Round Pangyo: The house of drooped cloud

“Building a house is more than creating a space with concrete, wood, and glass. It changes the flow of life, changes thoughts and actions, and, above all, regains time. It brings back to life a time that may have been passed by or forgotten. A place where time and memories harmonize, and all this floats like a cloud. That place is home.” 

from the Diary of a House by Seonghui Park

The Client, a fashion entrepreneur, wanted a house for inspiration. The house needs to be more than just dwelling and resting. It should be a place for creativity. Round Pangyo is not only a house but also a studio for work. Working and living are indistinct. Capturing the way of living in the space is a natural strategy for business.

The site is on the corner lot on the house block of Pangyo new town, south of Seoul. It opens to the south and west side. Since it adjoins the south side, the client considered big openings to get more sunlight. But uncomfortable attention from the streets is not desirable. We suggested two inner courtyards to get light into the space. One has a moss garden on the ground level, and the other one is a sunken garden to get light into the underground. Eventually, due to two inner gardens, we could minimize the size and number of windows on the South and west sides.

Two courtyards and the staircase were the most important elements in establishing the relation of space. The reason for placing the stairs at the corner of the site was to feel the sense of light through the interstice following the stairs in four seasons. Two inner courtyards play the role of breathing wells. Living, dining, and working spaces encompass the moss garden to embrace nature in the house. The sunken courtyard gives a sense of season to the underground room. Two-step differences between the kitchen/dining area and living area work as a space divider instead of a wall. The inner courtyard also gives fresh air and sunlight into the child’s room and master bathroom on the upper ground level. A rooftop is a place of substitution for a ground yard in an urban house. We hope the client enjoys the sky and wind on the rooftop.