ARCHITECTURAL CANONS AND FOLK TRADITIONS OF SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE RURAL HOMESTEAD IN UKRAIN

This article examines the discrepancy between established canonical approaches to rural homestead planning in Ukraine and the actual needs of rural residents. Traditional planning practices typically involve placing residential houses along the street with a setback, while auxiliary (farm) buildings are located deeper within the plot. However, field surveys, analysis of vernacular traditions, and patterns of recent construction over the past decades reveal a preference for alternative approaches—where houses are situated deeper in the plot, and utility buildings are placed closer to the street, or where both types of structures form the street frontage together.

The author argues that the representative quality of a village street is not necessarily achieved through geometric order; on the contrary, vernacular self-organization often results in greater functional efficiency, aesthetic diversity, and residential privacy. The article presents examples from various regions of Ukraine, where informal planning practices have led to more comfortable and logical spatial arrangements of rural homesteads. It addresses issues such as rational driveway placement, sanitary setbacks, visual perception of buildings, and the role of utility structures as elements of architectural composition.

In conclusion, the author proposes to expand the palette of standard planning solutions by incorporating two alternative approaches rooted in vernacular experience and recommends experimental implementation of these models through participatory planning methods. The work offers practical value for architects, urban planners, and researchers of rural environments.