Hyunjoon Yoo Architects have designed a retreat house in South Korea for an early fifties couple based on the principles of ‘Feng Shui’. The principles of the Chinese philosophy were highly important to the clients, therefore a Feng Shui expert was involved in the process of the design, as well as the site selection.
Image © Youngchae Park
The architects paid close attention to these principles, with no detail being cast aside. A huge rock at the North side of the lot was used as guidance for the dining area, with the dining table facing it. The living room and the master bedrooms were positioned so they could face the valley on the West.
Image © Youngchae Park
Beyond Feng Shui principles, Korean traditions were also inserted into the design. The residence houses a master bedroom, a guest room, study room and a single reception room. The reception room and the study room have been separated from the main house for privacy purposes. The two houses have been connected through a covered deck, resembling the Korean traditional outdoor living room called ‘Daechung’. The master bedroom incorporates a traditional Korean floor heating system made out of red clay.
Image © Youngchae Park
The two houses were built with a normal pitch roof, with one house being extruded as a cantilever structure. Both houses have been clad in wood, with the pattern changing direction between the two structures. The zinc panelled roof wraps around one side of the house creating a seamless transition between the roof and the cantilevered house.
Image © Youngchae Park
We wanted to make the house more like a village rather than a sing house. Therefore we also located storage house and a garage building surrounding area.
– Hyunjoon Yoo Architects
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
Image © Youngchae Park
