172M2 compact House / JMY architects

Architects: JMY architects
Location: Seongdong-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Project Architect: Jaemin Yoon
Area: 133.0 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Joonhwan Yoon

Design Team: Jinsoo Kim (Team Manager), Minji Kim, Eunji Choi, Hyukhyu Shin, Seongmin Lee, Kwangjae Ryu, Yeonjung Lee, Wihwan Choi, Hyejin Park
Collaborator S: MOA Structure
Collaborator M: HL Consulting Engineers
Collaborator E: Hannuri Engineering
Construction: Chaeheon Construction

From the architect.

New site utilization according to the plan of suburb residential area

The site is facing south in a rectangular shape of 12mx14.5m and of 172㎡, and it is just enough to have a house with three rooms and small garden which is a basic unit of dwelling in the past traditional society. Along the access road, it can be accessed only through east or west. And, as the access road is very narrow (3m wide), the revitalization of the site in a form of new housing had to see many restrictions.

The existing building arrangement for the rectangular site with 172㎡ had two separated spaces; garden area started from the south entrance and the building itself which was pushed to the north boundary of the site. The two separated space arrangement would render monotonous and exclusive space with lots of dead spaces, and it would simplify even life in the house accordingly. To offer a fundamental solution to overcome those issues, the design approach is made in 6 aspects.

Change of the entrance position and make a new access road

Form a backyard with a main entrance and access by moving the building 2m away from the north site boundary, and establish a connection between the backyard and the south garden.

Efficient circulation design

Make a natural connection from the ground to the rooftop with a circulation from outside to inside, and continued again, from inside to outside. Functional spaces are to be arranged along the circulation.

Space expandability

Design a living room in between of the south garden and the north backyard, and make a penetrating spatial connection through transparency. The garden expands toward the living room, and also living room expands toward the garden.

Open space arrangement

Design a space, secluded from the outside, but opened inside.

Flexible space arrangement

Flexible space which can be devided into separated rooms if necessary.

Use of daylight and natural ventilation

To keep the visual privacy against neighbors, windows are not to be constructed on the outer walls. Design slits and skylights wherever the shape meets the function to bring daylight into spaces to wash away dark spaces. Place ventilation windows in 4 directions to enable natural ventilation along the direction of wind throughout seasons.