Through our reinterpretation of the traditional Korean «Dakaku» buildings, we present a vision that emphasizes communal living. Our approach considers not only human connections but also values common spaces and the site itself.
One fundamental premise of our design is the insufficient attention given to land in today’s living spaces. Therefore, we plan to free the ground surface from building occupation using foundations inspired by traditional Japanese techniques. Furthermore, we elevate the ground floor and incorporate honeycomb paving stones to partially cover the floor, allowing the ground to breathe and maintain proper water infiltration.
In our housing vision, individuals have smaller personal spaces, fostering the sharing of communal areas for various activities. The facades on the interior side of the building cluster we are considering are set back to offer an «Atrium» in the space they free up; the spaces taken up are returned to the roof and to the interstices between the buildings in the form of balcony terraces. In this project, materials and types of assembly guided our choices to ensure the lowest possible carbon footprint. Materials are local, geo-sourced and bio-sourced. Materials are also designed for binder-less use, ensuring easy dismantling for reuse, downcycling, or returning to the soil.
Significant attention has been given to the theme of food. We recognize that food is not only a daily necessity but also a social and cultural activity, connecting humans with nature and their habitat. We’re taking this theme and proposing a whole new way of organizing around cooking and traditional dishes like Kimchi. We deconstruct spaces to introduce solutions that require minimal energy yet offer substantial social and ecological benefits.
By incorporating gravity lamps, bike washers, and a communal oven fired up a few times a week, we encourage local production, processing, and consumption. This benefits the residents, the customers of shops and restaurants showcasing the site’s produce, and the site itself. This project could be replicated on a city-wide scale because, beyond its form, it offers a series of architectural and social methods that could be replicated on other groupings of 3 to 6 «Dakaku» buildings.
This form of urban planning prioritizes soil use, health, sustainable living, and food choices, while also challenging conventional architectural practices and materials that deplete physical and energy resources.