* Residential Architecture: H-House by bang by min

Residential Architecture: H-House by bang by min: “..Located at the alley of Seongbuk-dong, Seoul, South Korea, where community of village has formed for a long time, ‘H-House’ is a house to keep the meaning to show the virtue secretly. This house reveals itself without clumsy and stimulative feeling in the scenery of old alley, suitably for its name. ‘Sae Min Oh’ seemed to concentrate on the details somewhat excessively at this project. He has pride and feels affinity to this project because he has proceeded it with craftsmanship from plan to completion for a long time..The site of ‘H-House’ had the slope ground where the front level is lower about 8m than the back level, which became a problem in designing it. Besides this physical problem, the architect had more difficulties with the client’s demands ; to create a house for three generations, a house with good daylighting and ventilation on the basement and the first floor… Firstly, the architect had to design a space where three generations could live together and privately at the same time, in order that they could behave individually while being together. The architect created the second floor as an interspace of this house divided into three floors, where they can form a community of family, behave individually and have their own area. He divided the living room on the second floor into three levels, which give each member of family their own area naturally. This space opened but different in levels enables family to do privately and separately. And folding door and changeable wall make it possible to expand or divide the space according to the user’ demand..Secondary, daylighting and ventilation on the basement and the first floor were very important in this house because the ground level had the big difference between the front ground and the back ground. It is said that the biggest problem of the existing house before ‘H-House’ was just the daylighting. The house was filled with dark and damp air because the basement and the first floor were not lighted and ventilated well. In order to solve this problem, the architect placed courtyard and sunken garden, connected from the lower floor to the sky, encouraging the brightness to the whole building..Lastly, the architect solved the client’s third demand, to have a commercial space for rent on the basement floor. It is just beauty shop ‘Miega’. Beauty shop ‘Miega’ involves the formative element of ‘H-House’ and the shape of this village Seongbuk-dong, and it attracts the attention with its unique space design..Exposed concrete and wooden panels in mud color created the more effective result than the luxurious materials, with the constructing details the architect insisted on completing, although they are not expensive. The different materials to compose the building emphasize their property of matter and create the various looks with their shadow. The designer also used the materials by cutting them into small unit. These details make this house have a shape to reveal the virtue secretly with the sense of existence but without any overawing sense..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, ventilation; green roof terrace; central courtyard and garden; interesting form and details..

image: Joonhwan Yoon; article: Contemporist

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* Residential Architecture: W House by IDIN Architects

Residential Architecture: W House by IDIN Architects: “..The design concept of W-House is derived from the requirement that the owner would like the house that expresses his character in terms of space and form. Therefore, the design subject was how to interpret the owner’s lifestyle and passion into architecture. The idea initiated by the owner’s favorite activity of traveling and kayaking. There was one picture of a boat sailing on the river that has inspired the designer. The river acts as a supporter for the boat. As a house, the function areas of living room, dining room, and service are supporters for the private areas of bedrooms. The bedrooms are like the boat which the river is supporting underneath for sailing. The idea was developed into the building orientation by maintaining the basic elements but completely reveal the story, functions and context..The building orientation was determined by wind and sun direction in which the house face in a North South direction to get wind and for viewing, and let the side faces to the sunlight from West. In addition, Kayak is a challenging and adventurous sport. The cantilever has designed on second floor to present challenging and adventuresome. The benefit of cantilever is for shading the void on ground floor and to imply that the kayak is floating. The top of the house was designed to be a roof deck hidden above the South bedroom, creating a rest area as well as for activities. In addition to the glass window, wooden shutter covering around the house helps to shade the light and create some privacy when needed..The materials and tone were selected by concerning the context. The color of skin coat concrete should go along with the surrounding. The ground level is black-grey to divide the boat from the river, the second floor and the ground. In addition, the site location is on the brown-red soil, the house is therefore should be limited coloring into three major colors which are uncoated concrete grey, black-grey and brown-red which the tone is matching the soil on the location..In conclusion, W-House is designed by considering the context in two dimensions of both the location and the owner. They are brought into the process of thinking and designing, happens into a form that responsive to the location as well as the owner’s passion..”  Extensive glazing, natural light; interesting form and inspiration..

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image: © Spaceshift Studio; article: “W House / IDIN Architects” 04 Jan 2013. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/315335&gt;

* Residential Architecture: House kn by Kochi Architect’s Studio

Residential Architecture: House kn by Kochi Architect’s Studio: “..A residence in Kanagawa Prefecture Japan. The scenery of the residential quarter in suburbs where the detached house with the garden lines up has extended. At first, I put a big box whole of the site, then make big void as a window..The relation “Garden and house” is improved to”The big box including the garden and environment around the site” in the scale. The box makes a big window on environment is chosen, sky in the south and green tract of land in the north. This is trial for urban residence to close and open to the environment. It enable to feel more large scale..”  Interesting form, indoor / outdoor sensibility; brief, but relatively vague, architect’s description..

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image: © Nobumitsu Watanabe; article: “House kn / Kochi Architect’s Studio” 09 Dec 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/301256&gt;

* Residential Architecture: Villa SSK by Takeshi Hirobe Architects

Residential Architecture: Villa SSK by Takeshi Hirobe Architects: “..in chiba, japan, the ‘villa SSK’ by tokyo-based takeshi hirobe architects overlooks the water of tokyo bay and a vegetated mountainscape..the residence’s living spaces are oriented towards the ocean presence. a lofted bedroom and bathroom are oriented towards the stunning view..instead of a garage, a room framed with timber trusses and windows contains the owner’s vehicle. beyond the car room, inhabitants walk down an outdoor path and courtyard bordered by the guest bedroom.. friends and family can gather within the space or water can flow onto the tiled pavers to create a reflective surface adjacent to the walkway..wooden panels and beams create the segmented curvature of the wall and roof planes while glass facades cap the north and south elevations oriented towards the ocean and mountain views. inside the living areas, the angles of the space frame elements produce intermittent gaps between the enclosure and structure for subtle variety. accessed with stairs within the main volume of the dwelling, a lofted bedroom and bath overlook the water. a smaller rectilinear volume with lumber planks screens the toilet and shower for privacy..”  Extensive glazing, natural light, views; interesting form, details and interior volumes; exposed timber beams and rafters..

image: © koichi torimura, courtesy of takeshi hirobe architects; article: Designboom

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