Unjung-dong, Republic of Korea
Located in the Unjung-dong housing complex in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi-do near Seoul, Hyunjoon Yoo and his design team of Hyunjoonyoo Architects draw on the existing sloping landscape as an advantageous starting point for the design concept of Multi Terrace House.
The clients asked for a home that could accommodate their dog and their grown-up children who have their own families—a place where two families could come to visit and stay and a place where dogs could safely play.
The Multi Terrace House has divided functions for each floor, while actively reinforcing connectivity through elements such as open straight stairs, void spaces, a terrace for each room, and indoor windows.
For its inspired design, Multi Terrace House has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Multi Terrace House actively utilizes the strengths of the site to design a space centered around an open but private courtyard.
The building was arranged on the north side of the site to have a south-facing courtyard.
On the first floor, the living room and kitchen were arranged so that the whole family could gather, and a void space was created to connect with the family room on the second floor.
The north-south side of the first floor was opened with a window without any obstructions so that the backyard living room could be connected into a single space.
On the second floor, the rooms were separated for the families of the son and daughter.
The rooms are designed to see other rooms, for example, to see the living room through the indoor window and a void.
In addition, each room has a terrace connected to the courtyard.
The third floor contains the master bedroom in the center, private spaces for each client on the east-west side, and toilets and outdoor baths on the north side.
In the master bedroom, instead of a terrace, one can sit on a protruding window and overlook the yard.
Views of the sky were integrated by installing glass on the eaves.
Although this house delineates separate functions, it is a comfortable home for a family to remain connected through its well-designed spatial structure.
Project: Multi Terrace House
Architects: Hyunjoonyoo Architects
Lead Architect: Hyunjoon Yoo
Design Team: Jiyoung Jon and Jin Kim
General Contractor: Jehyo
Client: Private
Photographers: Kyungsub Shin
