Ukrainian architecture practice Makhno Studio has developed a range of textured clay panels for use as insulation and interior decoration that naturally regulate humidity.

The Breathable Walls project was inspired by traditional Ukrainian mazanka houses, plastered using clay mixed with manure or other organic materials.

Makhno Studio has developed clay wall panels

Contemporary trends for wellness and sustainability prompted architect Sergey Makhno and his team to explore potential applications of this building method in contemporary contexts.

“This is what our ancestors did for dozens of generations to make the house ‘breathe’ and the walls ‘heal’,” Makhno pointed out.

The panels are made from Ukrainian white clay mixed with plant materials 

“This is the most natural and recreational solution I know,” he added. “And these are specifically Ukrainian traditions that we have rethought, adapted to modern times and brought a new interpretation.”

The products are based on two decades of experimentation with clay in the studio’s architecture projects, including an apartment in Kyiv that Makhno designed for his own family.

Makhno Studio uses Ukrainian white clay, which used to be mined in the city of Slovyansk until it was occupied by Russian troops. The material is now sourced from elsewhere in Ukraine.

The clay is mixed with natural additives and fillers including flax, barley, nettle, lemon balm and wood shavings before being shaped into panels and bricks that are air-dried to retain the material’s natural properties.

According to Makhno, the products respond to a demand for living spaces with more natural qualities, offering respite from what he calls the “environmental, electromagnetic, informational and psycho-emotional pollution” that many city dwellers are exposed to.

The material can also be formed into bricks

The wall panels have hygroscopic qualities, meaning they can naturally regulate air humidity and temperature by acting as insulation. Makhno claims they can even improve the microclimate of a space by absorbing harmful substances such as dust and microorganisms.

He also claims the plant-based elements in the clay mixture could enhance wellbeing by releasing restorative aromas and natural oils into the air.

The products are currently made to order in Makhno Studio’s workshop and can be customised in various shapes and sizes, as well as offering different options for additives.

Makhno Studio says its Breathable Walls can regulate indoor air quality

The project is influenced by Makhno’s fascination with the architecture and culture of Japan, where similar clay wall decoration has been used for centuries.

The architect’s main residence in Kozin, south of Kyiv, is also informed by his travels to Japan and features a Japanese-style garden filled with sculptures as well as shelves covered with a large collection of Ukrainian ceramics.

The Breathable Walls project features on the shortlist for Dezeen Awards 2024 in the surface design category. Also on the shortlist is a pair of archways constructed by architecture practice Studio RAP using 3,000 unique 3D-printed tiles.

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