Gapyeong Valley House
Gapyeong, South Korea
A timber weekend house on a granite base above a river valley east of Seoul.
Type
House
Status
Completed
Place
Gapyeong, South Korea
Year
2021–2024
Area
280 m² / 3,010 ft²
Client
Private
Team
Martin Vale, Keiko Sato, Hana Ishikawa
Photography
Rafael Duarte
Brief
A couple from Seoul wanted a weekend house for their family of five, with a room for tea, space for guests and a garden they could look after on short visits.
Site
A terraced former orchard on a south-facing slope above the Bukhan River, with cold, dry winters and wet summers.
Approach
Three timber wings sit on a granite base and wrap a small courtyard, open to the south. Deep eaves keep the summer rain and sun off the glass and let the low winter sun in. Floors are heated through the stone in the old way. Inside, the walls and ceilings are lined in larch.
Outcome
Completed in 2024, with Dalbit Architects of Seoul as local architect of record.
Courtyard plan, 1:100
Section through the courtyard and eaves, 1:50
Next project