The Prairie House
Kyong Ki Do, Korea
Studio Lawrence Kim

A not-so-little house on the Korean prairie

Courtesy Studio Lawrence Kim

For more images click on 'photos & drawings' above.

Situated outside the sprawling city of Kyong Ki Do, Korea, the Prairie House was designed as a vacation retreat for a family of three. The program called for an open, airy layout that can easily adapt to seasonal climate changes, and maximum visual connection to the surrounding prairie.

The 6,100-square-foot house consists of two parallel structures that emerge gently from a hillside: one contains the living quarters, the other is comprised of outdoor spaces including a swimming pool and garden. The site's topography naturally conceals much of the structure and so, on approach, visitors only see a roof deck. Descending from this roof deck, a long flight of slate stairs provides access to the house's main floor. A lower level contains a family room that doubles as a guest suite, as well as storage and mechanical areas.

Transparency and light play against opacity and solidity throughout the house, helping it connect to the landscape. Horizontally, the structure is defined and linked to hillside a series of cast-in-place concrete slabs. Vertically, the house is enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass walls that fold and pivot, helping further erode the boundary between indoors and outdoors. The vibrant, transparent blue hue of the swimming pool helps frame the house against the backdrop of the landscape.

Formal name of building:
The Prairie House

Location:
Kyong Ki Do, Korea

Gross square footage:
6,100 sq. ft.

Architect:
Studio Lawrence Kim
419 East 9th Street, #8
New York, NY 10009
Tel: (212) 982-6043
Fax: (646) 349-3479
www.lawrence-kim.com

Principal: Lawrence B. Kim

Engineer(s):
Structural & MEP: Dong Ah Engineering

General contractor:
HM Construction

CAD system, project management, or other software used:
Microstation www.bentley.com, AutoCAD www.autodesk.com, Photoshop www.adobe.com