Set within a private estate in central Ukraine, Under the Reed Roof Guesthouses reinterpret the rural hata-mazanka through a single, dominant architectural gesture. A monumental thatched roof shelters a compact, transparent dwelling that reframes vernacular principles of protection, light, and domestic ritual within a contemporary spatial and material framework.
Under the Reed Roof Guesthouses Technical Information
- Architects: YOD Group
- Location: Central Ukraine, Ukraine
- Gross Area: 50 m2 | 538 Sq. Ft.
- Project Year: 2026
- Photographs: © Mykhailo Lukashuk
Our philosophy of terroir design goes beyond working with local materials or familiar forms. It is about uncovering the essence of a place and decoding its cultural meanings.
– Volodymyr Nepiyvoda
Vernacular Reinterpretation and Architectural Form
The project approaches the Ukrainian hata-mazanka not as a historical model to replicate, but as a cultural and climatic system shaped by care, regular maintenance, and a desire for order. Traditional thick walls and limewashed surfaces, historically associated with cleanliness and light, are reinterpreted through radical transparency rather than mass. The architectural language shifts the emphasis from enclosure to perception.
The oversized thatched roof becomes the primary architectural act. Its exaggerated scale and soft, organic profile establish a legible silhouette within the landscape, recalling both folkloric headwear and vegetal forms without literal symbolism. The roof performs as shelter, marker, and spatial organizer, asserting continuity with vernacular logic while operating through abstraction.
By reducing walls to glass, the roof appears to hover above the site during daylight hours. This inversion elevates the roof from a protective element to a visual and cultural signifier, repositioning the archetypal rural house as an object defined more by its canopy than its enclosure.
Spatial Organization and Interior–Landscape Continuity
The plan is organized around a central concrete core that contains the bathroom and technical functions. This compact nucleus keeps the remaining floor area open, with the bedroom and living space positioned on either side. Spatial hierarchy is established through orientation and use rather than partitions.
Fully glazed façades eliminate hard boundaries between interior and exterior. The surrounding landscape functions as a constantly changing backdrop, shaping daily rhythms of light, weather, and seasonal variation. Visual continuity reinforces the perception of the house as a temporary inhabitation of the site rather than an imposition upon it.
Interior focus is deliberately restrained. A minimalist fireplace replaces electronic media, referencing the traditional Ukrainian stove as a social and symbolic center. The act of observing fire through its circular opening prioritizes slowness and attention, aligning spatial experience with restorative domestic rituals.
Material Strategy and Eco-Minimalist Interior Language
The interior material palette favors restraint and continuity. A stone-carpet floor extends seamlessly from inside to outside, reinforcing spatial unity while providing a tactile surface that foregrounds the body. Color is muted, allowing texture and light to animate the space.
Locally produced furnishings and objects anchor the interior within its regional context without resorting to pastiche. Ceramic, wood, and textile elements introduce variation at the scale of touch, counterbalancing the abstract clarity of the architectural envelope.
Minimalism here does not result in neutrality. Instead, sensory engagement emerges through handcrafted details, subtle shifts in material temperature, and the modulation of light across surfaces. The result is an interior that remains calm while resisting visual emptiness.
Structure, Environmental Systems, and Concealed Technology
The roof dome functions as both spatial volume and infrastructural container. Rising to approximately ten meters at its apex, it amplifies vertical perception within a small footprint. The interior surface is clad in wooden tiles that recall traditional shingle techniques, translated into a contemporary construction system.
All engineering systems are integrated within the roof and central core, allowing walls and glazing to remain visually uninterrupted. Ventilation slots are embedded in vertical grilles, while exhaust outlets are concealed within the dome, preserving spatial clarity.
A heat pump system provides year-round climate control, combined with integrated air conditioning and supply ventilation. By embedding these systems within architectural elements, the project maintains a coherent spatial language where technology supports habitation without asserting a visible presence.
About YOD Group
YOD Group is an architecture and commercial design studio specializing in hospitality and leisure projects. Founded in 2004 by Volodymyr Nepiyvoda and Dmytro Bonesko, the practice has completed more than 200 projects worldwide and received over 30 international awards. Its architectural approach is rooted in a philosophy of “terroir design,” which seeks to decode local cultural meanings and reinterpret them through contemporary spatial, material, and environmental strategies.
Credits and Additional Notes
- Other contributors: Photography by Mykhailo Lukashuk
- Other contributors: Furniture by Noom
S U P E R !