Kujdane Holiday House | Ekphrastics
Kujdane Holiday House  by Yaser and Yasin Rashid Shomali

Kujdane Holiday House

Silver A' Design Award Winner 2022

Yaser and Yasin Rashid Shomali's Kujdane Holiday House emerges from dense evergreen forest as a striking sculptural intervention where warm honey-toned timber meets cool gray concrete in dramatic counterpoint, the structure's distinctive A-frame silhouette rising through the composition with sweeping curved roof edges that evoke both vernacular alpine architecture and contemporary parametric design sensibilities. The compositional architecture establishes a powerful centralized pyramidal schema, with the building's apex creating a commanding vertical axis that draws the eye upward through layered horizontal bands of glass, wood, and metal toward the chimney releasing wisps of pale smoke against the verdant canopy. The chromatic palette orchestrates a sophisticated dialogue between natural and constructed elements: warm golden ochres and raw sienna tones of the interior timber cladding glow through expansive glazing, while the exterior features muted gray concrete platforms and dark charcoal roof membrane that anchors the structure to the earth-toned foreground of dried amber grasses. The fenestration system creates a magnificent glass curtain wall subdivided by slender black mullions into an irregular grid that simultaneously reflects the surrounding forest—capturing chartreuse spring foliage and deeper viridian evergreen masses—while revealing interior warmth including visible wooden staircase ascending through multiple levels. Spatial depth unfolds through carefully orchestrated planes: the immediate foreground presents textured dry meadow grass in warm straw and umber tones, the middle ground establishes the architectural mass elevated on concrete pilotis creating sheltered space beneath, and the background dissolves into atmospheric layers of deciduous and coniferous trees ranging from bright lime greens through deep forest greens to misty blue-green distances. The elevated terrace platform extends rightward, furnished with minimal modernist lounging chairs in pale tones beside a glowing fire feature with stacked firewood, creating an outdoor living zone that mediates between interior domesticity and wilderness immersion. Light quality suggests late afternoon golden hour, with warm illumination emanating from within the structure while softer diffused daylight bathes the forest setting, establishing an inviting beacon-like quality that transforms architecture into lantern.

Kujdane retains the old while blending it with the new. It still has that A-frame silhouette like a traditional cabin in the woods but takes a step closer and sees that the structure has been tweaked with modern architectural elements. Wood is of course the element of choice to evoke that warm, cozy, cabin vibe and is complimented with cool-toned interior details for balance. The cabin is elevated by the sloping A-frame sides which makes it look like it is effortlessly hovering above ground level without visible stilts or pillars.