‘Miega’ is the project that the architect designed not only interior, but every parts from space design, programming, space developing and reproduction of props.

The concept of ‘Miega’ is inspired from past ‘village’ with scene of alley and calm permanent environment and the architect wanted to return aspect of hair salon which was reception room of neighbors and place for cultural & public community in the past. House formed of mass that minimum module for a person, is applied for comfort in the salon and it is formed together with path, alley, corner and shops to create public community. It is designed with installation of space within space and architecture within architecture.

The elements like alley, yard & house formed as result cause new forms and allow spatial experience by observing users or moving them. Different irregular frames are consisted in each unit in the shape of house and these frames become window for various scenes such as form of people and moving silhouette. Moreover, new images are created by overlap of frames and experience of continuous visual observation of space is provided.



Without transforming physical structure of basic unit of ‘Miega’, the hair salon can be also used as private party, exhibition, gallery, café and flea market, etc. According to form and type of user, it becomes variable space to flexibly and openly accept programs and contents of other uses. Also, the entrance is not a general reception but ‘relaxing’ space for easy access to become a place for every villager to come and enjoy. Beyond the concept of simple hair salon, ‘Miega’ is the space to inform the start of ‘village within village’ or ‘small community within village’.

design: oh, sae min / bang by min emerging design group
design team: kwak, changwook, yoo, hyunduck / bang by min emerging design group
location: 297-1 seongbuk-dong, seongbuk-gu, seoul, korea
program: boutique hair salon
built area: 124.81m2
completion: april 2012
finishing materials:
floor: polished tile, epoxy coating / wall : oil-stain finish on larch plywood, white water paint finish on double
plasterboard / ceiling: white water paint finish on double plasterboard
photographer: jungwoo choi, jaeyoon kim

BANG by MIN

Located at the alley of Seongbuk-dong where community of village has formed for a long time, ‘H-House’ is a house to keep the meaning to show the virtue secretly. This house reveals itself without clumsy and stimulative feeling in the scenery of old alley, suitably for its name. ‘Sae Min Oh’ seemed to concentrate on the details somewhat excessively at this project. He has pride and feels affinity to this project because he has proceeded it with craftsmanship from plan to completion for a long time.

The site of ‘H-House’ had the slope ground where the front level is lower about 8m than the back level, which became a problem in designing it. Besides this physical problem, the architect had more difficulties with the client’s demands ; to create a house for three generations, a house with good daylighting and ventilation on the basement and the first floor. Consequently, it is a successful project because the client is satisfied with it.

Firstly, the architect had to design a space where three generations could live together and privately at the same time, in order that they could behave individually while being together. The architect created the second floor as an interspace of this house divided into three floors, where they can form a community of family, behave individually and have their own area. He divided the living room on the second floor into three levels, which give each member of family their own area naturally. This space opened but different in levels enables family to do privately and separately. And folding door and changeable wall make it possible to expand or divide the space according to the user’ demand.

Secondary, daylighting and ventilation on the basement and the first floor were very important in this house because the ground level had the big difference between the front ground and the back ground. It is said that the biggest problem of the existing house before ‘H-House’ was just the daylighting. The house was filled with dark and damp air because the basement and the first floor were not lighted and ventilated well. In order to solve this problem, the architect placed courtyard and sunken garden, connected from the lower floor to the sky, encouraging the brightness to the whole building.

Lastly, the architect solved the client’s third demand, to have a commercial space for rent on the basement floor. It is just beauty shop ‘Miega’. Beauty shop ‘Miega’ involves the formative element of ‘H-House’ and the shape of this village Seongbuk-dong, and it attracts the attention with its unique space design.

Exposed concrete and wooden panels in mud color created the more effective result than the luxurious materials, with the constructing details the architect insisted on completing, although they are not expensive. The different materials to compose the building emphasize their property of matter and create the various looks with their shadow. The designer also used the materials by cutting them into small unit. These details make this house have a shape to reveal the virtue secretly with the sense of existence but without any overawing sense.