The mixed-use housing blocks that once were empty in Gwanggyo New Town are now densely filled with new buildings. Due to the descriptively written local codes and the economic desires of the owners that is to maximize rentable square meter, most of the buildings in the area have structurally similar designs.

Instead of following the “architectural formula” of the area, with the Gablepack AND (Architecture of Novel Differentiation) proposes five residential units that are all similar in size – 66 sqm. Therefore, all the units can have two reasonable size bedrooms and a living room. It reflects the rental demand of the area, as most of the tenants in the area are families, usually a couple with a child. It creates a better return for the owner. In order to do this, the architects had to invent a three dimensional puzzle like composition. Because once they place the core space, each floor is left with only 100 sqm. As a result, Gablepack has three double story units, and two double height units.

From the architect. The New Town Formula - It all happened only within last few years. The mixed-use housing blocks that once were empty in Gwanggyo New Town are now densely filled with new buildings. Due to the descriptively written local codes and the economic desires of the owners that is to maximize rentable square meter, most of the buildings in the area have structurally similar designs. The typical design offers 6 parking spaces in the front of the building with the first floor dedicated for a store. Two small residential units are placed on both of the2nd and 3rd floor, and one large residence on the top floor. The local code requires the first floor store to have 50% or more transparent walls. Furthermore, 70% or more of the roof should be gabled, and the slope of the gable must be between 1:1 and 1:3 (height: distance). As a result of this specific “architectural formula,” formally similar buildings with different exterior and interior finishes create this unique urban context of the site.

A Four story building, but like a five story building - Instead of following the “architectural formula” of the area, the Gablepack proposes 5 residential units that are all similar in size – 66m². Therefore, all the units can have 2 reasonable size bedrooms and a living room. It reflects the rental demand of the area, as most of the tenants in the area are families, usually a couple with a child. It creates a better return for the owner. In order to do this, we had to invent a three dimensional puzzle like composition. Because once we place the core space, each floor is left with only 100m². As a result, Gablepack has 3 double story units, and 2 double height units, and this 4 story building has received suspicious glances as if it is a 5 story building.

Small Gables in a Big Gable - Instead of only applying a gable roof shape in the exterior, we decided to actively use the gable form to improve the interior space. We applied the gable form in the living spaces of the units, in the balconies, and on the windows. Thus, all the units have spacious floor to ceiling height and the balconies with an open view. The 2nd floor units have attics, and 3rd and 4th floor units are double story units. It is to compensate the small square meters with spacious cubic meters. The protruded balconies and the windows are all different in sizes, responding to the different characters of the units. The store space on the first floor can be divided into two stores, and the gabled entrance of the building follows the overall concept of the design.

The Gablepack, Kyeonggi-do, Korea Program: apartment building Architects: AND (Architecture of Novel Differentiation) Project Manager: Yeonji Kim Structural Consultant: THE Structural Engineering Co. Area: 145 sqm Completion: 2015 Photographs : Kyungsub Shin

Architecture of Novel Differentiation

The project site is located in the old town streets, Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu. In 2010, the composition of the surrounding streets as singer Kim Kwang-Seok, many young people have come to enjoy on weekend. While voluntary lively cafes around the community center, a new street cafe was formed.

Floor area ratio is 220% legal. A four-story building could build up to 546㎡. Client is, however, want a total floor area of around 200㎡ building. Rental income is not the purpose, and client is planning to operate a bakery and cafe directly. So it is designed with one-third the size of a legal that to blend well with the neighborhood atmosphere of the building.

If the franchise is a large floor area is secured first. But such thinking is not right where each neighborhood self-evident that colors. So a large floor space divided into several small areas. The basic direction was thought to be skip floor. Two-story building, but was actually a space consisting of four layers. In the same layer, a exposed concrete structure wall to the medium was again divided into two parts.

Floor and ceiling finishes gave a contrasting effect. The ground floor was constructed in a herringbone pattern wood floors, ceiling beams and a concrete slab so that the finish was just exposed. Second floor by floor finish concrete polishing, concrete was to feel the texture itself. Conversely, the ceiling was finished with wood louvers. In addition to installing skylights, during the day were enough natural light to enter the room.

Korea has many unique city that is distinctly his own color, such as the world famous city. In addition, there are many historic villages. The past few decades the city had a faster rate of development and change. As many young architects have a role to play in each neighborhood to life every day by blowing alley.

In clients' understanding and support, rather than simply build a building intended to maximize rental income only to the logic of capital, it fits in Daebong-dong newly formed atmosphere. I hope this place is loved by many people looking for Daebong-dong.

Architects : 2m2 architects Location : Daegu, South Korea Architect in Charge : Lee Junghee, Park joohyun Area : 210.0 sqm Project Year : 2015 Photographs : Shin Kyungsub

2m2 Architects

The site is located in an alley, a few blocks away from Dosandae-ro a busy boulevard in Seoul’s Gangnam district. The area used to be a low-rise residential district in the past, but now rapidly transforming into a commercial district full of shops and restaurants. The existing building had a simple rectangular structure with a courtyard in the middle, using concrete blocks and blackened steel as a major finish material. The main interest in designing the building was to keep the existing materiality, yet to make enough alteration to accommodate the new program. The concrete block wall on the north was maintained in order to preserve the original materiality of the building, and the blackened steel was mainly used for the newly built walls.

The existing building was a two-story building, with 52.76% building-to- land ratio and 76.98% Floor Area Ratio. The client has requested to extend the building to a three-story building and maximize its building-to-land ratio. The building was extended by 401.16 m 2 to make 59.74% building-to-land ratio (max: 60%) and 118.97% Floor Area Ratio. Due to the height restriction at the north-east corner, the 3rd floor massing was skewed from the 2nd floor massing, creating a triangular balcony in between.

The main entrance was relocated to the north side of the building, while the original east entrance was blocked by the metal mesh. However, people can vaguely see the old entrance and the stairs behind the metal mesh. The concrete stairs at the entrance extends up to the third level, keeping the materiality of the original stairs. East-West Section

The main façade on the east is covered with a metal mesh curtain, rigid yet flexible material following the curvilinear pattern consisting of multiple semicircles. The metal mesh connecting the two mirrored patterns will create a transitional form. This skin produces a layer of diffusion in front of the solid wall, which needs to completely separate the interior space from outside. It suggests an ambiguous characteristic of the façade, which is diversified by the colorful LED lights installed at the bottom of the façade, emphasizing its curvilinear form during the night time.

Ground Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

Roof Plan

Architects : Simplex Architecture Location : Seoul, South Korea Lead Architects : Greg Chung Whan Park, Sanghun Song Space Branding & Design : KMGD Area : 1263.0 m2 Project Year : 2016 Photographs : Kyungsub Shin, Young Kim Manufacturers : Eagon, Hyundai: Landscape Architect : Studio 101 Structural Engineer : Tomi Structure Mechanical Engineer : Kodam Engineering Civil Engineer : Chungdam E&C Co.,Ltd General Contractor : Ean R&C Visualization : Vize

North-South Section

East-West Section

Simplex Architecture was established in 2014, as a critical investigation of architecture to achieve a high quality design by resolving complex nature of architecture through collaborative process with practitioners from a variety of disciplines in the form of simplicity. The firm focuses on the deeper attributes of appropriateness, proportion, and details of architecture and seeks a natural economy of the elements in planning, building organization and circulation.

Simplex Architecture