‘House of Serenity’ stands lightweight In Yangsan’s hillside
Seoul-based architectural firm studio_GAON designs a modern, lightweight wooden residence reminiscent of the Korean traditional ‘Hanok’ houses. Located in Yangsan, South Korea, the structure sits lightly on the hillside facing the mountainous landscape and stands close to the historic temple of ‘Tongdosa’, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while the site connects directly with the monument through a short path. The long configuration of the house frames the scenery without interfering with the views blending with the surrounding nature in every direction. Two large gable roofs top the residence protecting it from the changing weather conditions of the area.
Following a topography-oriented design approach, the team attends to the relationship between built space and nature providing for a climate with four distinct seasons and an annual temperature difference of more than 50 degrees. The plan envelops gardens and open yards, merging its wooden framework into the rich clusters of adjacent pine trees.
all images by Youngchae Park
elongated wooden framework blends with the surroundings
Drawing from the traditional architecture of ‘Hanok’ houses, the structure develops an elongated wooden framework. The interior arranges a wide high-ceiling kitchen and living area, while the long thin configuration assembles all rooms facing south, a formal feature of private Korean residences. On the second elevated level, the design team forms a ‘maru’ space applying wooden planks and floor joists as the main skeleton extending the front and back of the structure to shape an indoor and outdoor zone. The boundary between the living area and the terrace faces the mountainous landscape forming a passage in which views of the surrounding nature cross. The construction exposes the rafters under the roof system developing a thin and long wooden structure that gives off a sharp appearance differentiating from the traditional rounded beams.
the residence develops a long thin configuration, common in Korean architecture
the plan envelops in gardens and open yards merging its wooden framework into the rich greenery
the boundary between the living area and the terrace faces the mountainous landscape
the rafters exposed under the roof form a thin and long lightweight wood structure
the extended front and back terrace resembles the Korean ‘maru’ space
the interior is accentuated with thick and hard wooden columns, appearing as a heavy wooden structure
the residence arranges a wide high-ceiling kitchen and living room
studio_GAON applies wooden planks and floor joists as the main skeleton
project info:
name: House of Serenity
designer: studio_GAON | @studio_gaon
lead architects: Hyoungnam Lim, Eunjoo Roh
design team: Sungpil Lee, Seongwon Son, Joowon Moon, Laeyeon Kim, Minwoo Lee
location: Jisan-ri, Habuk-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea
photography: Youngchae Park
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
