seoul, south korea...material use & culture congregation spaces francisco hernandez ethan...

Seoul, South KoreaClimate Data and Analysis

Ethan FeldmanFrancisco Hernandez

Local Design Principles for Global Construction

U.S. Department of State Overseas Building Office University of Virginia School of Architecture

Systems, Sites and Building, Fall 2014

These wind roses show the average wind speed, direc-tion, temperature, and humidity during the four seasons. Wind seems to come at fairly low velocity year round, mostly from the south and northwest.

This graph shows the wind velocity range for every month of the year in Seoul. There appears to be very little wind veloc-ity pretty much year round. Wind should have very little impact on the architecture in this region.

This sun shading chart indicates that in order for people to spend extended periods of time outside between June and Sep-tember requires shading, and for May and most of September, shade is an added bonus but not a ne-cessity. Seoul’s climate has a wide fluxuation from summer to winter.

This phychrometric chart shows the types of heat-ing and cooling, if any, that are required to main-tain a comfortable living environment. There is a large swath, shown in blue, which is inherently comfortable, that occurs from .003 to .014 hu-midity ratio, a dry-bulb temperature from 67-80 degrees, and a wet-bulb temp. between 62 and 65.


U.S. Department of State Overseas Building Office University of Virginia School of Architecture Systems, Sites and Building, Fall 2014

Seoul, South Korea Material Use & Culture Congregation Spaces Francisco Hernandez

Ethan Feldman

Throughout history, there has been a movement to gather people through the form of religion. Today, 24% of

the South Korean population is Buddhist while the Christian Religion consists of a 22%. These are the two main religions

today. However, there is a great percent of them that consider themselves as religionists today. Seoul is in search of a greater movement in the structure of architecture and the city itself. There is a need for the revival of history, the restoration of

nature, and the renewal of people’s lives. The pictures on the left show the way in which architecture in Seoul ins now mov-

ing into more modern architecture with the use of a various of materials, while using them with the context that the site

offers to them The city is open to any kind of design , but still relating to the Asian style architecture.

Songgwangsa - Buddhist Temple Jeondong Catholic Church

Seoul, South KoreaHistorical Vernacular Precedent: Sungnyemun Gate





The Sungnyemun Gate was once one of eight gates that allowed entry into Seoul. Today, the city has expanded around it, and it has become a park and historical site. It was the first South Korean site to be designated a National Treasure.

The Sungnyemun Gate was built in the 14th Century during the reign of King Taejo of Joseon.

In 2008 the wooden pagoda at the top of the gate was partially destroyed in an act of arson. It has since been rebuilt to the exact specifications of the original gate, maintaining the historical vernacular architecture.

Seoul, South KoreaHistorical Vernacular Precedent: Sungnyemun Gate Climate Analysis





These diagrams show the Sungneymun Gate in plan and section. In the plan, you can see the larger site that the Gate sits on, creating a welcoming public space. The green arrows indicate the relative velocity and likely direction of wind as averaged over the entire year. The northeastern side of the structure appears to be well protected from the wind, forming an especially nice place to gather. The extended awnings on the pagoda, which can be seen in the sec-tion, successfully block the hot summer sun but allow in the lower winter sun to keep the gate at a relatively stable temperature. The roof also keeps rain off of the stairs and gate itself.

This sun path diagram shows the way that the sun travels over the site. It depicts the path variety from month to month, as shown by the orange and blue lines that show the extremes of the arc. From this diagram, it is clear that the gate was oriented with the layout of the city, and not solar orientation in mind.



Aerial View

Sun - Wind Diagram

First Floor Plan

Structure Diagram

Second Floor Plan

Seoul, South Korea Ecorium of the National Ecological Institute - Modern Architecture http://www.e-architect.co.uk/korea/ecorium-national-ecological-institute

Francisco Hernandez

Ethan Feldman

Located in Seocheon, Republic of Korea, the Ecoplex ecological park is a government led initiative to preserve the natural environment of the region and to create a national hub to gather various ecological valuables for advanced research and exhibition in Korea. The site was originally allocated to be developed as an industrial zone but due to its environmental values, the Korean government changed the plan and commissioned a design competition for the Ecoplex and its various facilities which was won by Samoo Architects & Engineers.Within the Ecoplex lies the Ecorium, a landmark facility and a purpose-built exhibition facility. Designed by Samoo Architects & Engineers in collaboration with Grimshaw Ar-chitects, the Ecorium is composed of various greenhouses and controlled environments in order to reproduce the global ecosystem of five different climatic zones ranging from the tropical to the polar regions. Designed with the concept of ‘Nature’s Odyssey’, the individual climate zones are grouped by a linear podium which also functions as the main exhibition circulation path providing various experiences to visitors.Arriving inside the Ecorium, visitors will be greeted by a grand lobby that provides a glimpse of the various climate zones and provide convenient access routes to various facilities including permanent exhibitions, theaters, cafeterias and gift shops. The tropical zone will be the first climate zone being presented to visitors. Designed as the largest greenhouse, the zone provides sufficient room for various plants and trees to grow in the future. The greenhouse provides a realistic environment where visitors could actually see, hear, feel, and touch as if inside a tropical rain forest. The arrangement of trees, plants and aquarium have been carefully set with waterfall features to provide visitors with a comprehensive experience. And to provide a more realistic sense of the environment, an observatory deck has been installed commanding a panoramic view of the whole tropical zone. Next to the tropical zone lies the second greenhouse reproducing the sub-tropical zone with its harsh environment of the deserts and perhaps a glimpse of the future if global warming continues. The third greenhouse is the Mediterranean zone filled with abundance of greenies and providing a contrasting experience. The fourth greenhouse would be the Temperate zone which is actually the climate zone of Korea. Due to this advantage, the zone provides a variety of experiences with some programs that is linked to the outdoor zones with miniature mountains and valleys with water flows. The last climate zone would be the Polar zone with its sub-zero temperature environment. This zone will provide exhibitions of the polar environment with displays of actual living penguins. It will also provide a realistic environment that promotes the education on global warming and its destructive effects on polar regions. For structural rigidity of the large greenhouses, each of the greenhouses is supported by a mega-structure main arch which provides stability to the whole structure. With the main arch providing support, it is equipped with horizontal band-truss which provides lateral stabilities and integrity to the whole structure. Slopped vertical trusses connected to the main arch support the curtain wall as well as resistance to wind loads. Planned as an eco-friendly building, the Ecorium is strategically designed to become a leading facility in regards to sustainability. The idea of creating a sustainable fa-cility was at the heart of the project and this was realized through multiple simulations that were engineered to reduce energy consumptions and carbon footprints. For example, the alignment and the orientation of the various greenhouses were simulated to create an ideal environment depending on the climate zone the greenhouse would represent. Also, air-flow simulations were carried out so that natural ventilation effects could be maintained throughout the 4-seasons for necessary facilities. The sloped curtain-wall of each climate zones would gather rain-water for cooling & watering plants. With these various efforts, the whole facility was able reduce total energy consumption by approximately 10%.With a grand vision of becoming the hub for education and research on ecology, the Ecorium within the Ecoplex will play an important role in providing an opportunity for visitors to have



Seoul, South Korea Ecorium of the National Ecological Institute - Modern Architecture http://www.e-architect.co.uk/korea/ecorium-national-ecological-institute

Francisco Hernandez

Ethan Feldman

Building Functionality

Seoul, South KoreaBibliography Ethan Feldman

Francisco Hernandez




Works Cited

“Casa Geometrica / JOHO Architecture.” ArchDaily. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. <http://www.archdaily.com/552596/casa-geometrica-joho-architec ture/>.

“Climate Consultant.” Energy Design Tools. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

“Ecorium of the National Ecological Institute - E-architect.” Earchitect RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. <http://www.e-architect.co.uk/korea/ ecorium-national-ecological-institute>.

“Namdaemun.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

“Pusan, South Korea - Sunrise, Sunset, Dawn and Dusk times for the Whole Year - Gaisma.” Pusan, South Korea - Sunrise, Sunset, Dawn and Dusk times for the Whole Year - Gaisma. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

“Religion in South Korea.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_ Korea>.

Sang-Hun, Choe. “South Korean Gate Destroyed in Fire.” Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 12 Feb. 2008. Web.

“Sungnyemun Gate (Namdaemun Gate) | Official Korea Tourism Organization.” Sungnyemun Gate (Namdaemun Gate) | Official Korea Tourism Organization. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

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