Bronze Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2021
Sista House Housing
by Junghee Lee
- A' Design Award 2021 Bronze Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: 2m2 Architects
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 11,368
- Verification code 2D22EFF0BB · Verify this award
About Sista House Housing
Sinsu-dong is a dangerous residential area with many old houses in Seoul. 2m2 architects wanted to build a rental house here for women. 2m2 architects were usually concerned with and felt a critical mind with housings for women. Sista House, aiming for a comfortable and sensuous living environment for young women in their 20s and 30s, has given each space its own character to differentiate itself from existing multiple housings within its limited area.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Sinsu-dong is a dangerous residential area with many old houses in Seoul. A young couple in their 30s wanted to build a rental house here for women. They were usually concerned with and felt a critical mind with housings for women.
Sista House, aiming for a comfortable and sensuous living environment for young women in their 20s and 30s, has given each space its own character to differentiate itself from existing multiple housings within its limited area. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Building area 67sqm
Gross floor area 206sqm
Building scope 5F
Height: 15.60m - Tags
- brick, sista House, housing, a rental house for women, seoul
- Production Technology
- Sista House, aiming for a comfortable and sensuous living environment for young women in their 20s and 30s, has given each space its own character to differentiate itself from existing multiple housings within its limited area and budget. The common staircase was designed with rough exposed concrete walls and stone burner floor finishing, avoiding embellishment as much as possible and revealing the texture of the material itself.
- Design Challenge
- They finally got a land contract and banded together with young architects to solve the problem. The former landlord was a builder who decided to resell the land even though it had a good location with universities which is not far from subway stations. Since the width of the road bordering on the site was less than 4M, the area of 139sqm on the paper actually became 131sqm as 8sqm belonged to the road. In the end, the builder decided that it was not profitable and gave up on the land.
- Project Duration
- The project started in January 2019 and finished in February 2020 in Seoul, South korea.
- Operation Flow
- The first impression of the building's exterior looks like a red brick castle. The interior is comfortable and cozy, but on the contrary, the exterior gives a strong impression, making it a safe space. The flat composition of households consist of a household compositions with unique characteristics such as one-room house, two-room house, house with an outside yard and house with a high ceiling, reflecting tastes of various female residents.
- Research
- The common staircase was designed with rough exposed concrete walls and stone burner floor finishing, avoiding embellishment as much as possible and revealing the texture of the material itself. The staircase facing the road is a common space inside the building, but on the contrary it is a private space outside the building. By adding a layer through masonry work to the curtain wall of the staircase, it is advantageous for light and ventilation while blocking anothers eyes from outside.
- Inspiration
- The first impression of the building's exterior looks like a red brick castle. The interior is comfortable and cozy, but on the contrary, the exterior gives a strong impression, making it a safe space.
The flat composition of households consist of a household compositions with unique characteristics such as one-room house, two-room house, house with an outside yard and house with a high ceiling, reflecting tastes of various female residents. - Image Credits
- Image #No1,2,3,4,5 : Photographer: Kyungsub Shin
Colors of Sista House Housing
Grand Interview about Sista House Housing
When creating spaces, I sometimes work with the concept of extending the exterior seamlessly into the interior. However, in this case, I wanted to separate the idea of a cozy home environment from the harsh surroundings one encounters before returning home at the end of the day.
Rather than using artificially refined finishes, I wanted to retain the raw texture of materials in the common areas, up until one opens their front door and enters their personal space. This is because it is a shared space, not a private one used solely by individuals.
Seoul is the city where I was born and raised. I have lived in various neighborhoods and walked through its alleys since childhood. I believe I naturally designed a building that meets the needs of this place.
In Seoul, many young people live in studios or two-room spaces. My friends did the same during our college years, and so did I. Even after graduation and before marriage, my friends continued to live in such spaces. I have thought for a long time about what would make these spaces better.
When a building with a quality space is created, the surrounding area is inevitably influenced, leading to the development of similar high-quality residential spaces. Sista House will be the starting point for this transformation.
Brick is a versatile building material that allows for various exterior designs depending on how it’s stacked. The bold red brick in an old neighborhood alley creates a strong image, yet, interestingly, it harmonizes well with the surrounding older buildings.
The communal staircase requires ventilation and natural light while ensuring privacy from external views. By implementing a double-skin concept with layered brickwork outside the windows, I was able to address all these needs.
The year 2020 marked the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. With the project completed during this time, I was surprised to see the spaces we had envisioned during the design phase being utilized even more effectively than anticipated. I feel grateful that our ideas proved to be on point.
Since my teenage years, I have been skateboarding and listening to hip-hop music. For over 20 years, I have also been active as a hip-hop DJ. In this project, I collaborated with a hip-hop dancer and worked on a video piece together. The dancer's movements within the raw, unfinished interior and exterior spaces of the building express the future of the structure once completed. I highly recommend watching the video on the 2m2 architects website.
I’m not sure if I will have the opportunity to design architecture specifically for a particular generation or gender again, but designing with a clear target in mind rather than an ambiguous audience is certainly intriguing.