Dezeen Magazine

W House by ODE

Ridged ribbons of concrete wrap house in South Korea by ODE Architects

This family home near Gyeongju, South Korea, is surrounded by thick bands of fluted concrete, which offer a play of light and shadow.

W House by ODE

Designed by architect Jaebok Choi of South Korean studio ODE Architects, W House is a two-storey, 298-square-metre property designed to respond to its setting between the city and the mountains.

It brings together curved, straight and textured surfaces, and features a range of materials that include concrete, stone, bricks and wood.

W House by ODE

The concrete bands are the most prominent feature, wrapping all four sides of the house. ODE Architects sees these as a contemporary interpretation of the curved roofs of Hanoks – the traditional tiled-roof properties found all over South Korea.

W House by ODE

"The eaves extend with the similar proportion to Hanok eaves," said Choi.

"The free-formed eaves fall in line with the surroundings by softly and elegantly embracing the mountain terrain, like the inside waistline of Hanok eaves, thus allowing the building to become part of the scenery."

W House by ODE

The fluted surfaces are intended to mimic the proportions of the concave roof tiles that feature on Hanok houses.

"The concave tiles and patterns project the movement of light as shadows, and subtly gives distinctness and clarity to the movement and existence of light," said the architect.

W House by ODE

The building is fairly long and linear in plan, with a couple of rooms that extend out to the north and south. Outdoor terraces are located on both levels.

"The main rooms are situated around the south garden and have open windows facing south," said Choi. "Service areas are placed on the north side to offer convenience and a sense of independence to the main rooms."

W House by ODE

The ground floor accommodates the main family living spaces, including a double-height lounge, and a combined kitchen and dining area. One bedroom is also located on this level.

W House by ODE

Upstairs, there are three further bedrooms, an extra living room and a small study.

These are arranged in a row, connected by a long corridor. Many of the partition walls are made from glass, to help light filter through.

W House by ODE

"The corridor is comprised of a long ceiling, so that light seeping in through the space on both sides divides the space and accompanies people walking through the corridor," added the architect.

Photography is by Youngchae Park.


Project credits:

Architect: ODE Architects
Design team: Jaebok Choi, Sangsu Yu, Harim Yu
Structural engineering: EUN
Installations: Seyeon engineering
Contractor: KH Kim

More images and plans

W House by ODE
Site plan
W House by ODE
Ground floor plan
W House by ODE
First floor plan
W House by ODE
Cross section plan
W House by ODE
Long section plan
W House by ODE
W House by ODE
W House by ODE
W House by ODE
W House by ODE
W House by ODE
W House by ODE