When clients approached Rieuldorang Atelier to build this house in Cheongdo-gun, South Korea, their brief was simple: they wanted to live in nature. However, early in the design process, they discovered that the forest that backed the building site would be developed. “In other words, they wanted to live in nature, but it became an ironic situation where nature was lost,” said the firm.

The architects’ approach to the clients’ dilemma was to put the house in the ground, and the nature in the house. “We did not want to design on the land...by cutting the ground or building up the soil,” said the firm. “The point was to actively use the surrounding natural environment and land while complying with the slope of the land.”

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Related Reading: A Gabled Corridor Runs Through This Playful South Korean Home, Colorful Glamping Pods Dot a Forest in South Korea

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Rieuldorang Atelier

Builder: Manbul Construction

Photography: Joonhwan Yoon

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Nature Engulfs This South Korean House Nestled Into the Earth