As of January 2024, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has destroyed nearly a quarter of a million buildings, most of them private homes, according to the Kyiv School of Economics. Universities, health care facilities, and public infrastructure are also among the wreckage. The World Bank estimates that it will cost more than $400 billion to reconstruct the country.

But rebuilding Ukraine is about more than just new roofs, walls, and foundations. Considering the cultural losses that each demolished building represents, and carefully weaving that history back into the reconstruction process, is just as critical, says architectural conservator David Wessel. A principal at West Coast–based Architectural Resources Group (ARG) and CEO of ARG Conservation Services, Wessel is steeped in the industry’s best conservation practices.

Wessel, who also serves as board president at Filoli, a National Trust Historic Site in Woodside, California, was asked to help lead a recent study trip organized by the Center for Innovation, an organization focused on the latest advances in construction. The trip brought a delegation of 10 Ukrainian individuals to the United States in January 2024 to learn about the latest technology and approaches to reconstruction.

We talked to Wessel to hear more about the top preservation takeaways from the study trip, and how Ukraine can hold on to its cultural spirit as it rebuilds.

How did the idea to host Ukrainian delegates on a study trip come about?

I was asked to go to Kyiv, Ukraine, for the Center for Innovation’s conference [to discuss post-war reconstruction] in July 2023, organized with Ukraine nonprofit Dobrobat, a group of volunteers that rebuild damaged homes and buildings [in Ukraine] once an area is secured.

Through that, [we met] people who wanted to visit the United States, so we wanted to have a group come on a study trip. This was pretty much all organized by Center for Innovation Consultant Margie O’Driscoll. We took applications, and we selected a group of 10 Ukrainians—including engineers, architects, the president of one of the universities that was damaged in the war, a government minister, a representative of UNESCO, a construction contractor, and Dobrobat representatives—and they all came to San Francisco.

What were the highlights of the study trip?

ARG’s offices on Pier 9 were the headquarters for the study trip. We had AECOM, which is a large engineering company who has the contract to rebuild the infrastructure in Ukraine, come to talk about their approach. I organized a session on cultural heritage and its role in recovery. We had a wonderful presentation by NASA where they shared how their research for space exploration and other work that they do has helped the construction industry.

We also took the group on visits to Stanford University, where we met with Martin Fisher in the engineering department, who has developed an innovative certification program for project delivery. We met with former United States Ambassador [to Russia] Michael McFaul. Rep. Nancy Pelosi visited one of our public events, and the Ukrainian delegation was able to meet with her privately. The group visited a site in Vallejo, California, where modular homes are constructed. We went out to various locations in San Francisco to see large construction projects and how these United States contractors were undertaking the work.

Then we ended at Filoli where they went all-out to host the group. Jim Salyards, director of horticulture, gave the group a wonderful tour of the gardens. [Filoli] CEO Kara Newport was there to welcome everyone. Director of Museum Collections and Curator Kevin Wisney gave a wonderful tour of the house. Filoli sponsored a dinner for the group, and we had a friend of mine, Ivan Linn, a concert pianist, entertain the group. He included pieces by Ukrainian composers.

How do cultural heritage and historic preservation intersect in this work?

Warsaw, Poland, including the old town, is considered by many an example of one type of reconstruction that has been successful. The old town and other areas of the city were completely destroyed during World War II. Postwar, the city was rapidly reconstructed. The old town reconstruction was based upon historic photos, drawings, and the accounts of those who had lived there. The intent was to bring back faithfully what has been lost. This is one of many approaches to reconstruction.

What are some rebuilding techniques discussed during the study trip that would be well suited for Ukraine’s recovery?

Much of what we discussed with the Ukrainian delegation had to do with advances in project management and how technology has played a part in that. For instance, using laser scanning of damaged buildings to estimate quantities of materials needed for repair. A building would be laser scanned, and then that’s turned into a digital model, and then that can be used to estimate the quantities of concrete that need to be produced and delivered to the site to repair it.

Another type of technology that could be used is 3D printing. There’s a lot of experimentation and use of that in the United States, where [some] homes are built with 3D printing. Those are masonry buildings, so that may fit well with the Ukrainian culture.