Wind House

Jeju island is a popular vacation island situated in the south of Korean penninsular. It can get very windy, and generally the weather is very whimsical. The island is full of volcanic rocks in various sizes, comprising landscapes wonders to common walls demarcating ownerships. Many artists and commoners have been inspired by the beauty and versatility of the island. Recently flocks of koreans and foreign tourists are visiting the island by the thousands. The winter days are often cloudy with strong winds. And the landscape turns to gold and black by dying foliages and volcanic rocks.

The site is situated about a 1 hour drive from jeju city. It is surrounded by a curving road and houses and pensions. It is a newly formed town that has a theme, primarly art and culture, so it is situated near a contemporary gallery district. The site faces one large piece of a curving road and two other sides are met by two distinct houses.

The client
The client is an eye doctor boasting a great dexterity in operations. He has particular tastes and a patron of contemporary art, music and cars. A doctor with many curiosity and penchant for something eccentric and special. He found me through the internet and told me that the strangeness and different ness that is inherent in my architecture attracted him. He wanted three small houses which would be weekend house or pension for tourists. He emphasized that the new structure should have unique character, and of course very functional at the same time.

The design 
The wind and color of jeju island of winter has made a strong impression on my mind and took that as an inspiration for the project, thus the name wind house. The plot has three sides one large curve and two sides meeting in a right angle. The area of the plot is ample for three small houses. I started out by using the site line edges as strongly walled definition. This allows for some privacy in otherwise a very open neighborhood. Two small house standing very low like traditional jeju houses lie right angle to each other having relatively high walls demarcating each inner gardens.

The third house escapes the horizon and blossoms like a golden flower. Previously I had been commissioned for an wind museum, which turned out sour. I had liked the idea and shape of it, many times i would make drawings inspired by the wind museum. I felt it was an opportune time to reincarnate and modify the initial idea. I proposed the whole thing to the client. It took some time to digest it, but in the end he was quite happy.

The rather compact rectangular and low houses are walled individually for their own private gardens which allow for spatial expansion and experience. Everything is kept in minimal form wise and design wise. The hovering flower, inspired by the wind blowing  a women's hair is frozen and abstracted about to become a shape that is reminiscent of an alien, hair dryer, duck and etc. The inside boast a womb like space painted in red and dizzing floor colors.

The sharp difference and contrast between the horizontal houses and hovering houses grounded secularly by high volcanic rock walls bring about a kind of contrasting harmony like that of flowers blossoming among the green leaves.

Moon Hoon / Moonbalsso

Project team:
Kim Sookhee
Jo Jeongho
Park Jeonguk