Text description provided by the architects. A steep hill embracing the ridgeline of Cheonggyesan as a landscape, the site, shaped and accumulated over a long period, was a place to encounter many different moments in time, clear and undeniably real. The first impression of the site was the vivid, primal language of nature it had preserved, as if proving the times that coexisted in the place. The atmosphere of this primal space manifests in different forms with each moment, awakening passive senses in us, adapting to the rapidly flowing time of the city, and offering enough room for imagination to emerge.
The name OORT of the site is a linguistic fusion of homophones meaning “edge” and “place,” symbolizing a harmonious and timeless site situated at the geographical periphery. Chosen by the owner’s family during the planning of this project, the name reflects their aspirations for the space—one that embodies the life they envision and will continue to lead in the years to come.
The architecture of this site consists primarily of the main residential space for the owner couple and a separate guest area for visitors. Architecturally respecting the enduring form that the site has embraced over time, the residence and guest space are carefully arranged to follow the natural slope, establishing a vertical hierarchy that allows each to be fully experienced without interference. At the center of the residential space and guest area lies a garden—a welcoming space for all who enter, a buffer that naturally separates yet connects the living areas, and a transitional zone that extends each space into nature. We hoped that this space would allow the rhythm of nature—expressed through ever-changing colors, scents, and sounds across the seasons—to be continuously experienced in new sensory forms.
The first impression of the architecture is defined by a massive concrete retaining wall shaped by the site’s level differences. This vast and solid materiality serves as both the boundary and the starting point of a tranquil and harmonious eternal place. While extending this massive and solid presence into the architectural exterior, we sought to soften it through vertical circulation, creating a sequence where landscape and concrete architecture intersect and gradually dissolve. Additionally, by imprinting wood patterns onto the concrete and incorporating red Corten steel, we intended for the materials to blend with the natural colors of the surroundings, and over time, as they weather and assimilate into the site, the architectural presence gradually fades, functioning as a snsory bridge that connects the space to nature.
To ensure that the intrinsic presence of nature in this place is deeply felt within the interior spaces, materials and colors that resemble the texture of nature were used. This approach allows the changing textures and visual warmth to be naturally imprinted over time (through shifting seasons, day, and night), creating a synesthetic experience that harmonizes with the flow of nature. Additionally, the intentionally left voids were meant to embrace the passage of time, allowing the atmosphere and moments of the owner family’s time and mood to be etched into the space.
The space, imbued with light that slowly shifts and transforms like a living organism, guides one to follow the natural sensations of the environment, intertwining with our visual representation in the mind and memories. For some, this space may become one that etches beautiful landscapes; for others, it may be a place on the edge, distant from the rhythm of the city; and for yet others, it may represent a harmonious and eternal life. We hope that the time spent here will not simply pass but through experiences where the senses of nature permeate, it will awaken emotions and be remembered as a moment that leaves a lingering trace in memory.
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Cite: “Ooort House / 100A associates” 12 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed .
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