SPACE January 2024 (No. 674)
Winning proposal of the Hahoe Scientists Town Construction Project Design Competition ©yo2 architects + IROJE architects & planners
On Oct. 31, 2023, yo2 architects (principal, Kim Youngjoon) + IROJE architects & planners (principal, Seung H-Sang) were announced as the winners of the design competition held for the Hahoe Scientists Town Construction Project Design Competition, promoted by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Development Corporation.
The competition was held in conjunction with the Gyeongbuk Golden Science Park, aiming to leverage retired scientific experts to establish a bio-industry hub and create a research complex that will integrate science, technology, and human science. With the goal of creating a new residential and cultural space for retired scientists, approximately 50 billion KRW will be invested in the construction of a complex in the H-3 and H-4 areas of Galcheon-ri, Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si. The site, covering around 28,000㎡, will feature a building with a floor area of approximately 4,300㎡ and a height of no more than three floors. The participating architects were required to embody the identity of the newly created city, to create a space that would serve as a tourist resource in its role as a residential complex open to outsiders, and to make the parcels separated by H-3 and H-4 appear to be a unified complex.
The winning design preserves the existing terrain and public pathways, arranges the site along the slope overlooking the Homin Reservoir, and proposes six different housing types based on the height of the hillside. Jury member Lee Sojin (principal, Leeon Architects) noted that the competition was ‘more about the concept of the layout than the architectural proposal’, and that the convenience of vehicular and pedestrian circulation while also allowing residents to enjoy the natural scenery of Andong was a key factor in the selection process. The winning proposal was the one that best met these requirements.
