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Wonderful Wooman
Wonderful Wooman
Suwon-si, South Korea
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Other Projects by IDR Architects
Wonderful Wooman
Suwon-si, South Korea
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2022
SIZE
3000 sqft - 5000 sqft
BUDGET
Undisclosed
Blending into the Landscape
In the 1970s, as apartment developments began to dominate the Korean housing market, a different typology quietly emerged in the alleyways of Seoul and its suburbs: modest, three-story brick houses built by small-scale private contractors. These homes, typically clad in red brick with white decorative railings, became a defining feature of low-rise neighborhoods and still shape the visual character of many urban backstreets today.
Wonderful Uman was conceived as a response to this urban context—an effort to integrate into the existing landscape rather than overwrite it. The building’s exterior features red-toned brick, slightly lighter than that of the surrounding homes. This subtle shift in tone allows the building to feel like a natural part of its setting while still asserting its identity as something new.
A Mixed-Use Infill in an Existing Urban Fabric
Located in an older residential neighborhood near Suwon World Cup Stadium, Wonderful Uman is a compact, four-story mixed-use building occupying a 155-square-meter plot. The first and second floors serve as flexible commercial units, while the third and fourth floors comprise a single-family residence, allowing for both public and private programs within one structure.
While Korea has no formal definition of the term “sangga-jutaek” (mixed-use residential building), developments in planned districts are often subject to rigid zoning rules—typically allowing only commercial use on the first floor, with residential units above. In contrast, this project sits within an organically grown urban fabric, free from such constraints. This enabled a more responsive design approach tailored to the scale and conditions of the site.
The two commercial floors can be used independently or together. Foldable doors and layered glazing along the northeast-facing street frontage allow the ground level to alternate between a rhythmic façade when closed and a porous, engaging storefront when open.
The building’s circulation is carefully considered. Two separate entry doors on the façade enable flexibility for the commercial floors—either as distinct units or a combined lease. The residence can be accessed in two ways: through an internal stair from the second floor or via a dedicated entrance on the opposite side of the building, which connects to a private elevator.
A Red House Holding Blue Water
The building’s most striking feature is its top floor: a private indoor swimming pool. Measuring 2 meters wide and 10 meters long, this modestly sized yet rare amenity gives the project its name, Wonderful Uman (a playful reference to the word “pool”). The pool sits beneath a steep gabled roof, its tall ceilings and clerestory windows creating a dramatic and light-filled space. A terrace adjacent to the pool opens to views over the Suwon neighborhood, making the upper floor a true retreat for the owner.
The pool’s concrete basin not only supports the weight of the water but also serves as a structural beam along the building’s longitudinal axis, reinforcing the integrity of the entire structure. Indirect lighting along both sides of the ceiling, combined with underwater fixtures, allows for various spatial moods and nighttime effects.
One of the most refined details is the overflow gutter design. Rather than using a standard metal grate, the gutter cover is made from the same tile material as the pool floor, allowing excess water to drain discreetly between narrow gaps—a seamless integration of technical performance and aesthetic clarity.
In the 1970s, as apartment developments began to dominate the Korean housing market, a different typology quietly emerged in the alleyways of Seoul and its suburbs: modest, three-story brick houses built by small-scale private contractors. These homes, typically clad in red brick with white decorative railings, became a defining feature of low-rise neighborhoods and still shape the visual character of many urban backstreets today.
Wonderful Uman was conceived as a response to this urban context—an effort to integrate into the existing landscape rather than overwrite it. The building’s exterior features red-toned brick, slightly lighter than that of the surrounding homes. This subtle shift in tone allows the building to feel like a natural part of its setting while still asserting its identity as something new.
A Mixed-Use Infill in an Existing Urban Fabric
Located in an older residential neighborhood near Suwon World Cup Stadium, Wonderful Uman is a compact, four-story mixed-use building occupying a 155-square-meter plot. The first and second floors serve as flexible commercial units, while the third and fourth floors comprise a single-family residence, allowing for both public and private programs within one structure.
While Korea has no formal definition of the term “sangga-jutaek” (mixed-use residential building), developments in planned districts are often subject to rigid zoning rules—typically allowing only commercial use on the first floor, with residential units above. In contrast, this project sits within an organically grown urban fabric, free from such constraints. This enabled a more responsive design approach tailored to the scale and conditions of the site.
The two commercial floors can be used independently or together. Foldable doors and layered glazing along the northeast-facing street frontage allow the ground level to alternate between a rhythmic façade when closed and a porous, engaging storefront when open.
The building’s circulation is carefully considered. Two separate entry doors on the façade enable flexibility for the commercial floors—either as distinct units or a combined lease. The residence can be accessed in two ways: through an internal stair from the second floor or via a dedicated entrance on the opposite side of the building, which connects to a private elevator.
A Red House Holding Blue Water
The building’s most striking feature is its top floor: a private indoor swimming pool. Measuring 2 meters wide and 10 meters long, this modestly sized yet rare amenity gives the project its name, Wonderful Uman (a playful reference to the word “pool”). The pool sits beneath a steep gabled roof, its tall ceilings and clerestory windows creating a dramatic and light-filled space. A terrace adjacent to the pool opens to views over the Suwon neighborhood, making the upper floor a true retreat for the owner.
The pool’s concrete basin not only supports the weight of the water but also serves as a structural beam along the building’s longitudinal axis, reinforcing the integrity of the entire structure. Indirect lighting along both sides of the ceiling, combined with underwater fixtures, allows for various spatial moods and nighttime effects.
One of the most refined details is the overflow gutter design. Rather than using a standard metal grate, the gutter cover is made from the same tile material as the pool floor, allowing excess water to drain discreetly between narrow gaps—a seamless integration of technical performance and aesthetic clarity.
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