Photographer: Kyungsub Shin | ArchDaily

Wind Fence 2 / Hyunjoon Yoo + Partners

Pilar Caballero — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Wind Fence 2 is the extension of the existing Wind Fence project. To begin with the existing Wind Fence, it stands firmly at the edge between the land and the sea on the east coast of Busan. Making the building stand out when glancing at it from the waterfront was significant and the main purpose of this building was to attract various programs such as cafes, restaurants, and shops selling small crafts.

AFER Hangang / Hyunjoon Yoo + Partners

Pilar Caballero — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 02:00:00 +0000

The site of this project had complex and stringent constraints. Due to various regulations, it was not possible to freely shape the building form, and among these, the most restrictive condition was the setback regulation. As a result, the building naturally recedes as it rises, creating terraces along the way. We considered this a good excuse to persuade the client to create an apartment with terraces. In Korea, balconies are generally assumed to be enclosed and incorporated into the interior space. However, the terraces resulting from the setback regulation are unavoidable.

Smurf Village School / Hyunjoon Yoo + Partners

Andreas Luco — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

People are influenced by built space, so we planned Songsan Middle School to have a variety of building groups and yards so that children can grow up in a village-like landscape that changes just by moving a few steps. We all want to raise our children to be more open-minded and endeavoring. And to do so, the fundamental shape and structure of the school needs to change. School buildings should be broken down into smaller blocks, with small yards and outside spaces in various shapes and forms in between the blocks where they can play around. I think our kids' school should feel more like a “Smurfs’ Village” than one large building, which is the standard layout of schools seen in Korea.

What Lies Beneath: 10 Projects Reshaping the Ground Level

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Architecture has long been drawn to the idea of lightness. From early modernist experiments that sought to preserve landscapes, elevating buildings has been understood as a way to preserve the ground while maintaining continuity across the terrain. Volumes are lifted on columns, infrastructures detach circulation from the surface, and entire programs are suspended above the ground.

Off the Mainland: Floating Architecture Projects Redefining the Built Environment

Susanna Moreira & Victor Delaqua — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Building above water means doing away with a part of construction that is quite literally the basis of most of our built environment: the foundation. In a world dominated by water, currents, and shifting levels are variables that simply cannot be ignored, which is why the most emblematic feature these projects share is their adaptability.

Isabu Dokdo Museum / Simplex Architecture

Miwa Negoro — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 02:00:00 +0000

The site lies in Jeongna-dong, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do. Samcheok Port is located to the east, with an industrial zone to the east and the south, a commercial zone to the north, and a residential zone to the north west. In A.D. 512 (the 13th year of King Jijeung's reign), Silla general Isabu set off from this spot in Samcheok with his marine troops to conquer Usanguk, today known as Ulleungdo Island, and Dokdo Island, which was part of the Silla territory. Yukhyangsan Mountain, located at the centre of the site, was once an oceanic island at the time of Isabu's departure, but has now become a mountainous region. Underneath this reclaimed land are the lower reaches of Yukhyangsan Mountain, which was once an island. The lower part of the Yukhyangsan Mountain was excavated, the site was lowered to its former altitude, and water was introduced. The water introduced to this area adopts the form of a pond with the name Yukhyang-ji, relating it to Yukhyangsan Mountain and alluding to the image of an island on the sea. An exhibition space tracing the historic features throughout the newly revealed site will come to play a role as na ew cultural site in Samcheok, and recover what in the landscape had been lost to the past.

On the International Day for Clean Energy: How Local Initiatives Respond to the Spatial Impacts of Energy Production

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 05:30:00 +0000

January 26 marks the International Day for Clean Energy, an initiative aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing action for an inclusive transition from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, to power generation systems with lower greenhouse gas emissions and fewer pollutants. The term "clean" signals a fundamental shift away from extractive, finite, and exhaustible energy sources toward systems based on renewable resources or on capturing energy embedded in natural processes. In a world grappling with climate change, clean energy plays an important role in reducing emissions and expanding access to reliable power. However, being labeled "clean" does not exempt these systems from the impacts associated with their production, deployment, and commercialization. In this context, architectural knowledge related to space, materiality, and habitation becomes relevant for supporting a transition toward energy systems that are sustainable over time. As stated by the United Nations, the science is clear: to limit climate change, reliance on fossil fuels must end, and buildings must be heated, lit, and electrified through clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable power sources.

Designing With Living Systems: Discover the Works of Yong Ju Lee Architecture

Olivia Poston — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 07:30:00 +0000

What does it mean to practice ecological responsibility beyond performance metrics or carbon calculations? How can fabrication become a design method rather than a final outcome? Founded in Seoul, Yong Ju Lee Architecture is a practice led by architect and researcher Yong Ju Lee. Across installations, research-driven proposals, and cultural projects, the studio positions architecture as an experimental discipline rooted in making: a process in which design emerges from material behavior, prototyping, and fabrication logic as much as from drawing or representation. Bridging professional practice and academia, his work consistently expands the architectural toolkit through computational design, experimental material research, and an evolving commitment to ecology as a responsibility and a design driver. In 2025, the studio was selected as a winner of the ArchDaily Next Practices Awards.

Architecture in Rhythm with Time: Designing Through Solar, Lunar, and Biological Cycles

Daniela Andino — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 04:00:00 +0000

As the solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, it also draws attention to something architecture has long negotiated but often overlooked: time. Beyond form or function, buildings and spaces are continuously shaped by cycles of light and darkness, seasonal shifts, and environmental rhythms that affect how they are inhabited.

OHyeongJae Villa / LIFE Architects

Miwa Negoro — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 19:00:00 +0000

At the westernmost end of Jeju Island, in a quiet rural village called Dumori in Hangyeong-myeon, stood a pentagonal plot of land, bathed in the gentle sunlight atop a peculiar hill. Though foreign in appearance, it felt strangely serene, and this moment of tranquility marked the beginning of OHyeongJae. OHyeongJae, which embodies the philosophy of "the right to be lazy" and aims to create a space for true rest, received the grand prize at the 2021 Jeju Architecture and Culture Festival. The name combines the Korean words for "five", "form", and "courtyard", signifying a new accommodation comprising five pool villas.

Folded Ground Neighborhood Facility / LIFE Architects

Miwa Negoro — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 03:00:00 +0000

What stance should a building take on the bustling streets near Hongik University, filled with the vibrant energy of a university town? "Folded Ground" is a neighborhood facility that thoughtfully explores ways to interact with its surroundings on a site bordered on three sides by Wausan-ro and a playground.

Neungwon-ri Workshop / LIFE Architects

Hana Abdel — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 02:00:00 +0000

The clients are four people with a keen eye for wood. They wanted to enjoy the pleasure of crafting and being together in this quiet neighborhood. A small room to play with wood was the most required element. The site must be addressed first before describing their way of creating a room. The site is located on a spot looking up at a long bridge between golf courses.

Round Pillars in Architecture: From the Classical Column to the Modern Sculptural Support

Lilly Cao — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:30:00 +0000

The pillar has adorned many of the greatest monumental examples of Western architecture since antiquity, from the Doric columns of the Parthenon to the Corinthian capitals of the Pantheon portico. In the West, the legacies of these classical forms have permutated over the centuries and into modern times: the Doric columns of the Lincoln Memorial, the Ionic columns of the British museum portico, and the Villa Savoye’s pilotis are just a few examples of the classical column’s continued transformation and use over the last few centuries. Today, the round pillar continues to be used in modern design, both functionally and aesthetically. Below, we look into these elements in more detail, including their materials, construction, structural qualities, and several contemporary examples of their use.

Immersive Resilience Garden / Changyeob Lee + Studio ReBuild

Hana Abdel — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:00:00 +0000

The project features a 250m² submerged lounge-like space designed to immerse visitors in a 360-degree natural experience within Ttuksom Han River Park, one of Seoul’s busiest recreational areas. The three-dimensional naturalistic garden aims to magnify public engagement and offer a serene escape from artificial visual overload, allowing visitors to reconnect with nature. The project aspires to be perceived not as a static artifact but as a characterful terrain that provides three-dimensional guidance for plants to thrive.

Brickwell Mixed Use Building / Society of Architecture

Hana Abdel — Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

An Atrium for the White Pine - The white pine tree site, located west of 35-17 Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, was where a magnificent pine tree used to stand. Once known as the biggest of its kind in Korea, the tree had been designated as a natural monument until it died in 1991. What’s left of the past are its stump and a few more lacebark trees that were planted afterward. Three stumps of two-year-old lacebark pine trees stand next to the old stump to bring a serendipitous pleasure for those who walk along the narrow alleys, maximizing the walking experience unique to the Seochon district.

Fa-brick / Society of Architecture

Hana Abdel — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 02:00:00 +0000

The Modular Game - Modules serve as the measurement that guides construction. These numbers vary based on conditions such as the weight of materials, production methods, mobility and quantity considerations, structural limits, and more. Typically, prefabricated materials produced through production lines have specific dimensions, and the dimensions of partitions are determined based on these sizes. Even materials without joints, such as external renders without joints or materials cast or welded, cannot infinitely extend the length or area of materials. In architectural design, the issues of partitioning and joining always arise.

Seongsu Silo: Seoul Urban Manufacturing Hub / Society of Architecture

Hana Abdel — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:00:00 +0000

Since its foundation in 1394, Seoul has transitioned from an agrarian society to a full-fledged industrialized megacity. Within this 600-year transition, it was the 20th century that saw the most drastic urban change due to a process of industrialization. During its colonial period under Japanese imperial rule (1910–45),Yeongdeungpo, southwest of the Han River, was developed with heavy military infrastructure. This laid the groundwork for this area to transform into Seoul’s largest industrial zone after liberation from Japan. Other industrial areas around Seoul followed, yet, as of 2021, only seven major semi-industrial zones in Seoul remain. They account for 3.3 percent of the city’s total area but are essential to its industrial economy.

Pangyo Two Courtyards House / June Architects

Hana Abdel — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Half-opened courtyard – Feeling nature & Having privacy - When we design a house in urban areas, we always grapple with finding a balance between interaction with nature(outdoors) and ensuring privacy. One of the key reasons people desire to live in a single house is the connection with nature(outdoors) through the yard. However, due to limited land conditions, it’s not easy to feel free from the gaze of pedestrians coming through the yard. So, the yard is conceived as a half-open courtyard, striking a balance between welcoming the dynamism of nature and urban life while also offering a degree of privacy by partially shielding it from external gazes. The courtyard is enclosed by walls, but the middle part of the walls is open, while the upper part is designed with brick-mesh to elegantly filter sunlight, creating a beautiful interplay with the sky. Also, the sunken courtyard, surrounded by a glistening wall, opens upwards towards the sky, providing a fully private space with sunlight.