a thatched roof tops sergey makhno's shkrub house in the suburbs of kiev

architect sergey makhno has renovated an existing building in the suburbs of kiev to create a new residence for him and his family. titled ‘shkrub house’ the project takes inspiration from the japanese philosophy of ‘wabi-sabi’, which finds beauty in imperfection. characterized by the application of unpolished materials native to ukraine, such as clay walls and the monumental thatched roof, the home has also been designed to embrace contemporary ukrainian style.

all images © serhii kadulin

“thanks to japan, I learned to love ukraine. when I went to japan for the first time and saw how they appreciate their heritage, I understood that ukrainian culture is extremely rich but we rarely rate it highly. japan has given my country back to me. it has opened my eyes and, most importantly, my heart to the wealth I have always had – my homeland. I create ukrainian design transmitted through the lens of japanese perception of beautiful”, explains sergey makhno of sergey makhno architects.

with due consideration to issues of sustainability, makhno chose to adapt an existing building as opposed to starting to build from scratch. from outside, the most radical change is the huge, double-height window that punctures the rear elevation. this area of glazing denotes the social space of the house and brings natural light and views of the garden into the heart of the home.

the program of shkrub house is split over two floors, with the ground level catering for the more social aspects of the scheme, and the upper floor housing the private bedroom spaces. however, these two planes are not entirely disparate as they are united by the double-height volume of the living room, which can also be glimpsed from the master bedroom upstairs, offering an element of connection throughout the house.

the now living, dining and kitchen areas have undergone the most significant change in the renovation of the existing building. the walls and ceilings of these spaces are decorated in wood that also functions to display makhno’s extensive collection of clay objects, which date back to the 5th – 2nd millennium BC.

the upper floor is planned to be simple, comprising of a gallery-hall and bedrooms for the family. the hall ends with a balcony overlooking the living room and garden – the first thing owners see when they leave their rooms in the morning. the notion of finding beauty in imperfection also resonates in these spaces, in particular the master bedroom, which features a huge ‘clay-cliff’ wall t the head of the bed.

outside, the fusion of japan and ukraine continues as maple and cherry trees sit alongside ukrainian zoomorphic pottery and contemporary art. overall, with the blend of natural materials and organic forms within the regular volume of the building, the design of shkrub house results in a contemporary take on tradition. when describing the house sergey makhno comments,“when in five thousand years, archaeologists from other planets will dismantle my house, they will say that it was built according to ancient ukrainian traditions. that there was a lot of nature, and a lot of life”.