Reed Roof Guesthouses by YOD Group in Ukraine – All photos are by Mykhailo Lukashuk.
Architecture. Scattered across the Ukrainian countryside, hata-mazanka — traditional rural homes with thick whitewashed walls and thatched roofs — have long embodied a way of living shaped by local materials, climate, and cultural ritual. It is precisely this vernacular spirit that inspired YOD Group‘s Under the Reed Roof Guesthouses, a cluster of intimate huts that reimagine these humble origins through a boldly contemporary lens. Each structure features a glass façade beneath a 10-metre-tall roof, striking a balance between the deeply familiar and the quietly unexpected.
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Set in central Ukraine, the cottages emerge from the landscape with an instantly recognisable silhouette — evoking the tall sheepskin hats of Ukrainian folklore, or perhaps an oversized mushroom, appearing to float serenely above the earth. It is an image that feels both rooted and otherworldly, grounded in history yet entirely of the present.
“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,” explains Volodymyr Nepiyvoda, co-owner and managing partner of YOD Group.
Inside, the 50-square-metre layout is organised around a central concrete core housing the bathroom, with the bedroom and living area extending on either side. The living room is anchored by a minimalist fireplace — a quiet nod to the traditional Ukrainian stove — and, refreshingly, no television. The decision was entirely deliberate. “Watching the live flame through the circular opening of the fireplace and maintaining constant visual contact with the surrounding nature encourages informational detox and emotional restoration.” It is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and simply be.
The project masterfully blurs the boundary between inside and out. Uninterrupted glazing allows the ever-changing landscape to become an active part of the emotional experience, whilst a continuous stone-carpet floor offers a pleasantly grounding, massage-like sensation underfoot. Dense yet visually light curtains, operated automatically via a bedside panel, provide privacy whenever it is needed.
Inside, a restrained natural palette brings together furniture by Noom, black clay décor by Guculiya, and warmly textured wooden elements to create an atmosphere that feels both curated and effortlessly calm. A large custom floor lamp crafted from ceramics and natural fibres anchors the bedroom with quiet warmth and sculptural presence.
Overhead, the dome’s inner surface is clad with wooden tiles that reference the traditional shingles historically used on Ukrainian rooftops. Rising to a full 10 metres at its apex, it enhances the sense of verticality and openness whilst concealing all engineering systems from view.
A heat pump maintains a comfortable indoor climate year-round, with concealed air-conditioning and supply ventilation channelled through discreet linear grilles and exhaust outlets built into both the dome and central core — invisible infrastructure working quietly in service of an entirely sensory experience.
Thoughtful, culturally attuned, and quietly joyful, YOD Group’s Under the Reed Roof Guesthouses offer a rare kind of retreat — one that feels both like a homecoming and a discovery.
All photos are by Mykhailo Lukashuk, courtesy of YOD Group.
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