Dzen House: Japanese calm, Ukrainian memory

The first floor concentrates the common rooms (kitchen and living room) around a compact core that houses the staircase, bathroom and facilities. This technical core frees the perimeter and allows natural circulation around it, gaining visual continuity without losing privacy. On the upper floor, two bedrooms, a study and a small meditation space with tatami and circular oculus complete the program; the master bedroom is organized around a podium-bed under a large glass panel.

The project underlines a precise cultural dialogue. On the lower level, the rough mazanka plaster – an echo of Ukrainian rural architecture – adds tactile density. In the attic, the kisugi (shou sugi ban) treated wood cladding and the exposed structure of the large skirt are reminiscent of Japanese tradition. The mix is not decorative: it articulates layers of time and use (hard outside, warm inside) and adjusts maintenance to a climate marked by extreme seasons.

The relationship with the exterior is resolved through floor-to-ceiling glazed panels in the areas of frequent use, which integrate the nearby pine forest without turning the interior into a showcase. The concrete slab on the first floor accumulates and releases heat from an integrated heating system, prioritizing the comfort of the body over the overheating of the air; a ventilation system renews the environment with stable temperatures. In the tatami room, the oculus frames the rain falling from the eaves, reminding us that here the climate is also a matter of design.