NGO Metalab

METALAB is a Ukrainian non-profit organisation based in Ivano-Frankivsk, working as an urban laboratory at the intersection of sustainable urban development, community-led housing, and socially oriented design. METALAB was founded to support Ukrainian cities and communities in developing inclusive, resilient, and environmentally responsible solutions through research, experimentation, and collaboration. Since its establishment, METALAB has focused on issues such as urban and community development, circular economy, product and spatial design, and capacity building for civil society and professionals. The organisation operates as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together architects, designers, urban practitioners, researchers, and community actors through R&D, public discussions, educational program and cultural events and festivals. Following the mass displacement caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, METALAB initiated CO-HATY, a housing programme that renovates unused public buildings into long-term, affordable homes for internally displaced people. Through this work, METALAB has gained extensive hands-on experience in housing renovation, community engagement, and developing participatory, dignity-based housing models in a fragile context. METALAB’s purpose is to contribute to systemic, long-term change in how housing and urban development are approached in Ukraine, with a strong emphasis on human rights, sustainability, and community ownership.