Two local Korean architectural studios, Sukchulmok and BRBB Architects, have designed an innovative curved residential structure that embraces a central vegetable garden near Seoul, South Korea. The 128-square-meter home, called Pojeon House, which translates to "a house that embraces the field," was specifically created for an elderly couple who wanted to maintain privacy while preserving their connection to a garden they had cultivated for more than a decade.
The architectural design features two interlocking curved volumes constructed from concrete and brick materials. The structure presents a blank "fortress wall" facade toward the nearby road while opening up to the central garden through sliding glass doors. According to Hyunhee Park, the lead architect from Sukchulmok, the core concept revolves around two volumes merging together to embrace the field and ultimately becoming one unified mass.
"I aimed to amplify this gesture by allowing different textures to repeat with equal rhythm, guiding them to visually cohere as a singular form," Park explained. The positioning toward the road creates a fortress-like appearance that subtly conceals the interior spaces from public view while maintaining the residents' desired privacy.
The southern volume of Pojeon House is finished with red bricks featuring contrasting white mortar and contains the main living spaces. This section includes a curved living, dining, and kitchen area flanked by a bedroom at one end and a bathroom, utility room, and entrance at the other. Along the entire inner wall of this volume runs a row of sliding glass doors that open onto a low-lying, built-in brick bench overlooking the central vegetable garden.
To the north of the site, a staircase leads to a higher volume containing a guest bedroom designed for visits from the owners' adult children. This section is finished in exposed concrete and protected from the street by a curving concrete wall section. Polycarbonate panels wrap this smaller guest space, providing privacy from the garden below while creating a distinctive lantern-like effect during nighttime hours.
Park explained the material choice for the second floor exterior: "Polycarbonate was chosen to emphasize the sense of two large volumes intersecting and to align with the overall tone and manner. The translucent polycarbonate complements the tone of the concrete, accentuating the upper volume while, at night, allowing exterior lighting to softly illuminate the garden - almost like a streetlamp."
The interior design features a warm timber palette that defines the living spaces throughout the home. Wood lining covers both the ceiling, which slopes upward toward the garden view, and the partitions with built-in storage that divide different functional areas. This warm wood aesthetic contrasts beautifully with areas of exposed concrete in the living and entrance spaces, as well as small green tiles that completely envelop the bathroom and cover the kitchen's floor and splashback areas.
"While the overall interior reads in brown tones, each wood retains its own natural hue and texture, creating a rich and layered atmosphere," Park noted. "This was a conscious effort to preserve the inherent qualities of both wood and concrete materials throughout the design."
This project represents the latest work from Sukchulmok, whose previous projects include the renovation of a bakery in Seoul featuring mirrored stainless steel elements, and a photography studio in Daejeon inspired by wooden toys. The architectural photography for Pojeon House was captured by Hong Seokgyu, showcasing how the innovative design successfully balances privacy needs with garden connectivity for the elderly residents.
