Architects:Joongho Choi Studio

Year:2019

Lead Designer:Joongho Choi, Joongho Choi studio

Design Team:Taeno Yoon, Dayoon Kim

Community Space Construction:Ga-an

Rooms Construction:Wycoff

Designer :Joongho Choi Studio

City:Seongdong-gu

Country:South Korea

Text description provided by the architects. The ‘Episode Seongsu 101’ located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul is a co-living housing brand created by SK D&D targeted for a single or two households. Our participation includes designing strategies in residential space and community lounge for the Episode.

The Episode lounge design is all about versatility and flexibility. The design journey began by examining what could be the most efficient environment for communication where people can share their lives and make both residents and non-residents interact with each other actively. This came down to three results.

Space of Interaction - The lounge features a large open space with minimized wall fixtures allowing versatile functions. From a cafe & bar, kitchen for residents, a small studio for artists to a stage for performers and lecturers, people are able to create a community through a variety of interactions.

Space that transforms - There are two elements that allow the lounge to be transformed for different types of functions and/or events. First, the wall system which follows along one side of the wall offers a chance to transform a mood and function of a space to hold various community programs by simply replacing graphic elements. Another element is the portable furniture series featuring attached casters. This moving furniture allows shifting zonings of different spaces for a variety of events which generates active communication and interaction between people.

Unexpected Space - Bringing Street into Lounge. The idea of merging street and lounge creates a new experience. The attributes of the street and public space are similar in some aspects of community space - no one actually owns the space yet is shared by everyone. Instead of extending a residential mood into the lounge, we’ve combined the ordinary, mundane life with boldness and roughness from the streets to provide a ubiquitous experience.

Regarding the rooms, to allow better city life and residential environment for all types of individuals, it really comes down to three ideas. Firstly, a special furniture system that utilizes accessories and parts of IKEA’s furniture (aka ‘IKEA Hack’) is brought. Having a supply of IKEA, means a sustainable providence of diversified styling and customizing services fitting every need of each individual’s life.

Secondly, an open-end vanity that is exposed to both bathroom and living room, therefore, breaks the boundary between two different spaces and provides a multi-functionality.

Lastly, a rental service that allows the tenants to rent IKEA and other furniture including the Joongho Choi Studio. Tenants are therefore given an opportunity to rent and manage furniture in their own preferred styles or function during their stay at the Episode.

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Project location

Address:341 Ttukseom-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea