House Naegok V by jhy architect & associates in Seoul, South Korea

Project: House Naegok V Architects: jhy architect & associates Location: Seoul, South Korea Area: 3164 sq ft Photographs: Kyung sub, Shin

House Naegok V by jhy architect & associates

jhy architect & associates designed House Naegok V in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The design of this 3164 square foot house combines a modern exterior appearance and layout with traditional elements, creating an amazing blend of modernity and regional traditions.

The project is located on a green zone at the southern outskirts of Seoul—a region rich in natural resources and sources. The unique boundary of the plot, an important feature for design, arose from redefining a park zone on Guri-on mountain. The architect began the planning with the plot plan, which provides an 'open view' and 'closed privacy'. The V-shaped form of the plot, creating spatial extraversion and introversion, with a central water source, also helps to divide the volume so that the house is visible from the pedestrian level. The project explores how a house can absorb an captivating landscape with a friendly view from the road, located 3 meters below ground level, offering diverse views and intersection of external and internal space. The project emphasizes the composition of architectural and ecological elements that awaken our senses, helping to recognize space and materials, as well as 'high ecological functionality', which is the key criterion for a house.

The main path from the street goes under Chon-gang-dong, with stairs to ground level where a backyard and park area open up. The architect decided to use the garage of an old house for underground entry, which not only reduces excavation and fill volumes but also highlights the poetic view of the backyard with natural lighting and ventilation. After the second entrance, a picturesque scene unfolds composed of water, stones, pine, and mountain, reflecting the value of this house.

The architectural language composed of straight lines, sharp angles and break points begins at the edge of the plot. It is applied uniformly both inside and outside the project. Various angles, especially symbolize spatial organization and metaphor of life dynamics through interior elements. The bar-shaped ceiling containing the lighting and ventilation system in the living room represents a specially designed sculptural detail that enhances the space visually through mirror reflection.

This project includes high thermal insulation, triple glazing with low-energy coating, air dehumidification through underground water, heat exchanger during ventilation, integration of solar panel energy, extraction of underground water and more to achieve high ecological functionality. Brick and staco-flex with external thermal insulation, mainly used for exterior finish, are carefully selected considering durability and material expression possibilities. Curved brick walls, for example, face the central water source in the house and resemble floating fish in water according to solar positioning.

–jhy architect & associates