Explore three Ukrainian guesthouses in a meadow

Reed Roof Guesthouses, Ukraine by YOD Group, Ukrainian guesthouses — Reed Roof Guesthouses, Ukraine by YOD Group

(Image credit: Mykhailo Lukashuk)

Under the Reed Roof, a family of Ukrainian guesthouses, are located in a private estate in Central Ukraine, a country that might not be the first choice for those seeking a calming retreat right now. But against the odds, the YOD Group – Kyiv-based specialists in hospitality design – have created a set of holiday homes that not only reference traditional Ukrainian architecture but also create a bold presence in the landscape.

Reed Roof Guesthouses, Ukraine by YOD Group

Explore these new Ukrainian guesthouses

The key point of inspiration was the Ukrainian hata-mazanka construction technique, an ancient form of wattle-and-daub that formed structures using a wooden framework filled with a mixture of clay, reeds and willow. This rough structure would then be plastered and whitewashed, using locally available clay – the name mazanka means to plaster or smear. The traditional hata, or hut, used thatch as the most practical and available roofing material.

The Reed Roof Guesthouses take this vernacular history and transform it into a thoroughly modern form. By accentuating and exaggerating the form of the roof, the new structures are a prominent part of the landscape. Instead of thick whitewashed walls, the new huts have transparent curved glass facades, arranged a solid concrete central service core.

The curved glass facade and neatly trimmed thatch roof

The rectangular floor plan divides each of the huts into a sleeping and living area, with a diaphanous curtain that can be drawn around the inside of the façade at the push of a button. Oversized, organic furniture by Noom and textiles integrate the interior surfaces the exterior landscape, with great care taken to make the threshold between floor, glass and ground as seamless as possible.

The living space flanks a concrete service core

‘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,’ says YOD’s Volodymyr Nepiyvoda, ‘We studied the image of the traditional Ukrainian house, distilled its core characteristics, and reinterpreted them through our own lens to create a contemporary architectural object.’

Furnishings from Noom and a textured carpet create a sensory interior

In addition to the furnishings the other interior elements also err on the geometric, such as the circular fireplace. That dramatic roof is equally impressive from within, rising up some 10 metres above floor level, with the steeply sloping ceilings clad in wooden shingles (another traditional Ukrainian building material). Outside, the thatch is cut with a precision and simplicity that accentuates the hat-like shape of each roof.

The shingle cladding rises up ten metres into the roof

YOD has equipped the guesthouses with a heat pump to ensure energy independence and a comfortable year-round climate – essential in this location. There’s also discrete air conditioning for the summer months.

The glazed perimeter brings the outside in and even the floor covering – a textured carpet – offers a tactile sensation to the barefoot guest. An oversized ceramic and natural fibre floor lamp in the bedroom is a playful interior element.

These are structures designed for a minimal and mindful escape from the outside world – no television, just the flickering flames of the fire.

YOD.Group

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.