YOD Group design a contemporary guesthouse architecture rooted in Ukrainian vernacular culture
Under the Reed Roof Guesthouses by YOD Group present a contemporary interpretation of the Ukrainian hata-mazanka, translating vernacular principles into a precise architectural language shaped by transparency, light, and a dominant roof form. Located on a private estate in central Ukraine, the guesthouses reinterpret the rural archetype through reduction and clarity, while maintaining a strong cultural grounding.
Traditional Ukrainian vernacular architecture developed through pragmatic responses to climate and daily rituals, defined by thick whitewashed walls, thatched roofs, and repetitive plastering as an act of care and maintenance. In this project, those values are abstracted rather than replicated. The historic pursuit of light, order, and cleanliness is expressed through fully glazed façades, transforming opacity into openness while preserving the symbolic importance of the roof.
The oversized reed roof becomes the YOD Group project’s defining architectural gesture. Its sculptural profile creates an immediately legible silhouette that recalls both the height of traditional headwear and the organic presence of a mushroom emerging from the landscape. This dominant form anchors the guesthouses visually, allowing the rest of the architecture to remain restrained and quietly precise.
As explained by Volodymyr Nepiyvoda from YOD Group, the project is rooted in a terroir-based design philosophy that focuses on decoding the cultural essence of a place. By analysing the core characteristics of the traditional Ukrainian house, the studio translated those qualities into a contemporary architectural object shaped by reinterpretation rather than imitation.
Internally, the spatial layout is organised around a central concrete core that contains the bathroom. This solid element divides the plan into two zones: a bedroom on one side and a living area on the other. In the living space, a minimalist fireplace serves as a contemporary reference to the traditional Ukrainian stove, reinforcing the domestic ritual of gathering around heat.
The deliberate absence of a television supports a slower rhythm of inhabitation. Guests are encouraged to engage with the live flame visible through the circular fireplace opening and to maintain constant visual contact with the surrounding landscape, promoting informational detox and emotional recovery.
Throughout the day, the uninterrupted glazing visually dissolves the boundary between inside and outside, creating the impression that the heavy thatched roof is hovering above the terrain. A continuous stone-carpet floor extends seamlessly from interior to exterior, offering tactile comfort and reinforcing spatial continuity.
When privacy is required, dense yet visually light curtains can be activated automatically from a control panel positioned near the bed. This flexibility allows occupants to modulate openness without disrupting the architectural clarity of the space.
The interiors follow principles of eco-minimalism, using a muted natural palette, tactile materials, and works by Ukrainian designers. Furniture by Noom, black clay objects by Guculiya, and textured wooden elements establish a cohesive atmosphere, while a custom ceramic and fibre floor lamp adds a sculptural focal point in the bedroom.
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The inner surface of the roof dome by YOD Group is lined with wooden tiles referencing traditional Ukrainian shingles. Rising to ten metres at its highest point, the dome enhances verticality while concealing all technical systems. Climate comfort is ensured through a heat pump, with ventilation and air-conditioning integrated discreetly into linear slots and hidden exhausts, preserving the visual purity of the architecture.
Photography by Mykhailo Lukashuk, with courtesy of v2com
YOD Group: https://www.yod.group
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