Curved House Rejuvenates The Surroundings With Its Fresh Design

The city of Busan from South Korea is quite the unusual place. Although someone else might be surprised to find here a lot of houses with curved facades and shapes, locals don’t perceive them as strange or unconventional.

AAWH Residence curved facade
AAWH Residence curved shape

One of the reasons for that is the fact that the landscape here is irregular and, as a result, the houses have to respond to their surroundings and to interact with the topography. These houses are shaped by the sites on which they stand.

AAWH Residence curved wall
AAWH Residence back facade garden

The house was built here between 2013 and 2014 by Architect-K, a studio established in 2012 by Kichul Lee. Its main goal is to always seek and find new design solutions and alternatives that can allow a structure to deal with the changes that occur in nature and all around it in a flexible and natural way.

AAWH Residence outdoor stairs
AAWH Residence outdoor stairs in garden

Houses that have irregular shapes are common in the city and are actually a defining element for this area. What makes this particular house stand out is its curvy design and fluid form. The structure extends from the East side of the site to the sea-facing side.

AAWH Residence balcony
AAWH Residence cantilever
AAWH Residence view of the sea

The windows are small and sometimes very narrow and, while this is not the usual design option used for most contemporary residences, it is a design detail that lets the house blend in and look natural in its surroundings.

AAWH Residence lounge area
AAWH Residence lounge area stairs

The small windows offer limited visibility but, at the same time, capture the views of the surroundings in a unique way, framing them in a different way for each room. The house overlooks the surrounding hills and the sea and the topography ensures that the surroundings are serene and refreshing.

AAWH Residence ground floor lounge
AAWH Residence suspended stairs

The house is organized on four floors. The ground floor opens to the landscape through glass walls and doors, interacting with the outdoors in a seamless manner. The levels are connected by sets of stairs with sculptural designs.

AAWH Residence floating stairs
AAWH Residence wood stairs

Floating stairs make the transition from the ground floor lounge area to the upstairs volumes smooth and stylish. There are other staircases spread throughout the residence, each standing out in a new and unique way.

AAWH Residence two level view
AAWH Residence small windows

These sets of stairs cross each floor and help define the various programs and spaces. Their role is also to add a sculptural and dramatic touch to the interior décor, becoming focal points for the interior of the house.

AAWH Residence sculptural staircase wall
AAWH Residence curved stairs

The site on which the house was built measures over 1000 square meters. The building covers 454 square meters and offers a total of 1,644 square meters of floor space. This makes it big and it means that there’s lots of room inside for more than just the basic programs and functions.

AAWH Residence staircase hallway
AAWH Residence upstairs design

This is one of the projects that inspired the others to follow to incorporate recreation programs in their designs and to explore new ways to interact with the surroundings and to look at the traditional house in a rather different light.

AAWH Residence dining area view

The materials used throughout are simple and pure and include exposed concrete, bamboo, pine, bricks and metal panels. The combination is not unusual, especially for a modern residence. All these materials bring their best qualities and use them to make each other stand out and look beautiful.

AAWH Residence hallway
AAWH Residence hallway windows

These materials were used to highlight and to define the various spaces and programs inside the house. Wood was mixed with concrete for a special balance and a décor that’s simple but also welcoming. Metal was used to add a sleek touch to the design and was paired with wood and concrete to balance them out.The same materials were used in all the areas of the house, each time offering a unique ambiance and complementing the views exquisitely.

AAWH Residence bathroom zen design