Futago is a Japanese word meaning "twins". The name chosen by Sergey Makhno Architects for this building constructed in Kiev gives a clear clue as to its architectural composition and is a tribute to Japanese architecture, and in particular to the profession of Tadao Ando. Like the master, who is the current guest editor of Domus, the Ukrainian architects seek a delicate balance between the abstract and the concrete, artifice and nature, myth and reason, the ordinary and the symbolic, simplicity and complexity, autonomy and relationship.

“This house has become both a continuation of nature and its opposition. Futago is a blank sheet of paper in which tons of concrete, glass, passion, and the power of the human spirit have merged. All to admire the beauty around and learn to see the beauty inside,” comments architect Sergey Makhno. The building features two specular structures with overhanging volumes. The two parts are joined by a ground floor plate, which houses the garages, office spaces, technical rooms and warehouses.

Sergey Makhno Architects' design is essential and monolithic. Twenty thousand tonnes of cement were poured to build it, and the outer facades are dotted with formwork marks (as Ando does in his projects). As you approach the house, however, you get the impression that the upper blocks are suspended in the air: their bases are hidden by the horizontal plate due to the effect of perspective. The house is equipped with a home automation system, artificial ventilation and filtering of the area, underfloor heating and glazing. All the technological components are hidden from view.