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The idea for House 11 began with the unique site, a rare, untouched plot between two mountains in Pyeongchang-dong. The client, a couple planning to age in place, hoped for a home that wouldn’t grow tiresome over time. This led to a concept focused on embracing nature’s quiet changes rather than making a bold architectural statement. The house was designed to frame wind, light, and landscape like a living canvas. Exposed concrete and timber were used sparingly to avoid distraction, while circulation and openings were carefully planned to draw nature into everyday life. The result is a space that evolves with the seasons, offering subtle variation and quiet comfort.
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House 11 forms a quiet but intimate dialogue with its surrounding landscape. Located between the mountains of Bukhansan and Bugaksan, the site allows the house to receive subtle natural changes—shifting winds, filtered light, seasonal tones—which become central to the experience of living there. Rather than dominating the terrain, the building gently seats upon land, minimizing earthwork and disruption. Views are framed, not forced; spaces are designed to amplify nature’s presence, not compete with it. This sensitive approach fosters a calm coexistence between architecture and landscape, offering a retreat that feels both rooted and responsive.
To minimize excessive landfilling on a site with over 11m of elevation change, the building was split into two volumes placed at different heights. Built using in-situ concrete, the method poses environmental challenges. If reconsidered with sustainability in mind, I would explore CLT to reduce CO₂ emissions. Given the site's excellent sunlight exposure, integrating hybrid solar panels, without disrupting the design, could also help offset household energy use effectively.
Defined by raw materials like exposed concrete and timber, House 11 avoids decorative distractions and instead frames nature as the central element. A split-volume layout is anchored by a central courtyard, which acts as a conduit for light, air, and movement throughout the home. Each building contains only a single room, a bold yet humble choice that prioritizes clarity, flow, and daily comfort. This minimalism doesn’t feel cold; rather, it invites attention to the subtleties of natural change. Inside, spatial transitions are carefully choreographed. A narrow stair at the entrance leads to an open courtyard, where breezes and mountain light offer a soft welcome. From there, a dim foyer unfolds into a sun-filled living room with panoramic glazing. The rhythm of tight and open, light and shadow, brings calm variation to the experience of moving through the space. Details like leather-wrapped handrails and indirect lighting enhance the warmth and intimacy of everyday rituals. House 11 is not defined by scale or grandeur but by a quiet, evolving connection with its landscape.
Direct quote from the client: “I think ‘to dwell’ offers a very different view from seeing a house as just someone’s work. After six months here, I’ve felt how the house synchronizes with nature—the seasons, the shifting light from dawn to dusk. It may not look impactful at first glance, but once you truly dwell in it, it reveals nature with such quiet elegance. I’m constantly moved by it. It’s exactly what I asked for at the very beginning.”
At TOOOC Architectural Studio, we wait, until space begins to speak.
We do not see architecture as mere structure or form.
To us, a true place emerges only when temperature, light, wind, and human movement flow together in quiet rhythm.
We read the grain of the land and imagine the passage of time.
We design what cannot be seen, seeking that delicate balance where space is neither excessive nor empty, unfamiliar yet never alienating.
TOOOC values sensation over form, and potential over perfection.
We weave the languages of psychology, art, technology, and nature into architectural sentences that resonate with the needs of our time.
We build not to overwhelm, but to stay beside.
Spaces that hold emotion, share inspiration, and shift how we see the everyday, these are the answers we find in architecture.
We seek the new within the familiar, find perspective in the everyday, and discover beautiful questions in between it all.
