Kharkiv School of Architecture

What Kharkiv School of Architecture does

Kharkiv School of Architecture (KHSA) is a private higher education institution founded in 2017 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and the country's first private school offering bachelor's and master's programs in architecture and urbanism. It delivers a four-year bachelor's (240 ECTS) and a two-year master's (120 ECTS) program using a studio-based learning methodology unique in Ukraine, in which students work in dedicated studio spaces under weekly and monthly reviews by practicing architects. The bachelor's program is accredited for five years by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (valid until July 1, 2029), and the master's program was licensed in September 2024.

Following the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, KHSA relocated from Kharkiv to Lviv in March 2022 with support from the Lviv National Academy of Arts, preserving its in-person model. The school is preparing to move to expanded premises at the KIVSH creative space in Lviv for the 2026-2027 academic year. It also runs a preparatory Zero Year program, short courses and workshops (in Lviv, Kyiv, and Dnipro), an annual international Building Back Better workshop, and maintains a 1,300+ volume architecture library integrated with the Koha system. Strategic partnerships with KU Leuven, ETSAM Madrid, AHO Oslo, KTH Stockholm, and the University of Limerick, plus 30+ European internship offices, anchor international benchmark relevance.

Revenue is generated primarily from tuition (bachelor 50,000 UAH/semester, master 60,000 UAH/semester), short courses and workshops, and crucially from charitable patron donations, with no state funding. The school is governed by six founders from Ukrainian business and architecture, including architect Oleg Drozdov as President, and operates with a leadership team headed by Rector Iryna Matsevko and a broad academic and administrative staff. KHSA reports 90% of graduates working in their specialty within three months of graduation, with students from nearly all regions of Ukraine.

Name

Kharkiv School of Architecture

Legal name

Приватний заклад «Інститут «Харківська школа архітектури»

Website

https://kharkiv.school

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kharkiv School of Architecture is Ukraine's first private higher education institution offering bachelor's and master's programs in architecture and urbanism, using a studio-based learning methodology unique in Ukraine. Founded in 2017 in Kharkiv and relocated to Lviv in 2022, it serves individual degree-seeking students with European-standard education and international partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Urbanism Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Architecture degree programs
• Urban planning education
• Studio based learning
• Architecture skills workshops
• Postwar reconstruction studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Харків

HQ country

Ukraine

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bachelor Tuition: Private higher education institution with tuition-based revenue model. Bachelor program costs 50,000 UAH per semester. For 2026 entrants: 100,000 UAH for first year. No budget (state-funded) places available.
2. Master Tuition: Master's program tuition is 60,000 UAH per semester. Total program cost 240,000 UAH (120,000 per year).
3. Donor/Patronage Funding: School receives charitable contributions from patrons and donors who understand the importance of architecture education in Ukraine. Operates without state financial support, relying on benefactors.
4. Workshops and Short Courses: Various short-term intensive educational programs, workshops, and preparatory courses generate additional revenue. Prices range from 400 UAH (Basic Urbanism workshop) to 10,000 UAH (Zero Year intensive in Kyiv).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kharkiv School of Architecture is a private higher-education institution that provides professional education in architecture and urbanism. Its core degree offering is a four-year bachelor's program combining theoretical, technical, humanities, and practical studio learning, with workshops, project work, and applied experience in the Ukrainian context.

Product overview

Kharkiv School of Architecture offers a comprehensive educational ecosystem built around a studio-based learning system unique in Ukraine. The core offerings include a five-year accredited Bachelor's Programme (240 ECTS) and a two-year Master's Programme (120 ECTS) in Architecture and Urbanism, both licensed by Ukraine's Ministry of Education. Supporting these are the preparatory Zero Year programme (available in-person in Lviv or online), short-term courses and workshops including Portfolio Intensives, and the annual Building Back Better international workshop. The school maintains a specialized architecture library with 1,300+ items connected to the Koha library system. All programs emphasize practical studio work with practicing architects, workshops for hands-on experience with materials and construction, and integration with real clients and municipalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Programme in Architecture and Urbanism Four-year full-time bachelor's program comprising 240 ECTS that combines practical, theoretical, technical, and humanities education in architecture and urbanism and is adapted to the Ukrainian context. The program is accredited for five years.
• Master's Programme in Architecture and Urbanism Two-year master's program comprising 120 ECTS, focused on rethinking urban development and rebuilding Ukrainian urban and rural spaces, with emphasis on post-war reconstruction, heritage, and sustainable city development.
• Zero Year Preparatory Programme Flexible preparatory education for prospective architecture students, available in person in Lviv and online, covering architecture theory, anthropology, sociology, materials and construction, graphics, composition, and studio work.
• Courses and Workshops Short-term intensive architecture and urbanism programs that provide focused knowledge, experience, and skills, including urbanism and architecture intensives and basic workshops.
• Portfolio Intensive Course teaching students to structure their learning experience, develop a portfolio concept, and apply layout and composition skills when creating a portfolio.
• Building Back Better International Workshop Annual international workshop for students from Ukraine and Europe to examine and develop solutions for the sustainable rebuilding of Ukraine with international experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of graduates work in their specialty within 3 months of graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Lviv National Academy of ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Provided campus space at Kubiyovycha 35A for KHSA's emergency relocation in March 2022 after the full-scale Russian invasion. This critical support enabled the school to resume operations, reunite students, faculty, and staff, and return to in-person learning.
• KU Leuven (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture Faculty partnership. One of Europe's top-ranked architecture schools, collaborating on educational program development and academic exchange.
• ETSAM Madrid Polytechnic (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture Faculty at Madrid Polytechnic University. Partnership for program development and knowledge exchange in architecture education.
• AHO Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and Design School in Oslo. Strategic partner in European architecture education community, contributing to program discussions and improvements.
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture School at KTH. Partnership for educational program collaboration and international academic exchange.
• University of Limerick (Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture School. Active partner in master's program development consultation and academic mobility. Students can participate in academic mobility through Brno University of Technology and University of Limerick.
• Centrala (Poland)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish architecture firm contributing faculty members to KHSA's teaching staff and organizing joint workshops.
• Outpost (USA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational architecture office contributing to KHSA's professional teaching staff.
• 12N Urban Matters (Netherlands)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch urban planning firm contributing expertise and faculty to KHSA programs.
• Orange Architects (Netherlands)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch architecture firm participating in KHSA's international faculty network.
• Building Design Partnership (UK)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish architecture firm in KHSA's international faculty network.
• KIVSH Creative SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative hub in Lviv housing KHSA's new location starting 2026-2027. Space unites creative communities, cultural initiatives, and independent practices, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture: Private, independent architecture school in London known for its studio-based tuition system and global reputation. AA is the closest analog to KHSA's private, studio-driven pedagogical model and serves as the archetypal benchmark for a small, tuition-funded architecture school.
• IE School of Architecture and Design: Private architecture and design school within IE University (Spain), offering English-taught bachelor/master programs with strong international faculty. Comparable to KHSA as a private, internationally-oriented architecture school with a Europe-wide student draw.
• Domus Academy: Private Milan-based post-graduate design and architecture school with master programs and an industry-linked workshop model. Comparable to KHSA in being a small private design/architecture school focused on practice-led learning and European industry partnerships.
• Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio (USI): Swiss private architecture academy within Università della Svizzera italiana with a studio-based, craft-intensive curriculum. Comparable to KHSA as a small private professional school offering bachelor/master architecture programs with strong workshop orientation.
• Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc): Independent, tuition-driven architecture school in Los Angeles offering bachelor and master degrees with a studio-led, experimental pedagogy. Closely parallels KHSA's positioning as a non-public, tuition-funded architecture school differentiated by pedagogical approach.

Broad incumbents

• Pratt Institute School of Architecture: Large US private institution with a long-established architecture school offering studio-based programs at bachelor and master level. Comparable as a private higher-education architecture provider with a studio culture, but operating at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio than KHSA.
• The Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL): Architecture school within University College London offering research- and studio-led bachelor/master programs with strong international faculty and EU/UK reach. Comparable to KHSA's studio-and-jury-led pedagogy and European partnership orientation, but as part of a much larger public research university.

Emerging players

• HEAD — Genève (Haute école d'art et de design): Swiss private/public arts and design school with architecture and space-oriented programs. Comparable to KHSA as a small, studio-driven European design/architecture education provider, though operating within the Swiss public higher-education framework.
• Istituto Europeo di Design (IED): Private European network of design schools with locations across Italy, Spain and beyond, including architecture-adjacent programs. Comparable as a tuition-driven private design/architecture education provider targeting international students, though broader than KHSA's architecture-only focus.

Regional players

• Cracow University of Technology — Faculty of Architecture: Public Polish architecture faculty offering English-taught bachelor/master programs with a strong studio tradition. Comparable to KHSA as a Central European architecture school teaching in a studio model with European accreditation, but public and located outside Ukraine.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kharkiv-school-of-architecrure

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kharkiv School of Architecture