Jeongneung, a different world called ‘Gyosudanji’… The newlyweds built a single-story house with a yard.

A single-story residential complex that withstood reconstruction in the 2000s.
“There is no place like this in Seoul”… The owner decided to remodel
Choosing a yard instead of an extension to match the ‘village with a yard’ atmosphere
Basement-attic reflects the lifestyle of a ‘young couple’

‘Gyosu Complex’, located in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, is a village where the time of houses has been condensed. In the 1960s, Seoul National University faculty and staff began purchasing land and building large and small single-family homes until the late 1980s. There was a strong push for reconstruction after 2008, but after years of controversy due to opposition from residents, the establishment of the association was canceled. After many twists and turns, about 100 families still live in the remaining one-story residence. One of them is a one-story house (land area 195㎡, total floor area 113.93㎡) where Park Seong-su (37) and Park Seon-young (29) live with their dog Conch.

Four years ago, Seongsu, who was looking for a house to live on his own after escaping from a narrow officetel in the city, visited this village at the recommendation of his older sister. “When I first came, it must have been when summer was turning into fall. As I was walking along the alley along the wall, I saw a well-maintained, green yard. I was surprised that a place like this still exists in Seoul, and I was heartened by the thought that I had found a place I wanted to live. “It was released.” He looked around a small house introduced to him by a real estate agent and immediately decided to sell it. The house, with its gable roof and small garden, seemed to retain the warm neighborhood atmosphere. “I could feel the signs of age, but the original appearance was well maintained. I wondered if there was another house like this in Seoul. I was confident that with a little bit of work, it would look great.”

Mr. Seongsu went to the architect Jeong Soo-jin (head of SIE Architects), whom he had always admired, and asked him to do the renovation. The architect who visited the house at the request of the young client also received a good impression. In a neighborhood with well-maintained flower paths and gardens, and in the small old single-story house that remained in its original location, I felt a feeling of affection that I had not felt in a long time. Director Jeong said, “It was necessary to preserve the atmosphere of the neighborhood, and to do so, we had to maintain the form of the house. On the exterior, the task was to naturally create a new sense while maintaining order and balance with the neighborhood.”

Mission 1. Defend your yard and terrace!

A characteristic of the professorial complex is that each house, no matter how big or small, has a yard. The yard is the face of each house and the emotional center that supports the village. In fact, the residents of this village open the front doors of their houses for two days every spring to enjoy the carefully tended garden together. It is a ‘village maintenance movement’ that was started several years ago mainly by residents who are opposed to reconstruction, and it is still being carried out under the name of ‘Gyodanji Garden Festival’.

Seongsu’s house also had a small, but large enough yard to take care of trees. The architect maintained the area and shape of the yard as much as possible to realize the client’s garden dream. “Having a yard where you can relax and enjoy nature is possible because it is a single-family home. There was enough room for expansion, but to secure the yard, we reduced the basement space and moved the entrance. This is a house that gave a lot to the yard.”

The lawn yard created by removing concrete became the most variable space in the house. The client said the garden had not been completed yet. “It will take a little more time for the trees, flowers, and furniture to fall back into place. I don’t want to rush. It’s fun to take the time to look after the yard.”

The rooftop terrace located behind the house is another yard. The original attic had no space to go outside, but we boldly installed full-length windows and connected the terrace space. If the front yard is a public yard that can be enjoyed by everyone who enters and exits the house, the rooftop terrace built in the back is a private yard that is only allowed to the homeowner. Although it doesn’t have a fancy atmosphere like the Han River view, it has its own charm as it overlooks the old residential area and the surrounding apartment buildings. Mr. Seongsu said, “As I live in a house with a yard, my eyes are always drawn to the outside and I am drawn to spaces where I can feel nature. Even now, I think it was a good choice to create an outdoor space while giving up the interior space.”

Mission 2. Open space, but plenty of storage

Unlike the exterior, which adhered to the past style by using brick tiles similar to the original bricks, many changes were made to the interior space. First, the architect took into account the lifestyle of the client, who was a single office worker at the time of design, to maximize the sense of openness by opening walls and to create a simple style. “Considering the client’s hobby of cooking, we raised the kitchen ceiling and devoted a large area to the kitchen. Since it is a house where a man lives alone, we added dark colors that are not often used in ordinary homes, such as dark green and gray, to the kitchen furniture and sink.”

At the same time, the client, who is a maximalist, had to secure space to store his personal belongings. Director Jeong built a wall in the middle of the house and built a storage cabinet to create a storage cabinet to store the overflowing figures and clothes. It is a unique floor plan with a wall and stairs in the middle of the space. A bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom are located across from the kitchen and living room. “We built a wall with a staircase in the center of the house and divided it into public and private spaces,” he said. “Creating a circulation line between the walls not only functionally divides the area, but also has the advantage of allowing the space to be used flexibly.” “He explained.

Refinishing the basement and attic was a process of discovering traces of the past. When tearing down old houses, they often collapse or break down depending on the age, and this house was no exception. A considerable amount of time and money was spent fixing each hole discovered during demolition. As a result, the dark and damp basement space was transformed into a media room, and the attic, which had been used as a warehouse, was transformed into a decent living space with the floor height raised by 20 cm. Seongsu said, “We were able to overcome the limitations of a single-story house by finding hidden spaces above and below,” and added, “It’s a space that fits our lifestyle like an elaborate piece of art.”

Mission 3. Add a new lifestyle

Is it the power of an old new house? The client has been experiencing a series of meaningful beginnings since entering this house. Shortly after building the house, he met Seonyoung, they became lovers, and they got married early this year. Thus, the single house that Seongsu enjoyed alone was transformed into a newlywed home three months ago, and it is scheduled to become the first home of the baby’s life, due to be born around the end of the year. “This house has been a good turning point in my life. As the number of members increases, it is also a lot of fun to change the space. The attic, which was my playground, has become an atelier for my wife, who works on paintings, and the hobby room and storage spaces that were used entirely for herself are now available. I think it will soon be filled with childcare items, and as I move through each step, I will start to like the house even more as I live in it.”

Hyosook Son reporter [email protected]

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