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Yongin-si, South Korea – Snow AIde
Area: 123.0 m2
Year Built: 2017
Photographs: Jaeyoon Kim
Tranquility House is located on the countryside, outside of Seoul, and away from the hectic city life. The rural landscape surrounding makes this dwelling an ideal family retreat. With stunning views of a lake and the wooded hillside, the property is a true depiction of home. It oozes with love, warmth, and charm.
Despite its modern design, the home features a neutral material palette. It allows the structure to blend with the topography, no matter how unconventional it may be. Inside is a mixture of concrete and plywood. The open-plan, double-height interiors provide better lighting and ventilation. Large glass doors and windows allow access to the stunning outside scenery.
The name of the house speaks for itself. It’s a home enjoyed by a family of different generations. Tranquility House is perfect for vacations and quality time.
Notes from the Architect:
The old couple dreamed of going back to the countryside and spending time. But it was not easy to unconditionally escape the city where they raised a son and a daughter, who now have sons and daughters. Since they became grandfather and grandmother, they wanted to build a small weekend house where the whole family can gather together on the weekend. It is like a hideaway for everyday life where the elderly couple and their son, a daughter, and grandchildren can gather together and spend their time together.
It was winter when I first visited the site. The place was where the quietness and calmness. Surrounded by nature, except one or two houses which seem far away, made me feel comfortable. The family had bought 2800m2 of land together and divided it into three parcels. They had plans to build the smallest house on the inside and use the other two parcels as kitchen gardens. There is a 4m wide road from the east. The view of the lake far to the south are open, but the low mountain with the golf course in the west has caused the shadow to shine from early afternoon. Also, in the spring and summer, the noise heard from the golf course and the gaze of the people were obstacles to relaxation.
Design of the house started with the son instead of the old couple. Since it is a vacation house, easy maintenance and reasonable construction cost are crucial. I wanted to be a house where the family would build one by one instead of completed at once. Therefore, the design evolved to use relatively simple forms and durable materials. The space of the old couple and the kitchen/living room arranged on the ground floor, and space for the son and daughter planned on the second floor. I tried to make it experience various views and flow of gaze through the simple circulation. On the morphological side, it transformed into a floating box shape from a traditional gable roof. It is a result that shifted upper floor space gradually falls to kitchen space.
I wanted to create a house that assimilated with minimal destruction and heterogeneity around the building when it entered the natural environment. I dreamed a house which is, at first it seems a little awkward, but after a while, it becomes a part of the environment and becomes tranquil daily life.
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Exterior Views:
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For more vacation homes, check out Casa B in Segovia, Spain…
