Forest Extension
Forest Edge is located in Gangwon-Do, South Korea where forest and mountains are dominant. This project consists of a café and a lodging. During the site preparation in the forest, the site was lowered by about 2’ 6”. The original datum of the forest was architecturally celebrated and preserved as a 2' 6" high concrete planter in the center. This central planter, filled with the soils of the forest, conceptually extends the existing forest visually supported by transparent curtain walls.
Tectonic Expression and the Form
The formal language of Forest Edge, derived from the basis of timber construction, is simple yet precise. For the café, A-wood trusses are placed at a module of 8 feet based on the size of a standard 4x8 plywood while spatially portraying the unit of construction. Tables and chairs are set between these wood trusses integrating tectonics of the architecture with user experience. The exposed wood trusses were visually contrasted to the pine trees in the forest. This juxtaposition between dead trees and live trees becomes the design principal of the project. Different material properties of the wood in this project were architecturally signified through different bolting details - the exposed bolting for the spruce glulam and the flush bolting acknowledging relative rigidity for the beech LVL.
Experience and Natural Light
Organized by programmatic functions, the spatial experience of Forest Edge is simply supported by natural light. The lodging is divided into two separate areas by a central communal LDK with wooden curtain walls. The ceiling of the east lodging zone continuously echoes to the natural light while the west lodging zone is defined by a 7-meter-high indoor garden fully saturated with daylight and enriched by exposed timber frames. The café has a continuous skylight celebrating exposed timber frames with morning sunshine.
CREDIT
- Design Architect : Sunhyung Kim, Chonnam National University, South Korea
- Structural Enginner : Byungsoon Park, TEO Structure
- Photographer : Bojune Kwon