Interview about Sista House housing, winner of the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award 2021
Sinsu-dong is a dangerous residential area with many old houses in Seoul. 2m2 architects wanted to build a rental house here for women. 2m2 architects were usually concerned with and felt a critical mind with housings for women. Sista House, aiming for a comfortable and sensuous living environment for young women in their 20s and 30s, has given each space its own character to differentiate itself from existing multiple housings within its limited area.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsWhen creating spaces, I sometimes work with the concept of extending the exterior seamlessly into the interior. However, in this case, I wanted to separate the idea of a cozy home environment from the harsh surroundings one encounters before returning home at the end of the day.
Rather than using artificially refined finishes, I wanted to retain the raw texture of materials in the common areas, up until one opens their front door and enters their personal space. This is because it is a shared space, not a private one used solely by individuals.
Seoul is the city where I was born and raised. I have lived in various neighborhoods and walked through its alleys since childhood. I believe I naturally designed a building that meets the needs of this place.
In Seoul, many young people live in studios or two-room spaces. My friends did the same during our college years, and so did I. Even after graduation and before marriage, my friends continued to live in such spaces. I have thought for a long time about what would make these spaces better.
When a building with a quality space is created, the surrounding area is inevitably influenced, leading to the development of similar high-quality residential spaces. Sista House will be the starting point for this transformation.
Brick is a versatile building material that allows for various exterior designs depending on how it’s stacked. The bold red brick in an old neighborhood alley creates a strong image, yet, interestingly, it harmonizes well with the surrounding older buildings.
The communal staircase requires ventilation and natural light while ensuring privacy from external views. By implementing a double-skin concept with layered brickwork outside the windows, I was able to address all these needs.
The year 2020 marked the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. With the project completed during this time, I was surprised to see the spaces we had envisioned during the design phase being utilized even more effectively than anticipated. I feel grateful that our ideas proved to be on point.
Since my teenage years, I have been skateboarding and listening to hip-hop music. For over 20 years, I have also been active as a hip-hop DJ. In this project, I collaborated with a hip-hop dancer and worked on a video piece together. The dancer's movements within the raw, unfinished interior and exterior spaces of the building express the future of the structure once completed. I highly recommend watching the video on the 2m2 architects website.
I’m not sure if I will have the opportunity to design architecture specifically for a particular generation or gender again, but designing with a clear target in mind rather than an ambiguous audience is certainly intriguing.
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