Y-Project RNK DESIGN / RNK DESIGN

Curated by María Francisca González

Architects: RNK DESIGN
Area: 152 m²
Year: 2017
Photographs:Joon-hwan Yoon
Manufacturers: Aluminium Composite, Granite Stone, western red cedar
Structural Engineer: A-JU Structural Engineering
Construction: J.archiv DnC
Mechanical Engineer: JU-SUNG MEC
Electrical Engineer: NARA Engineering consultant

Text description provided by the architects. Yulhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is a residential area that has the appearance of the past, unlike its surroundings of a new city. Unlike the parking lot and the well-maintained area, when you enter the complex, you face a high wall facing the road. It seems to indicate the disconnected communication of residents of Yulhyeon-dong. However, Y-Project tries to promote community coexistence and contribute to the community as a new residential prototype of Yulhyeon-dong neighborhood.

Y-Project RNK DESIGN / RNK DESIGN - Stairs, Handrail, Column — © Joon-hwan Yoon

Y-Project is a loving gift of parents to an ordinary 20-year-old son with developmental disabilities. This building has a formation as a 'group home' which about five people with developmental disabilities live in together. The required spatial scale is based on the average adult height, and the attribute of the dissolved space in it should be an environment in which positive emotion could be expressed.

The cork of the multi-purpose hall is fluffy and protects the user from the injury, and also serves as a sound-absorbing plate to prevent the sound from ringing. Considering the psychological stability, birch plywood boards with comfortable texture or light tones of color was used as the finishing material.

The multi-purpose hall which has high ceiling is continuously transformed. It turns into a banquet hall, where people can share delicious food, or sometimes it welcomes people by functioning as a lecture room. The lighting differs according to the program’s character, so that it functions and adjusts the atmosphere of the space. The first floor exterior wall, the toilet and the kitchen are composed of structural walls supporting the load, and the remaining inner walls are made of variable walls so that the first floor can be used as a residential space at any time.

The Y-Project has soft narrative flows in it created by the layer of space. Spatial narratives, which are structured to travel from the spaces to another, when the door open, stimulates the consciousness and raises the interest of adults with developmental disabilities.

We separate the spaces by covering the kitchen floor with tiles and the living room with wood, and revealing the outline of the space while saving the first floor central hallway. Ceiling louvers above the main corridor provide a balance and order for the entire living room. The Client wanted to keep whole layout of the building as residential, but hoped that the first-floor entrance would not show the character of it. In order to monitor the access, we have planned a glass wall with a shelf furniture of plywood board integrated, creating an office atmosphere.

Y-Project RNK DESIGN / RNK DESIGN - Windows, Beam — © Joon-hwan Yoon

The yellow steel plate on the core is a thoughtful design that is freely designed along the frame of the staircase. A noticeable yellow color suggests a clear circulation, and the lighting installed under the steel plate acts as a compass to safely go up and down the stairs. The freely application of yellow color contrasts with the heavy dark gray and makes the space more dramatic and rhythmic compared to the living room, which is finished with birch.