Hexouse | O TAEHOON

Hexouse designed by O TAEHOON, Architects place their client’s request as a top priority.  The design is an outcome of teamwork.  It can never be a single person’s work and any project is done by a collaboration of all the team members.
This all made sense in my head but there must have been a strong longing to complete my own work of design.
I am an architect and finally, I got to build my own house.It was thoroughly exciting to be finally able to design a house of myself, for myself and by myself.
To share the result first, it was impossible to design that purely satisfied my sole desire.  Not only there were external challenges but also the house should not solely be based on my own desire. Our home should also include my wife and my cats that are like my own children. On top of that, there is a budget, building code and also consideration for potential occupants in the future.  They should not have such a hard time living here.
Therefore, the bittersweet reminiscence remained because I was longing to do what was pure “me.”At the same time, the bittersweetness disappears with a thought, ‘I have never loved my client this much.’
I have tried my best to genuinely love all of the clients but the truth is clients are just clients. Despite such a hard effort to love them, it had been fake love.
Nonetheless, this time it was real and I am still in love.  It is also likely to last.
Fortunately, the client is very happy with the outcome and has promised the next house, as well.  Just not clear as to when.

courtesy of O TAEHOON

The cat clients must be shy because they are not saying any words but it appears like they are also quite satisfied according to their facial expressions.While living in an apartment in the past, I had a significant shift in my perspective of life after experiencing the death of my mother and my wife’s health problem.  Many questions and contemplations on how to live arose and I decided to bring changes in my career, my house, and my lifestyle.  It was not easy but was very important to make a big decision to build a house where there was fresh air.
At Gogidong, Suji-gu under Gwanggyo san(mountain), I came across a triangular site and was taken away immediately.  A triangular shaped site is usually not very popular but this one was very appealing.  One side was facing south and there was a field in front. It was facing road three meters wide and a site for housing on the other side.
I have decided to place a yard on the south and locate the house as close as possible to the north end of the site.
Three corners of the triangle were chopped off to create entrance(southwest), rear terrace(north) and relaxing zone(southeast) which left a hexagon.

courtesy of O TAEHOON

As a result, my house became a hexagon.The building area is 54.54m2 which is relatively small. However, I wanted to feel spaciousness within this house and believed it would be possible by having obtuse corners instead of perpendicular ones in the inside.
There is a garage on B1, kitchen and dining room(livingroom2) with dress room and multipurpose/storage room on 1F.  The 2F consists of a powder room and bathroom with the main living room. The 3F, spaciously connected with the 2F, has library and bedroom.The Hexouse has six faces. The face on the south facing Gwanggyo san is wide open, and there are several windows on the opposite north face for cross ventilation. On the southeast, a generous opening is created to welcome morning sunlight.  The face on the southwest has the entrance where one can enter the house after passing through the front yard.  There is no opening except for the entrance on either southwest or on the northwest face of the house.  As a result, the house feels a bit chunky from the road.  It is unlike any other houses.  I like how it gives an ambiguous vibe that it could be a museum or even a church.  A prick might criticize it is too close. However, once you walk up the steps from the road towards Gwanggyo san and turn to come up to the yard, it is wide open towards the south.People usually share the following comment about me, “I thought you were a bit cold when we first met, but after getting to know each other, it is a pleasant surprise to discover what a nice person you are.”
Once we get closer, they say “I did not know you had such a big heart.”
Hexouse also appears quite small but you will be surprised once you experience the inside.
It is very much like me.

courtesy of O TAEHOON

Project Info:
Architects: O TAEHOON
Location: Gogiri, South Korea
Area: 132 m2 (Site are, Built area 등..)
Project Year: 2018
Construction: PLUS
Collaboration: CASE Platform architecture
Client: O Taehoon, Jang YiSun
Project Name: Hexouse
All Images Courtesy Of O TAEHOON