Joel Sanders Architect

Located in the exclusive Seongbukdong district of Seoul, this enclave of 12 sustainable houses is designed to take advantage of its steeply sloping site by updating the ancient principle of the “borrowed view.” The staggered arrangement of L-shaped dwellings insures that each unit enjoys unobstructed open southern views of a wooded valley, framed in the foreground by its neighbors planted green roof. In addition, each house possesses apertures that frame views of their neighbor’s rear and side yards, visually expanding the property of each unit without compromising privacy.

Planted with a multi-colored pattern, the roof of each house merges to form a dramatic composition that changes colors with the seasons, visible from the public park across the valley. Each of the four unit types is organized around two terraces that spatially and visually link inside and outside. On the main floor, cutouts in the floating terrazzo floor channel greenery from the lower terrace to a dramatic top-lit interior stairwell that connects the living and dining areas with a second terrace shared by the bedrooms above.