B’House

Namyangju-si, South Korea – 100 A associates

Project Year :     2016
Developed Area :    311.0 m2

B’House is a housing project requiring two homes – one for the residents, one for their parents. Belonging to two different generations, both have different needs. This is the challenge: to make two different structures co-exist in one piece of land.

The architects went the extra mile to fully understand each of the homeowner’s needs and wants. The result? Black bricks on one; white bricks on the other.

The personality of the homeowners are revealed in the interiors. Where one displays simplicity, the other is more grandiose. But despite the obvious difference in taste and style, family is family. To highlight this, the two houses sit facing each other, with a common lawn to share.

Notes from the Architect:

There is a small village in Namyangju-si. It is not a large village with large residential houses, but similar to small countryside villages of our childhood memories on holidays. The village isn’t occupied by young folk, but with elders. It’s not only the elders that make the time pass slowly, but the construction of the buildings may have to do with it. Tired of life’s troubles and health, homeowners flock to this village and hope to live with their parents here.

As we gear towards a residential space project, we aim to give residential space its justice and believe that we must provide different viewpoints than as designers and constructors alone. Because residential spaces are made for and planned by residential owners, it’s imperative that we consider their lifestyles, preferences, and backgrounds. In the end, it’s the residential owners that will spend the future in these homes, so at 100A we will give up our unnecessary egotism of designers to fulfill the needs of the home owners.

To achieve this, we try to set up meets with the homeowners at their pesonal locations such as their office or current homes. We are adamant about this in order to have a truthful conversation in a common space the homeowners will be comfortable in. We are also able to observe lighting, furniture, bikes, painting, and other artifacts of their lives to find out more of their lives.

At the inception of this particular project, we visited the homes of both the resident owner as well as their parents. They were both different in style, but similar in the way they live their day to day lives. Due to the style differences, the owners’ house was very simple while the parents’ home was very ostentatious, but both were well organized and clean. It was so clean in fact that it was hard to believe that people actually lived there. “The living space is so immaculate, is this a model home?” we asked the homeowner, but she said it was influenced by her mother. Growing up, she was used to seeing how well kept her mother was that if things are not organized, I don’t feel comfortable. Come to think of it, the parent’s place had only what they essentially needed.

The 3 main points we focused on this project are: how to maintain the lifestyle of preferences of these two homes, how to mold these two homes naturally, and how to maintain privacy in both homes. The main area of concern was how the interior design will not only keep the styles and preferences intact, but maintain a state of distance and communion. To do this, we kept the lawns in the middle with both the common spaces facing each other. Meanwhile the bedrooms and bathrooms were kept on the further sides of each other. Also, the height distribution between the owners’ rooms and parents’ rooms are about 1 story apart. Last, the front gate and entrances are connected by a bridge for fairly easy access.

House no.1 _ minimal & edge

‘I’d like our house to be like an art gallery’

The residential owners live in all white living space. The living space is also minimalist, so there mustn’t be any clutter. With high ceilings (3.5m), long windows seen across a narrow kitchen, wall lighting in bedrooms, the space felt voluminous and open. The sight of their parents’ structure seen across the lawn out looking the front window, it was as if their parents’ house was another work of art seen from their house. A trapdoor for some privacy was places as well. Adjacent the inner part of the living room was a small room for a bed and closet, and an office for the mother in which gives entry to the bathroom and bedroom. Downstairs is another office in which the husband can use to study and be a big part of his everyday lifestyle.

House no.2 _ minimal & classic

‘I want to bring in my parents’ furniture. The furniture must match the interior’

There was a lot of thought put into the parents’ common space. At the second meeting with the residential owners’ parents, the first thing that caught our eyes were the elegant and grandiose furniture they owned. The fitting of this furniture in an apartment didn’t quite go hand in hand. It felt as if the furniture is trapped in a small area. The task at hand was to let the beautiful furniture breathe and flow freely in an open space. By adding bold colors, and some finishing touches, the furniture was able to be used to its potential.

First floor’s common space was given high ceilings (6m), and dark color finishes were used for the furniture background so that the beautiful designs can be highlighted and notices. The shapes and sizes of the ceiling and living room windows coupled with the location of the long window of the front lawn are within context. The high and tall windows are meant for the two homes to look upon each other with ease. The windows in the kitchen and island kitchen allow for the mother to see the 4 seasons change as if it’s an art painting. A crystal chandelier overlooks the dining table in the first floor to add a classical touch and transition to the second floor. The second floor has an office for the father to overlook the lawn as well as guestrooms.

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Exterior Views :

Interior Views :

Drawing Views :

Manchon Hohojae is another home in South Korea designed to meet the present and future needs of a growing family.