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Architecture Modern Korean House Inspired by Traditional Architecture and Feng Shui

Modern Korean House Inspired by Traditional Architecture and Feng Shui

There’s something quite unique about planning and building a house from scratch. As a client, you get to tailor it to your own needs and ideas and as an architect or designer you get to draw inspiration for the site-specific elements and surroundings. When building the Floating House in 2009, Hyunjoon Yoo Architects followed a very specific set of requirements.

Floating House yard at sunset — The house sits on the Northern part of the site to take advantage of the view

Floating House sunset view — At the back there’s a large courtyard populated by a few sculptural trees

Floating House river view — The view is magnificent as the house overlooks the valley and river

The residence sits on the Northern part of the site and the South section is occupied by a guest house. The clients wanted the two structures to be as far away from each other as possible. As a result, the guest house was placed close to the fence at the edge of the site.

Floating House greenery — It sits in an area surrounded by greenery and open space

Floating House back facade — The architects used a combination of modern and traditional design elements

Floating House back yard — The black concrete used for the structure is reminiscent of the tiles seen on traditional Korean houses

The clients had a few specific requests. For example, because they run a restaurant in the area, they wanted the house to be situated about 5 minutes away from it. After the site was selected, the clients requested a view of the river. At the same time, they consulted a Feng Shui specialist and decided that they didn’t want the main door to face East and to have anyone living in the South-East.

Floating House rooftop view — The view of the river is also magnificent from the rooftop terrace

Floating House guest house in south — The design of the house is simple, with relatively small windows on the back facade

Floating House guest house — In order to make the most of the view, the architects elevated the house leaving the ground floor open

Floating House fence — A tall and solid fence gives the house privacy from its neighbours

Other requests included a set of spaces such as a study room, a BBQ area, a guest house, a large yard and a low swimming pool. To honor all these desires, the architects carefully planned everything and chose to level the house and to raise it in order to capture the most beautiful views. At the same time, they designed it with a roof garden and terrace.

Floating House facade design — The clients requested a balcony that surrounds the house, making it seem bigger

Floating House ground floor view — The ground level has large supporting columns and serves as a semi-covered social area

Floating House ground floor — The balcony frames the first floor, expanding the interior space and giving the impression of more space

Floating House balcony interior — The balcony serves as an extension of the interior space, bringing in lots of natural light

Floating House balcony view — At the same time, it enhances the views of the river and surroundings

The South Han River can be viewed from all the rooms of the house, especially thanks to the one meter wide balcony which was built on all four sides of the building.

Floating House study view — A study room was also requested by the clients. It too has a view of the river

Floating House study room — The balcony wraps around the whole house and links all the spaces

Floating House living area — A circular layout was chosen for the social area to maximize the space

Floating House circular sectional — A large sectional runs along one of the corners forming a semicircle

The social areas including the kitchen, dressing room and a bathroom were placed all at the center of the house, gathered in a compact mass. Inn addition to these spaces, there’s also a bedroom towards the East. The living room is positioned to the West and a circular traffic line connects the spaces, making the floor plan appear bigger.