Stone Cloud

The design of the Stone Cloud responds to the conditions of a cultural context both old and new. The tradition in Korean architecture of primary living areas situated about a central courtyard provides the organizational part of the house. While reflecting this typology, the courtyard of the house is not entirely contained.

The exterior space and surrounding room open to the east and the urban community below. This notion of the traditional house directed outward represents the evolving state of contemporary Korean culture. The villa is sited in an established residential neighborhood in the old city of Seoul. The neighboring houses offer a mix of architectural styles and attitudes toward urban living. The hillside site features two prominent retaining walls on its western and southern edges and a rugged terrain divided by a raised plateau and a sunken bowl. The house fills the sunken bowl on the southern side of the site, allowing access to the raised plateau from the third level of the residence. To preserve the site’s existing character, the landscape strategy retains prominent Acacia trees and rocky outcroppings.