To the east of Gimcheon, in the middle of Unnnam-san and Goseong-san, a village called Dogong-chon lies. Located deep inside the mountains, Dogong-chon is a peaceful and quiet neighborhood. Mountains fold up in front of the site, creating beautiful scenery from afar, while the park right next to it also takes a part of the green.
However, due to recent constructions, the busy atmosphere of the town tends to seduce more attention than its original scenery. We hoped the project would build a relationship with the surrounding nature, just like a boulder in the bottom of a mountain.
The clients wanted a house like a shelter to relax freely among nature. Their exact demands were:
A yard for children playground, campsite, kitchen garden
A house for frequent guests to stay relaxed
A house with eaves and toenmaru (a narrow wooden porch running along the outside of a room)
A sturdy looking appearance
The natural scenery was an important factor when designing a shelter-like house, so we aimed to take the concept into the very center of the site. However, to allocate all of the required rooms, either the given site was too short or the hallway got too long.
To embrace nature in the center of the house, the courtyard was designed the very first and rooms were rotated and placed along with it. As we flexibly modified spaces arranged along the center of the courtyard, the entire house became the shape of a circle.
Courtyard as the Center
While being in the kitchen, or when walking down the hallway, or when children play in front of their rooms, the focus is always pointed at the courtyard. Even when family members are not together in the same room, their eyes always meet one another, and thus communication becomes easier.
Expansion of the Kitchen
The eaves and toenmaru make both the view and space are expanded, and openness is created. This induces the main flow to move outside ways, and as a result, the kitchen naturally gets to reach out to the courtyard.
Double-Skin Facade
In front of a window where a wide road passes by, we have built a second skin to block any unnecessary view from the outside. Also, as bricks were stacked with a half-open hole, light and air can pass through the wall.
The curves of the eaves made with wood structure form an unusual frame around the surrounding nature. The circle courtyard made by the circle-shaped house capture the scenery of the mountains, or that of the family members.
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