red brick residence in seongnam stacks fragmented three-story volume

‘Jeokhoje’ residence’s volume segments brick mass in three levels

NOMAL architectural studio fully reconstructed a single-family three-story house standing on the corner of two streets in Bundang-gu district, Seongnam. After demolishing the old structure, the team formed the current ‘Jeokhoje’ residence on the same site position that presents a height difference of 4.9 meters between the west and east borders and requires peripheral contact with ramp slopes on three of the four sides. The design shapes a set of segmented brick volumes covering a large plan enclosed in a solid fence, and sloping roofs, obligatory on the district code. Material finishes resemble the character of the surrounding buildings yet set up a contemporary body.

all images © Roh Kyung

Korean traditional assets frame contemporary architectures

The architecture divides the volume into several segments splitting the three floors apart and sloping the roofs in different directions. The external surfaces are covered in three patterns of brickwork and the layers appear separated by a concrete slab strip. The house displays the common Korean red brick motif, as well as the pillar + traditional door frame, and other customary architectural assets. The central column combines wood and metal textures. 

NOMAL achieved visual openness throughout the structure maintaining the privacy of the interior and exterior spaces. Outdoor access is available from all areas partitioned with doors arranging flexible circulation. The second floor assembles a layout of private zones minimizing the sizes of windows and openings to reduce exposure. The hallway set alongside a courtyard allows ventilation and natural illumination. The interior system organizes the space flexibly through vertical and horizontal connections.

‘Jeokhoje’ residence in Seongnam’s Bundang-gu district

the fragmented brick volume covers a large corner plot

the stacked volumes present three different brick patterns

the property is enclosed in a solid brick fence

the common areas have flexible access to the outdoor space

the interior utilizes traditional Korean assets

the zones are partitioned through wooden sliding doors

subtle materials assemble a contemporary interior design

project info:

name: Jeokhoje
designers: Minyuk Chai – Seyeon Cho – Bokki Lee
architecture: NOMAL

location: Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Korea

photography: Roh Kyung

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom