chae pereira architects: silver shack

‘silver shack’ by chae pereira architects

a labyrinth of little alleys, a power plant, slum houses with corrugated metal roofs. sangsu is on the edge of the ever busy hongdae, between the river highways and the city. here the city was preserved from development, and the small streets with low level brick houses coexist with corrugated panel roof shacks. this context was a stimulating landscape both socially and physically, as the recycled elements of the houses around, the informal style of hongdae’s cafes and the power plant’s presence gave korean chae pereira architects the start for their design of ‘silver shack’. a layer of translucent polycarbonate fixed on a regular steel frame shows the aluminum-coated insulation or circulations spaces.

the simple mass contains different housing programs, studios and apartment. its shape follows regulation limits was given its appearance – two hollow piles support the entire building structure through a cantilevered slab.

due to budget constraints, the visual quality, comfort and energy-saving features had to be reached by using common construction materials reorganized in a very specific way. the facade was made with a layer of translucent polycarbonate fixed to a regular steel frame on reinforced concrete walls, which shows the 13 mm thick aluminum-coated insulation.

the staircase is a bright space which is enclosed by a steel frame and polycarbonate panels. the depth of the interior is visually uncertain, as elements are seen through a fuzzy transparence.

project info: housing in sangsu mapo gu, seoul, korea completion : 2009 site area : 119m2 total floor : 261m2 photos by: park wansoon