After graduating from university, Sofiia Brem followed a path familiar to many talented young architects and designers, working across interiors, product design, and architectural projects. Yet behind the polished visuals and creative briefs, she felt professionally lost.

“I couldn’t see the bigger purpose behind what I was doing,” Sofiia recalls. “My work revolved around making things ‘beautiful,’ ‘unusual,’ or ‘different,’ but I didn’t feel inspired by the idea of simply becoming another successful designer.”

Then one day, while scrolling through Facebook, she came across an open call for the Universal Design School.

The school is a flagship educational initiative developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine. First launched in 2018 and revived in 2024–2025 in response to the country’s inclusive recovery needs, the programme has already trained around 170 professionals from across Ukraine – architects, urbanists, municipal representatives, and other specialists now working to implement accessibility and barrier-free approaches in their communities.

Sofiia applied without fully understanding what she would gain from the programme. That decision, however, became the foundation of an entirely new professional identity.

During the training, she began looking at urban space differently – not as a collection of buildings, but as a lived human experience. Things that once seemed “normal” – high curbs, narrow doorways, missing ramps – suddenly became visible as barriers that can turn everyday life into a constant struggle.

“I used to think architecture was mostly about talent,” she says. “But then I realized there is an entire world we still need to study. To make life comfortable for people, you first need to understand people and their needs.”

Universal Design gave Sofiia the sense of purpose she had been searching for.

“It is about clarity and ease of using space,” the architect explains. “About being able to leave your home, reach a bus stop, use public transport, cross the street, enter a building or institution – without constantly encountering invisible barriers that force you to stop.” 

Today, Sofiia conducts accessibility assessments, delivers lectures, and develops practical guidance materials. She has also returned to Universal Design School as an instructor, while serving as a mentor at UNDP’s Barrier-Free Routes School.

Launched last year, the Barrier-Free Routes School is already running its second training cycle for communities across Ukraine. Its goal is to help municipalities design continuous, accessible routes connecting key public spaces with critical infrastructure. Across its two intake cycles, representatives from 37 communities have taken part in the programme.

For Sofiia, everything started with a single click on social media. Today, her work is helping to build a country where movement means freedom – not overcoming obstacles.

Photo credit: UNDP Ukraine