A House that Embraces Its Vegetable Garden | sukchulmok+BRBB Architects

Situated with a view of the vegetable garden, A House that Embraces Its Vegetable Garden is composed of intersecting volumes made from different materials. These overlapping forms define the outer shell, ensuring privacy while creating a sense of depth and warmth within. Its appearance, embracing the field like a protective gesture, inspired the name Pojeon-jip (抱田), meaning “a house that embraces the field.”

The site was originally a 400-pyeong (approximately 1,300 square meters) stretch of farmland at the foot of a mountain. It was cultivated by the retired husband and his wife, who spent over a decade tending to the land with their hands. This cherished garden had become both a place of rest and a playful retreat. Wishing for their post-retirement life to center around this land, they requested a home to be built on part of it.

When we first visited, the site felt like an open, exposed clearing, making privacy one of the main design challenges. To address this, we proposed overlapping the architectural mass with the site boundaries, allowing the fence and exterior walls to connect organically. This strategy created spatial density, and despite the limited footprint, vertical gestures and the extension of the outer shell enhanced the sense of scale and visual openness.

The walls and roof were designed based on 600×1200mm formwork modules, with key wall and roof heights set at 2400mm for consistency and order. As a result, intentional rhythms emerged at the junctions of materials. These rhythms create an optical depth where volumetric and planar elements seem to overlap, forming a layered spatial experience.

With its embracing gesture, the building presents a solid, fortress-like exterior, while framing views of the forested hillside like a concrete picture frame on the inside. Through a program that intertwines farming with daily life, residents can live in close connection with nature.

Pojeon-jip is a home where farming and living coexist. It serves as a peaceful retreat for the couple and a vessel for their memories. It also creates an organic space for multi-generational living—where life flows alongside the scent of earth.

Project Info:

• Architects: sukchulmok+BRBB Architects
• Country: Pocheon-si, South Korea
• Area: 128 m²
• Year: 2025
• Photographs: hong seokgyu
• Lead Architect: Sukchulmok – HyunHee ParkArchitect: Sukchulmok
• Collaboration Architect: BRBB Architects