Designed by South Korean studio AND, the four-storey building contains a shop on its lowest level, while the three floors above accommodate five apartments – some single storey and some double storey.
Unlike most of its neighbours, the building has a gabled profile. This is mimicked by the shopfront and the apartment windows, which project outwards to create what looks like a grid of tiny houses and prompted the name of the structure, Gablepack.
The building is located in Gwanggyo, a new town in development just outside the South Korean capital Seoul. According to Jeong and Lee, the design is a reaction against the current influx of multi-storey blocks that look the same on the outside and often contain some residences that are very small.
In contrast, all of the apartments inside Gablepack are the same size – 66 square metres.
Two single-storey flats occupy the first floor, both featuring a double-height living space, while a trio of two-storey residences are spread out over the two split-level floors above. The windows offer the best understanding of this layout.
The residential entrance is situated on the right-hand side of the facade. It leads through to a generous hallway filled with natural light, thanks to a skylight above the stairwell.
Each home features a minimal finish of white walls and fittings, tiled floors and pale timber joinery, designed to offer new residents a blank canvas to decorate and furnish.
Photography is by Kyungsub Shin.
Architect: AND (Architecture of Novel Differentiation)
Structural Consultant: THE Structural Engineering Co.
Structural Consultant: THE Structural Engineering Co.
source_http://www.dezeen.com/2015/04/29/gablepack-and-architects-gwanggyo-facade-house-shaped-windows-gable-south-korea/