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Architects: REALSPACE ARCHITECTS
- Area: 258 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Young-Chae Park
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Lead Architects: Hyunseung Lee
Text description provided by the architects. The site is located at the boundary where residential areas meet natural green spaces in Daera-ri, Gijang-eup, Busan. Although quite distant from the center of Busan, it benefits from its strategic position within Gijang County, offering easy access to the Busan urban area. Consequently, many factories and warehouses have historically coexisted with residential neighborhoods here. However, with the opening of Gijang Station on the Donghae Nambu Line, public transportation has improved, enhancing the livability of the area. This, along with rising land prices, has led to the demolition of many factories and warehouses, making way for multi-family and multi-unit housing and accompanying neighborhood facilities. Considering this urban context, we aimed to design a small-scale building that fosters a residential-friendly atmosphere, replacing the industrial structures.
Rooting Down - The first floor serves not only as a space for the residents but also as a point of visual interaction for pedestrians passing by, allowing the building to establish a strong presence in the area. Although a piloti parking structure was necessary, we minimized the number of columns, separated the upper mass, and used different emphasizing geometric forms, we aimed to make the building appear as if a tree had sprouted from the ground, firmly rooting itself in the landscape.
Openings - Cheese Eyes - In the narrow site, the staircase needed to be positioned as far north as possible to maximize the usable area for residents. We treated the interior and exterior finishes of the common areas with exposed euroform concrete, ensuring that as much space as possible was available for the residents. The northern staircase was designed to avoid becoming a dark and purely functional vertical space: instead, we strategically placed freeform openings to allow natural light and visual connections with the outside. These openings(Cheese Eyes) serve not only to let light penetrate but also as visual devices to prevent sudden encounters that might startle residents.
Deep Perspectives - To make the space within the relatively small house feel more expansive, we established an east-west axis to allow views to extend far, inside the house, one can see deep into the space through the corridor, and looking out from the entrance, there is a view to the distant west. Along this axis, the southern side houses the master bedroom, living room, and dining area, which require bright spaces. The northern side contains functional spaces like the dressing room, bathroom, and kitchen, ensuring that the spaces are clearly defined by light.
Warm Curves(On-gok, 溫曲) - To maximize the use of space under the northward solar access diagonal restriction, we planned to use the leftover space for a sink and a small kitchenette, enhancing spatial efficiency. By juxtaposing the northward 1:2 angled diagonal with the southward diagonal, we created mismatched gables, while the interior ridge was designed with a gentle curve. This maintained the exterior design language within the interior, resulting in a curved space that offers warm relaxation, aptly named On-gok(溫曲)
Freeform and Novelty - Within the functional framework, we incorporated free curves and openings, creating a playful yet unfamiliar facade. The novelty brought by the building's varied expressions will, over time, blend with its surroundings, establishing a familiar relationship. We hope this building becomes a leading warm space in the area, acting as a catalyst for further development.
