atelier ITCH wedges a spacious house into a narrow alleyway in seoul

the house wedged into an alleyway

Informed by its pinching plot, the so-called ITCH house by Atelier ITCH takes shape as a massive wedge. The compact dwelling nestles into an alleyway in Jung-Gu, the historic center of Seoul, and covers a footprint of only 27 square meters on the ground level. The project is programmed as an urban home a designer couple, and will integrate both living space and a workspace to be shared.

images © Jae Yoon Kim

a breezy oasis among a dense urban context

Because of its unusual plot, the house by Atelier ITCH (see more here) is expressed with a narrow, triangular floor plan and can only be accessed by a flight of stairs. While the dwelling is overshadowed by the crowded high-rises of Jung-Gu, the design team ensured a luminous, breezy atmosphere — the facade is expressed with perforated brickwork washed with white, while the interiors open outward with walled gardens and rooftop terraces.

With its walls of perforated brick, the house is flooded with patterened shadowing as natural sunlight filters through during the day. At night, the ITCH house is illuminated, becoming a glowing lantern.

a house for two on a compact plot

The design team at Atelier ITCH elaborates on the organization of the compact house: ‘The ITCH House is a small house with 27㎡on the first floor and 22㎡on the second floor. For those who spend more time working and inviting people than cooking, the kitchen space on the first floor was reduced and a long table that can seat up to 12 people is placed. At the end of the table, it opens to a terrace, allowing the greenness and light of bamboo to enter the space, giving a sense of expansion.‘

‘The floor, walls, and ceilings were all unified in the same wood tone to add a sense of expansion and comfort, and all furniture and electronic devices were hidden inside the wall to make the space appear larger.‘

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first floor plan

second floor plan

project info:

project title: ITCH House

architecture: Atelier ITCH | @atelier.itch_official

location: South Korea

lead architects: Jinwook Jung, Yourim Lee

built area: 27 square meters

total area: 50 square meters

completion: 2021

photography: © Jae Yoon Kim