Life Via The Wall

Abstract

The rapid pace of industrial growth in South Korea over the last few decades has radically altered the way people live. As the population began to shift from the countryside to the city to pursue a better life by working in manufacturing and services in lieu of agriculture, the dense urban condition began to arise as a result of this endless influx. There had been neither the time nor the technology available to take account of the occupants' comfort. Moreover, after the Korean war in 1950, many families were split apart and this caused the longing to accommodate a family together to become stronger than ever. Since the 1970's, mass production has greatly increased the availability of housing in terms of the quantity, not quality. Most new housing for the lower middle class was built as small spaces without much opportunity to enjoy interacting with neighbors or the outdoors.

This study was initiated to explore the potentials of habitable spaces and to understand the importance of bringing neighborhood life back and the chance to experience nature within the constraints imposed by a limited space. As a response to the analysis of the relationship between existing housing and the city, a design element is proposed; a wall that transforms itself from a feature in an individual living space to the neighborhood and to a facet of a city. Also this study includes the investigation of different ideas and examples of using small space efficiently.