Program/Function: Humanitarian aid and sustainable reconstruction
Location: Switzerland and Ukraine
Year: 2022 (Initiation); Ongoing
Design Team: Barbara Buser; Re-Win Association;

Reuse Information:

• Utilizes second-hand windows discarded in Switzerland.

• Reduces waste and supports sustainable rebuilding efforts in Ukraine.

• Demonstrates cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions in crisis response.

“Windows for Ukraine” is a humanitarian initiative launched by architect Barbara Buser and the Re-Win association to collect and deliver second-hand windows from Switzerland to Ukraine, replacing those shattered due to the ongoing conflict.
The project repurposes discarded windows from Swiss buildings, giving them a second life in Ukrainian homes.

Re-Win – Windows for Ukraine – official website

Architect Barbara Buser, through the association Re-Win, launched the "Windows for Ukraine" initiative, based on a simple yet ambitious idea: since thousands of windows are thrown away every week in wealthy Switzerland, why not send them to Ukraine, where many of them have been destroyed by bombings? Producing new frames would require more time and money — even up to four times more than before the conflict. This intuition was developed further with typically Swiss precision studies covering every aspect. For the same cost, the initiative provides five times more windows than producing new ones, while also reducing pollution. Hundreds of Swiss windows have already found a second life in Ukraine, thanks to donations and crowdfunding efforts.