Academic Monastery in Forest
Korean architect Seung H-Sang’s relationship with Daejeon University began in 2000, when he designed the Hyehwa Culture Center. He went on to lead other projects for Daejeon University including the 30th Anniversary Memorial Hall, which is the crown jewel of the campus, hosting lecture halls and other facilities. From the outset, Professor Min Hyun-sik’s Kiohun Architect and Associates drew up a master plan to reorganize the entire campus – including dorms and a gymnasium – to completely alter the look of the university. Daejeon University is now a popular local hangout thanks to the overhaul, but prior to the changes, the area – southeast of the university, where the older buildings were located – was filled with old buildings and was known as the ‘old town’ while most of the new buildings were placed in the west. At the time, the university identified two potential sites for the new dorms – one in the west, where the old dorms were, and the other on a wooded slope in the east that seemed ill-suited for architecture. The architect, however, voiced his preference for the latter site – because of the necessity of new buildings in the area, and his desire for the challenge of designing entirely new kinds of structures for the wooded incline.
A university differs from vocational schools in that it teaches more than skill – it is an institution that fosters global, universal values. This calls for holistic styles of education that go beyond the rote acquisition of knowledge. This is what makes the Residential College (RC) system so effective – students in the RC, though their stay is temporary, step into another world like monks who have renounced the world in search of physical, material, and spiritual freedom. For this reason, the RC’s driving concept was that of a monastery, and the facility was named the Academic Monastery. It is a walled structure separating the campus from the city, as monasteries do for monks. The RC complex is open internally, but its isolated topography veils the building from outside view. The residential buildings are themselves the boundaries, and shared spaces are dotted around the area without restriction. The dynamic flow of students through this layout will act as a representation of the dynamism of life.
In early planning stages, the buildings were carefully positioned between the trees, and the project was called the Academic Monastery in the Woods. But much of the forest disappeared when the trees were cut down for construction purposes. Though dissatisfied by the act, the architect tolerated it under the condition that new trees would be planted on the site. Only a few saplings have been planted thus far, which means that this particular architectural project remains as of yet unfinished. The architect continues to wait for his vision of students studying among the full-grown trees at the RC to be realized.
Project: Daejeon University Hyehwa Residential College / Location: Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea / Architects: IROJE Architects & Planners (Seung H-Sang, Lee Dong-Soo, Kim Sung-Hee) / Structural engineer: The Naeun Structural Engineering co.,ltd. / Mechanical engineer: DE TECH co.,ltd. / Electrical engineer: Dae-Kyong Electrical Engineering & Consulting co.,ltd. / Program: dormitory, BDH room, seminar room, study lounge, community lounge, fitness center, yoga & dance studio etc. / Bldg. area: 3,913m2 / Gross floor area: 14,084.5m2 / Height: 45.6m / Bldg. scale: 1 story below ground, 11 stories above ground / Structure: reinforced concrete / Exterior materials: dressed brick, aluminium sheet, exposed mass concrete, thk 24 low-E double glazing glass / Design: 2013.11~2015.2 / Construction: 2015.5~2017.10 / Photograph: ©Kim Jong-oh (courtesy of the architect)
