SPACE-Saekdong of the Rest: A New Reference Point: Saekdong House

SPACE August 2026 (No. 705)

Saekdong of the Rest^▼1: A New Reference Point

The Buried House

Saekdong House occupies the centre of a residential block in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, where plots of around 330m² line the streets. The project renovates and extends an aging house built in 1968 on a site of approximately 165m2. The house only reveals itself after one passes along the long, narrow entrance sequence within the site. Although the original house was single-storey, its floor was raised well above the ground and its ceiling height exceeded that of a typical house. This was likely an attempt to secure a little more sunlight and views despite the disadvantage of being buried within the middle of the block. To prevent leaks, a thick pitched roof was added over the original flat roof. The house seemed to stand on tiptoe with its neck outstretched, its oversized roof hovering above like tousled hair after sleep.

The original house had been placed along the northern edge of the site, leaving a courtyard to the south to capture sunlight. Over time, however, taller buildings rose along the southern boundary, and the courtyard no longer received direct sun. Sunlight reached only part of the southern façade and roof of the linear building, while the courtyard lost its connection with the interior. An air-raid shelter, typical of the Yeonhui-dong neighbourhood around the 1970s, also remained on the site. Its ceiling was so low and the space so dark that one could move through it only by bending down. With the groundwater table so high, groundwater seeped up through cracks in the floor whenever it rained, and the shelter...

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Architect

Chung Isak (Dongyang University) + a.co.lab architects (Hong Jinpyo)

Design team

Lee Juyoun, Lee Jihyeong

Location

Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea

Programme

single house

Site area

191.4m²

Building area

82.76m²

Gross floor area

125.24m²

Building scope

B1, 2F

Height

5.7m

Building to land ratio

43.24%

Floor area ratio

49.51%

Structure

lightweight wood structure, brick + steel frame

Exterior finishing

wood, steel sheet panel, granite, brick

Interior finishing

wood flooring, vinyl flooring, wood, water paint

Construction

direct undertaking work

Design period

Mar. – Oct. 2025

Construction period

Oct. 2025 – May 2026

Client

Lee Sunghwan

Saekdong window

Kim Youngmin

Lighting

Yi Wan, Kim Youngmin

Funiture

Team Ordermade

Chung Isak

Chung Isak opened a.co.lab architects in 2013 and is a Professor at Dongyang University. He has worked on a wide range of architectural projects and has participated in both architecture and contemporary art exhibitions as an artist and curator. He participated in the 2016 Venice Biennale (as Curator and Artist in the Korean Pavilion), 2016 Beijing Design Week (as Curator of Korean Pavilion), ‘CAMP 2020’ (as Art Director), as well as in public art projects such as Seoul is a Museum and Hangang Art Park. His work has been exhibited at Seoul Museum of Art, Arko Art Center, and Busan Museum of contemporary Art. He is also the co-author of the book, The Seoul, City Microhistory (2016).

Hong Jinpyo

Hong Jinpyo founded DoT Architects in 2018 and joined a.co.lab architects in 2021. He graduated from the Department of Architecture at the University of Seoul and practiced architecture at Atelier 17 Architects and Doojin Hwang Architects. During his practice at Atelier 17 Architects, he worked on a variety of projects, ranging from detached houses to performance halls and urban development plans. At Doojin Hwang Architects, he gained experience of traditional Korean wooden structures and remodelling projects. He is continuously exploring better ways to bridge the gap between conceptual design work and on-site execution.

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Saekdong of the Rest: A New Reference Point: Saekdong House

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