Seoga, Yeoju : A Plum Tree Preservation Project

Seoga, Yeoju [A Plum Tree Preservation Project] is a house designed to sit within an irregular site framed by forest in both its near and distant views, approached through a series of varied levels. Reflecting the owners' thoughts on life after retirement, the wife's garden and the husband's woodworking studio became the defining elements of the house. This led to two box-like volumes — a house wrapped around a small inner courtyard, and a woodworking studio crowned by a circular skylight — combined into a naturally resolved form. Because the plan itself is simple and restrained, the elevations layer multiple "reads" through eaves, differing columns, and the play of lines they create. A long-standing plum tree became a rich design element in its own right: the low wall and exterior stairs were drawn to wrap around the existing tree while adjusting the gap between house and studio, and the entry court reached through them shapes a variety of atmospheres. The interior and exterior finishes largely express the character of exposed concrete. To soften that cool feeling, the timber ceiling, the warm-toned floor, and the colours of the lighting and doors were carefully considered. The kitchen, dining, and living areas — the main living spaces — are divided not by full separation but by slender round bars and columns, so that different functions coexist facing one another within a single, integrated space.