IROJE KHM forms zig-zagged colored townhouses in south korea

‘stella fiore’ has been developed by IROJE KHM architects in an effort to provide a tranquil escape from the busy urban environment of south korea. situated within a small town in the ilsandong-gu district, and using bold colors and geometry, the overall scheme comprises of 19 townhouses built on a hillside. the concept revolves around the idea of forming ‘architectural stars’ which are shaped by the space requirements of the brief.

general view of the development from the road near the main gate

all images © sergio pirrone

the zig-zag forms of ‘stella fiore’ are laid along the hillside, forming an interesting arrangement of striking color and shapes. paths and streets are constructed in between the townhouses, resulting in a village-like feel to the development. in addition to transportation, the main road is conceived as a plaza and community space for close relationships between residents.

aerial view from the middle of the site

in order to introduce sufficient sunlight and bring surrounding views into the interior spaces on each level, IROJE KHM has incorporated roof-level windows framed within the angled roofs. in addition, to afford each house privacy from the neighbors, the main masses are designed using sloping walls to prevent direct overlooking.

general front view of three types of townhouse

compact yet rich space is created inside the ‘stella fiore’ using a split level scheme. as the houses have been constructed to nestle within the sloped hillside, interior spaces are small but result in interesting spatial experiences. overall, the scheme consists of 3 different types of unit plan and 4 types of shapes and colored aluminium skins. in essence, ‘stella fiore’ aims to create a place of everyday entertainment where you can enjoy life, rather than being a mere machine to live in.

street view from the central road near the main gate

street view from the central road at the rear side

lower kitchen with sunken garden and upper living room

multi-purpose stair and family room in lower floor

view of the upper study room

upper dining room and lower living room are on different levels

upper study room and lower dining room viewed from the living room

aerial view from the rear side of the site

aerial view from the main gate

project info:

project name: ‘stella fiore’

project location: 706-39 seolmun-dong, ilsandong-gu, goyang-si, gyeonggi-do, south korea

architect: IROJE KHM architects

principal architect: hyoman kim

design team: kyungjin chung, seunghee song, jiyeon kim, mihwa oh, ara jo, damhee kim

construction: sam HYUB construction co., ltd.

developer: sam HYUB construction co., ltd.

site area: 53,109.13 ft2 (4934.00 m2)

building area: 8457.85 ft2 (785.76 m2)

total floor area: 23,541.10 ft2 (2187.04 m2)

structure: steel and reinforced concrete

materials: aluminium sheet, dri-vit, vinyl paint, wood flooring

photography: sergio pirrone

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom