YASNA ECO-COMPLEX
Part of Yakusha’s live design philosophy is rooted in ancestral relationships with nature and a sustainable approach. Feeling the landscape, connecting with the land, starting a dialogue between nature and the forthcoming constructions.
YASNA (Ukrainian for: luminous, radiant) is an ecological retreat in the Carpathian mountains designed to harness vibrations of the Ukrainian mystic place of power. The complex comprises guest houses, a restaurant, yoga, spa and coworking center.
YEAR: 2022
Location: Carphatian region, Ukraine
Vzori (Ukrainian for: to the stars) — an oculus of a 2-meter diameter opens onto the night sky, the road map of ancestors. Observant, Vzori houses stand at the sommet of the YASNA Complex terrain. The traditional wood-shingle technique — gont, is revived in tune with the neighboring Khranyteli homes but in a different form of expression. Live, sustainable materials wooden framework, hemp insulation, and lime-based paint is used for all houses.
YASNA cafe is designed in tune with our studio's philosophy of live architecture and design centered in Ukrainian cultural heritage, revival of ancestral techniques and working with the power of nature — employing natural elements in a sustainable way. To integrate the architecture fully into the surrounding wild forest environment, organic fluid bodies of the buildings are conceived of a wooden framework and hemp-lime insulation.
Hemp-lime creates an ideal level of humidity for humans, thanks to the highly alkaline astringent and antiseptic properties of hemp, it prevents mold, the mixture also works as a filter, and creates an ideal environment for establishing a healthy acid-alkaline balance in the human body.
A traditional, local wood-shingle roofing technique — “gont” is revived on the roofs of YASNA café, evoking the ancestral relationships of local inhabitants with architecture, and offering an innovative homage to the way they conceived their natural homes, as the founder of our studio, Victoria Yakusha explains.
The main halls of the cafe, yoga center and spa offer a view of the mountains and the forest. Window-walls lift barriers between nature and the interior.
