Instead of creating walls and fences to demarcate a plot situated in a small valley near Seoul, Korean architects AND (Architecture of Novel Differentiation) designed a house that is nestled into a hill and spirals up from beneath it. Villa Topoject flows with the hilly topography of the area to create semi private outdoor spaces that blur the line between exterior and interior.
The house is clad in black-stained cedar panels that, with cedar’s earthly quality, visually merge with the ground and contribute to the warmth of the place. The protruding balcony floats above a decked terrace ground floor level that opens up to a shallow pool of water and a small creek running along the site. The first floor houses a living room, bedroom, study and greenhouse, while a guest suite and storage are accommodated underground, “at the tail” of the building.
Villa Topoject is a home for a couple who would like to enjoy rural life. Strongly linked to the ground, the house is a land-building hybrid that allows residents to be in direct contact with the land, like farmers. As the building gradually emerges from the landscape, the residents seem to observe nature more like tourists, benefiting from the beautiful balcony views of the area.
