Wednesday, January 6, 2016 1:30 pm
-
1:30 pm
EST (GMT -05:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled: Re-imagining the
Compound:
Regeneration
of
Block
Urbanism
in
Seoul
Abstract:
South Korea
is
a
country
where
the
national
landscape
is
dominated
by
endless
horizon of
high-rise
apartment
blocks.
This
is
especially
true
in
the
capital
city
of Seoul,
where
about
half
of
the
country’s
population
currently
reside1. These
apartments
were
built
during
the
post-Korean
War
era
of
explosive economic
and
population
growth
and
answered
the
needs
of
the
emerging
middle class,
who
desired
a
convenient
and
modern
living
above
all
else.
The
key characteristic
of
apartments
in
South
Korea
is
that
they
are
designed
to function
as
a
compound,
following
the
planning
model
of
Clarence
Perry’s Neighbourhood
Unit.
Such
spatial
organization
demarcated
a
new
territory
of
the middle class
economically,
socially,
and
spatially.
By
the
1980s,
apartments had
become
a
symbol
of
status
and
wealth,
and
housing
a
mere
commodity
for capitalistic
gain.
According to Statistics Korea, more than half of country’s population now live in these apartments as of 20152. With new apartment compounds still sprouting throughout the country, this block urbanism is spreading at full force even after six decades after its first introduction. Such proliferation raises an urgent question: how can the city function if a single, homogeneous and inflexible typology that only serves a specific socio-economic layer of the society completely dominates its landscape? The problem is exacerbated as South Korea is experiencing a substantial demographic shift with one of the lowest birth rates in the world as well as a rapidly aging population. As the apartment blocks are mostly designed for a middle class family of four and built with a rigid concrete box frame structure, they are physically unable to respond to this change in demographic in their current form.
As the block urbanism is still prevalent not only in South Korea, but also in the Eastern Hemisphere, re-imagining these blocks is paramount to the global discussion regarding the future of our cities. How can the architecture and urban design of block urbanism be adapted to meet the shifting needs of the time while breaking down the inherent economical, social, and spatial barrier? The thesis explores both the social and spatial challenges of apartment compounds and proposes a series of design schemes of different spatial qualities, re-imagining the compound as a diverse, inclusive, and responsive neighbourhood.
The examining committee is as follows:
According to Statistics Korea, more than half of country’s population now live in these apartments as of 20152. With new apartment compounds still sprouting throughout the country, this block urbanism is spreading at full force even after six decades after its first introduction. Such proliferation raises an urgent question: how can the city function if a single, homogeneous and inflexible typology that only serves a specific socio-economic layer of the society completely dominates its landscape? The problem is exacerbated as South Korea is experiencing a substantial demographic shift with one of the lowest birth rates in the world as well as a rapidly aging population. As the apartment blocks are mostly designed for a middle class family of four and built with a rigid concrete box frame structure, they are physically unable to respond to this change in demographic in their current form.
As the block urbanism is still prevalent not only in South Korea, but also in the Eastern Hemisphere, re-imagining these blocks is paramount to the global discussion regarding the future of our cities. How can the architecture and urban design of block urbanism be adapted to meet the shifting needs of the time while breaking down the inherent economical, social, and spatial barrier? The thesis explores both the social and spatial challenges of apartment compounds and proposes a series of design schemes of different spatial qualities, re-imagining the compound as a diverse, inclusive, and responsive neighbourhood.
The examining committee is as follows:
Co-Supervisors:
Adrian
Blackwell,
University
of
Waterloo
Maya
Przybylski,
University
of
Waterloo
Committee Member:
Lola
Sheppard,
University
of
Waterloo
External Reader:
Graeme Stewart, ERA Architects
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Wednesday
January
6,
2016
1:30PM
ARC
Loft
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.