Jun Youn Cha - YTAA 2020 Asia Shortlist

SINGLE-LOADED APARTMENT EXTENTION PROJECT

‘Recycle City’ project began from the doubts cast upon apartment “reconstruction” which was believed to be the only way to maintain apartment system in Seoul. The project aims to elaborate new methodology of apartment extension to reform dominating and monotous housing units of apartments into variety of new units.

With the population concentrated in Seoul along with South Korea's economic growth in the past, the distribution of apartments began. Currently, half of Koreans live in apartments, while apartments in Seoul account for more than 60 percent of housing. The floor plan of apartments, all of which have been stylized into four or five types, is fit to families of more than three to four people, and the demolition and rebuilding of the new apartments was the only way to maintain these numerous apartments. Currently, Seoul has a rapidly growing number of households and is becoming a nuclear family. We cannot rebuild all our apartments to meet this demand. Existing apartments should be recognized as new resources.

The new demand in Seoul is SPECIALIZED HOUSING. As a member of a household decreases, housing should provide a lifestyle that fits residents within a reduced area. Depending on the person, they may want a large living room, need a personal workspace, or need a children's play space. That means, it should be diversified so that residents can choose. One of the most common and old apartment types is SINGLE-LOADED CORRIDOR APARTMENT. The same dwellings are listed on the sunny front (southern) and the corridor is placed on the back side (northern). Since these apartments are very similar from residential to flat, one methodology can be generalized. However, excessive structural changes cannot be made because they are mainly wall-shaped structures. Let’s extend them. EXTENSION METHODOLOGY. For the sake of the right to sunlight and view, the scope of extension is limited to the back side (the corridor side). 1) Extension of housing unit: Identical housing unit for 3-4 people can be divided into two unit. By extending less daylight affected rooms ( restroom, bedroom, personal work space, etc. ) to the back side of unit, we can reproduce single repetitive unit into variety of new units without compromising daylighting. 2) Extension of shared space: Someone may want to have one large shared space instead of an extension of residence. The shared spaces, which used to be located at Podium in a recent apartment, will be attached in box form to the corridor and have life-tightening programs based on the demand of the neighboring shared generation, such as a shared office, shared kitchen and children's play area. 3) Cluster formation: These formed dwellings and shared spaces are grouped together. As these clusters attach themselves to the back side of single-loaded corridor apartments throughout Seoul, they define new elevation of apartment and respond to the demands needed in the region. The combination is endless, depending on the design intent. The project shows the creation of one giant cluster through the concept of "1-person household" and the combination of various clusters through the concept of "social mix."