sergey makhno unveils minimalist design for 'father’s house' in snowy ukraine

sergey makhno architects has released their new project in the kiev region of ukraine. designed for makhno’s own family, ‘father’s house’, had the original concept to create ‘a house of lines’ and the resulting design follows this idea as it is minimalistic and honest in it’s articulation, while also creating a place of safety and comfort.

all images courtesy of sergey makhno architects

the program of the house comprises of bedrooms, a wine room, a family breakfast area (kitchen), a family dining area (living room), and a gallery along the entire home. to emphasize the gallery feature, the architects have built it on a pedestal, so that the ceiling is higher than in the main building. this design solution is also due to the fact that the collection of paintings is suspended closer to the lighting. the space is embodied by a ribbon window, which has a width of 450 cm, and stretches along the whole gallery. 

concrete, glass and rebated roof are used as the basic construction materials. alexandr kovpak, the chief architect of the ‘father’s house’ emphasizes the importance of concrete in the work: ‘from a professional point of view, this is an architectural concrete, and, from the creative one, it is a concrete of poetry.’ the design also incorporates outdoor terraces and a garden of stones which is ‘hidden’ behind a round hole in the wall. the pool with sunbeds is also ‘hidden’ behind a rectangular arch, but the main entrance is really hidden from the road by a huge slab. the use of a large number of walls is also an architectural and design solution as they represent the spirit of the protective father. the walls are designed to protect the intimate spirit of the family while opening the house up to the panoramic landscape of the ‘father’s house’ site.

project info:

project name: ‘father’s house’

architect: sergey makhno, olexander kovpak

location: kiev region, ukraine

type: private residence

area: 412 m2