Walking in circles
The house is sitting with its back straight along the narrow dirt road that runs through the neighborhood. Even in the season when the greenery is thick or the autumn leaves are disturbed, even in the season when the empty branches feel chilly, you can guess that the house will stand out. It is because the shape of the three-dimensional cuboid and the very light gray concrete exterior are somewhat unfamiliar in the landscape created by the village. Instead, all the scenery inside the house is friendly and welcoming. It is thanks to the fact that the landscape of the surrounding countryside has been removed and it has come close to the frame of the cut-out wall in a natural breathing relationship.
It is a rural village in Cheongdo, Gyeongsangbuk-do, located 30 to 40 minutes by car from Daegu City. It is not a place where you can expect a spectacular scenery that is dramatically overpowering. It is not even a place with stimulating and busy tourist content. It is a typical rural and secluded suburb with peach orchards spread around it. Therefore, the meaning of coming to this place is not a trip or tourism hoping for an unusual experience, but the concept of having rest, comfort, and recovery from a tired and busy daily life. It is for this reason that the concept of ‘another home’ for relaxation is calmly expressed in each space arranged with neat lines and in the scale and height of the space.
It is difficult to find decorative elements in the exterior, interior and exterior walls, floor, yard, or any area. The still young trees planted in the yard, the view to nature scattered around, and the light and shade created by sunlight become living decorative elements, filling or emptying the space. Thanks to this, I think I can hear different shadows and different wind noises every time the sun sets and I fly. With every step you take, you will encounter a different landscape and a different color. It’s emotionally uplifting every time it happens, but there’s usually nothing to stimulate. So it’s a place where you don’t have to think about anything. It is a house where you can experience being completely empty.
Project: Walking in circles / Location: 231-4, Topyeong-ri, Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do / Architect: Smart Architects (Geoncheol Kim) / contractor: Directly managed construction(Gookyung Yang) / Client: Gookyung Yang, Jihyeon Hwang / Use: housing / Site area: 546.00m² / Bldg. area: 98.83m² / Gross floor area: 98.83m² / Bldg. coverage ratio: 18.10% / Gross floor ratio: 18.10% / Bldg. scale: one story above ground / Structure: reinforced concrete structure / Photograph: ⓒYoungchae Park (courtesy of the architect)
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