelter will not only have fresh air, but also electricity and access to working toilets, as CLUST SPACE has a pumping station and backup power system. This place is also completely safe, because in its design we did not use materials that could harm people when destroyed. For example, the glass walls of the briefing rooms are armored with a film that will retain glass fragments. As for inclusiveness, there is a button to call the administrator at the entrance, which will help people with limited mobility or parents with strollers to enter the premises," said architect Pavlo Peker, author of the CLUST SPACE project.
Ruslan Timofeev: "I have been doing international business for many years, so I have seen from my experience that Ukrainian specialists are very qualified. They are significantly ahead of foreign specialists in terms of education, responsibility, proactivity and creativity. It is the employees of the IT sector who attract the most attention. For this to continue, it is important to develop education and create a modern infrastructure for learning at all levels."
Wash basin area. Image: CLUST
In total, the premises and communications are designed for 500 people. During an air raid, both students and ordinary people who were nearby at that time will be able to hide there. And they will definitely have something to do there, because CLUST SPACE has a soft area for comfortable communication, reading rooms, rooms for negotiations, a cafeteria, restrooms and even sleeping rooms. And in CLUST SPACE you can play on game consoles and do sports or yoga - inside there is a room with a soft floor, horizontal bars and tables for board games. The area with toilets and showers meets the requirements for the design of premises for people with disabilities.
As for functionality, all areas of the shelter can be easily adapted to a specific request. For example, thanks to smart zoning and transforming furniture, open space can turn into a lecture hall, conference hall or co-working space. It will be possible to hold lectures, conferences, exams, Olympiads, exhibitions, presentations and business negotiations here.
Zoom room for one person. Image: CLUST
"When we developed the CLUST SPACE idea, we were inspired by Harvard and Stanford universities. The main advantage of these educational institutions is the presence of a student community, which in itself represents an opportunity for creativity and joint work on the development of new ideas. Our space will be a place where students can come together in a community and generate ideas for businesses or innovative solutions. Therefore, CLUST SPACE is not just a shelter. This is a place that will be used not only during the war, but also for many years after our victory," says Ruslan Timofeev.
When asked why he chose KPI among all Ukrainian educational institutions that were ready to take an example from Harvard and Stanford, the entrepreneur answered: he focused on the high level of management and self-governance of the university. Working on the creation of an open space for scientific student creativity, Belka Space, Ruslan was impressed by the students' care and the level of local self-government. Another reason is the CLUST team's respect for KPI as a forge of technical talents of Ukraine, because fellow entrepreneurs and friends of Ruslan Timofeev, in particular MacPaw founder Oleksandr Kosovan and Ajax founder Oleksandr Konotopskyi, received their higher education here.
Restroom. Currently, 4 beds have been installed here. Image: CLUST
"The first project is always the most difficult, and in the case of CLUST SPACE, we didn't even have a reference, because no one had ever done this before. It was important for us to find partners who believe in our idea as much as we do. We found such partners in KPI," said Ruslan Timofeev.
CLUST SPACE as a smart space
Only a very experienced architect with experience in designing safe buildings could complete the task set by Ruslan and his partners from KPI, so CLUST commissioned the project from Pavlov Peker, the owner of the Peker&Partners company, whose portfolio already includes many projects for countries that have long been in state of war
"Our team was impressed by Pavel's experience in different parts of the world. In my opinion, we have had a very productive interaction, so we hope for further cooperation," says Ruslan Timofeev.
Meeting room for lectures. Image: CLUST
Architect Pavlo Peker has extensive experience in post-war countries. In Libya, he worked to restore a hospital damaged by shelling during the events of the 2010s, and in Iraq he designed a town for an oil and gas company and an oil refinery. The latter was built in the middle of a mined desert, where up to five mines from the time of the Iran-Iraq war were found on every square meter...
"When in 2013, a year before the start of the war in Ukraine, I was building protected facilities in Iraq, I could not even imagine that one day my experience would be needed at home," said Pavlo Peker.
The man recalls: working in countries that survived the war, he often communicated with people who could not read and write. During the wars, many Iraqis, especially in small towns, were unable to study. This has resulted in entire generations of Iraqis having low levels of education.
"It's sad, but in the countries where I worked, many jobs are occupied by foreign specialists, so they are completely dependent on foreign aid. I don't want Ukraine to become dependent on foreign aid in the same way. As a Ukrainian and a parent, I see my mission as creating conditions in which children will receive an education so that they can later become the future of our country. No matter how pathetic it sounds. And projects like CLUST SPACE are a resource that will allow us to preserve our educational potential," says Pavlo Peker.
Conference room for meetings. Image: CLUST
The architect notes: modern architecture is made by the conditions in which it arises, so the unique demand of our time creates a demand for certain solutions. Our space meets today's challenges.
"Few architects faced the task of designing a multifunctional shelter, so it was impossible to "see" the result at the beginning. However, we had an idea and a plan of action, so for effective work it remained only to establish cooperation between colleagues. And I am convinced that I am very lucky as an architect, because the KPI and CLUST teams have a very high culture of communication. We worked in short iterations, that is, every week we discussed a new task and progressed further. First - a vision, a technical task, then - zoning, and later - detailed planning and solving engineering issues. We held the first presentation right in the shelter wearing augmented reality glasses, so the team was able to see the result even before construction began. And all this happened in conditions where electricity was provided for several hours a day..." - Pavlo Peker shared his experience.
Game room with relaxation area. Image: CLUST
Pavlo Peker: "It's sad, but in the countries where I worked, all jobs are occupied by foreign specialists, so they are completely dependent on outside help. I don't want Ukraine to become dependent on the help of foreigners in the same way."
The team's efforts were not in vain: even before the shelter was opened, it attracted the attention of higher education institutions and ministries, as well as companies and foundations that finance shelters. The initiators of the project have already received many requests from educational institutions conducting offline exams. It seems that in the near future, CLUST SPACE will become a dream place for all entrepreneurs and teachers who want to conduct lectures or negotiations with foreign partners again, without fearing that this process will have to be interrupted as soon as the next siren sounds.
Currently, Ruslan Timofeev and his team want to expand the idea and open similar shelters in other cities of Ukraine. They are currently looking for partners and investors interested in creating functional shelters.
"We are in the process of searching and negotiating, but we already have the first $100 for the next smart shelter - it was donated by KPI graduate Mykhailo Savchenko. Currently, we are already planning work on CLUST SPACE at DNU named after O. Honchara. We will need approximately $000 to implement this project," said Ruslan Timofeev.
Reading room. In this zone, they wanted to reflect belonging to the library. Image: CLUST
Regarding whether it is possible to open such shelters in most universities and schools of Ukraine, enthusiasts answer: the problem should be looked at realistically.
"Of course, I doubt that such shelters will quickly appear in all schools of the country, however, our experience can be useful to many principals of Ukrainian schools. I want to emphasize: repairs in several basements used as shelters must be done correctly. A simple example: recently I was in the basement of one of the Kyiv schools, in which the pipes burst, and the ceiling fell directly on the heads of the children inside. Another example - recently I also visited the basement, which is used as a shelter by one of the Kyiv schools, and I came to the conclusion that if they stayed outside, the children would be safer... The administration there turned into a shelter a shooting range with an uneven floor, very low ceilings and a single exit . And this is at a time when shelters must meet specific requirements that must be met," said Pavlo Peker.
Common area with soft furniture. Image: CLUST
The architect advises officials responsible for the condition of shelters in educational institutions to consult with specialists.
"If you don't have a lot of money, then first of all, pay attention to ventilation, the presence of a second exit and the state of communications. You should not invest money in redundant equipment and fencing structures. For example, when working on CLUST SPACE, we did not use expensive materials: the walls and floor were simply cleaned and painted. The only additional solution there is acoustic panels under the ceiling. They absorb sound in such a way as to eliminate excess noise."
CLUST SPACE in the library of KPI named after Sikorsky opened on January 25, so the team is already accepting applications for cooperation and events.
