Architect: HyoMan Kim – IROJE KHM Architects
Design team: Kim Ji-Yeon
Location: Gyeongseo-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, Korea
U S E: Residence
Site area: 291.80 ㎡
Bldg. area: 137.29 ㎡
Gross floor area: 194.77 ㎡
Structure: Concrete rahmen
Exterior finishing: Dry-vit system, Painted aluminum sheet
Interior finishing: Exposed concrete block, Confloor, Vynil paint
Photographer: Sergio Pirrone

About Studio

While firmly adhering to the legitimacy and purity of architecture, we are trying to recover the identity of Korean urban architectural culture in this era where blind westernization is being handed down. To this end, it is our goal to establish an independent and unique Korean architectural city cultural identity that is distinguished from foreign cultures by simultaneously exploring and studying the traditional Korean characteristics of the past and the modern Korean characteristics of this era and the future. We want to place the meaning of our work in practicing the existence of Korean architectural culture.

The home has a broad view that includes tall structures.

The building has a flying-oriented lifestyle, which is a morphological characteristic of traditional architecture.

Soaring roofs are a classic feature of an outdoor pavilion.

Traditionally, living rooms have sunken seating areas where people can sit on the floor.

The dining area's lighting configuration can significantly alter the atmosphere of a space. — The dining area’s lighting configuration can significantly alter the atmosphere of a space.

The kitchen area, on the other hand, has hatural lighting, providing ample illumination that enhances the overall design. — The kitchen area, on the other hand, has natural lighting, providing ample illumination that enhances the overall design.

A well-designed color scheme in the interior can improve the ambiance.

Colors should be carefully picked to reflect the interior's intended purpose and harmonize with the furnishings and décor. — Colors should be carefully picked to reflect the interior’s intended purpose and harmonize with the furnishings and décor.

For the purpose of establishing a tranquil and welcoming ambiance, comfortable furniture is crucial.

A room's overall aesthetic appeal can be improved by small touches like the choice of artwork, window treatments, and ornamental accents. — A room’s overall aesthetic appeal can be improved by small touches like the choice of artwork, window treatments, and ornamental accents.

The outcome can be significantly affected by paying attention to detail.

The red sink in the bathroom is a unique hue that deviates from the house's color scheme, but it fits nicely. — The red sink in the bathroom is a unique hue that deviates from the house’s color scheme, but it fits nicely.

The home features a garden that faces the sun for delightful outdoor living.

The outdoor living features a tree without leaves as the design and pillows for seating.

This newly-developed residential site is very close to Incheon International Airport. The owner of this house is a young pilot’s family. They have settled down in this neighboring village of the airport to live their flying life of the future.

We translated ‘Flying’ which is the pilot’s character of lifestyle into ‘Flying’ which is a morphological character of the traditional architecture of Korea. The soaring roofs of “Rumaru” which is the traditional outdoor pavilion of Korea and the dynamic concave curved, outlines of housemass are metaphoric expressions of the pilot’s lifestyle, “flying”.

In addition, we have recreated the traditional living style of sitting on the floor for sunken sitting “Ondol” in the living room, to satisfy the owner’s request for a sitting lifestyle.

To satisfy the enjoyable life of outdoor living with a garden which was a requirement of the owner, we introduced traditional factors of Korean architecture which are “Madang(innercourt)”, “Rumaru(floating pavilion in the garden)”, “Jungja(pavilion on the ground of garden)” and inclined roof garden as a small hill. Those are essential factors of the traditional landscape of Korean gardens.

Consequently, we have created a landscape that is an architectural hill with “Rumaru”, the traditional pavilion in the garden. We desire this house to be recognized not as architecture but as a landscape in this village.