**Project Description Summary**
"Nonhyeon-dong Alley," "SNOW," "Constraints"
SNOW 5319 is an architectural project designed to function as both a mixed-use building and a single-family home within the "constraints" of a residential area, while externally serving as a landmark along the street using "SNOW (white)." It is located in a back alley between the bustling neighborhoods of Nonhyeon-dong and Cheongdam-dong, where a blend of old, unmanaged buildings and newly constructed structures coexist, creating a diverse and busy environment. The project aimed to reflect this mixed context through its design, especially in terms of the exterior material and color selection.
The alley, filled with various building materials, including brick, stone tiles, and exposed concrete, posed a challenge in choosing an appropriate exterior material for the new building. Through constant meetings with the client, the final decision was made to use white as the exterior color. White was chosen because it would serve as a unifying landmark in a street where diversity and congestion coexist.
The client, a couple running a design company, desired a simple and straightforward approach. After much deliberation, the direction of the building was determined based on the city's street shape and the client's requests. White was selected for its simplicity and clean aesthetic. To enhance the lightness and simplicity of white, 3mm ceramic tiles were chosen as the primary exterior material. In order to give each floor its unique character, materials similar in color to white, such as aluminum expanded metal and polycarbonate, were used on certain floors.
The building includes five floors of office space and a small top-floor single-family home for the client and their family. The client's preference for simplicity and cleanliness led to white finishes throughout the interior, in line with the exterior design. The key concept of white, which originated from the street interpretation, was able to shine thanks to the client's simple and clean style.
In addressing the restrictions from the northern solar angle and the various zoning regulations, we meticulously adjusted the massing of each floor to give the building a richer depth in the alley's landscape. To make the building a landmark visible from the street, the mass of the second floor was slightly rotated toward the street. The spaces pushed back due to the northern solar angle were designed as external terraces for the tenants to use independently. These terraces, installed on all floors, provide a transitional space between the interior and exterior, offering a healthy space for employees to take a break and experience the urban environment.
In particular, the terrace on the second floor's front uses expanded metal to create an appropriate distance from the street, while the top-floor house was designed with polycarbonate to ensure privacy while allowing light from the interior to interact with the street, facilitating communication with the urban environment.
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