A Floating House Where You Find Peace

Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada
Floating House, hyunjoonyoo architects hyunjoonyoo architects Casas de estilo moderno
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The couple who commissioned this home runs an elegant Korean restaurant located about 5 minutes away from this plot of land, where architects at Hyunjoonyoo Architects have built this modern and unique floating home. Overlooking the South Han River, this home's slice of paradise is a welcome and peaceful relief from the glowing neon signs and busy restaurants and motels that line the streets of the nearby town. The home was designed with the main purpose of providing expansive views of the river – its elevated design helps its inhabitants to achieve an optimal vantage point. 

The interior of the home was planned according to a Feng Shui specialist, resulting in a home that's planned in a straightforward, flowing manner, with no East-facing doors and no inhabitable space on the Southwest, as per the wisdom of Feng Shui design.

Featuring a guest house, study, lengthy balcony, and swimming pool, this home is built to be both convenient and luxurious, with a lofty feel that allows its inhabitants to view the glistening river from every point throughout the home.

Floating Facade

As the main focus of the house was to obtain the best views of the river, the structure has been located on the far North side of a big sunny lawn, as close to the riverbank as possible. 

The use of black concrete on the bottom of the home is intentional, as it gives the structure a sense of weight and establishment that the owners were looking for in their new home. In addition, the black concrete contributes to the home's appearance as a massive black rock, in keeping with traditional Korean architectural styles (and, as an additional perk, in keeping with the style of the couple's nearby Korean restaurant as well!)

Rooftop Garden

Here's an initial look at the river (you'll be seeing this river again and again in this tour) – this time, you're seeing it from the home's rooftop garden. It seems that everything about this home expresses a balance between lifting up and setting down, as this staircase conducts you towards the sky while the heavy black mass of its concrete supports anchor you to the ground. 

Purposefully left without rails, this rooftop patio offers unobstructed views of the river beyond, creating a sense of freedom unlimited by rules and restrictions.

Wrap-around Balcony

The streamlined balcony that you see here has been extended to wrap around the entirety of the house, allowing the architects to provide more living space to the inhabitants while still adhering to regulations, as the meter-wide balcony floor is not included with the general floor plan measurements. A glass railing lets the maximum amount of light (and views!) to enter the home, its transparent nature creating a seamless and glossy sensation that blends the landscape with the home.

Entrance

This unique home entrance is found in the center of the home – a far cry from the traditional front door! The way this home's entrance has been designed creates the sensation that you're climbing up into the heart of the home, making for an instantly comforting and intimate journey every time you enter. 

The designers have taken advantage of this home's unique floating design by allowing carpeted stairs to enjoy an outdoor location – a highly unusual aspect of a home, and only achievable by the fact that this home's underbelly is sheltered completely by the black concrete support base.

If you like the way this home's floating design plays with negative and positive space, have a look at this ideabook tour of another shape-shifting home.

Relationships

The architects who worked on this project have expressed a heavy emphasis on relationships. In fact, this home's design is all about three types of relationships: physical relationships, visual relationships, and psychological relationships. 

Physically, the home's traffic flow is designed to conduct a traveler along the periphery of the home in a circular fashion, opening up the home. 

Visually, the home is designed to flood the inhabitants' world with views of the natural landscapes beyond. 

As you'll see in the next photo, the home's design also takes psychology into consideration, as the walls spontaneously open up to subtly conduct the inhabitants' minds towards various aspects of nature. For example, the bathroom includes a view through a window that opens to the sky for an uplifting and rejuvenating shower. The study includes stunning vistas of the river in order to provide a relaxing break from work. The way this dining room is laid out instills a sense of establishment and calm, as the rich mahogany colours and high-quality materials of the furniture rest heavily on the maroon rug.

The Bathroom

As mentioned above, this bathroom lifts you up into the heavens! The rectangular window in the ceiling offers a lovey mirror for the sturdy rectangular tub below, incorporating sky views into the geometrical theme of this modern minimalist bathroom.

With a tub constructed of sturdy blocks of marble, it's hard to imagine that taking a bath in this room could be anything less than absolutely comforting, as you're cradled by the walls of heavy, smooth stone.

Circular Flow

While most of the home is laid out with rectangles, blocks, and squares, the living room gets a softer look with the addition of this impressive semi-circle couch! A round chandelier from the ceiling and rounded coffee table do well to mirror the arced lines that dominate this room's design.

Spacious Bedroom

Even the bedroom enjoys ample views of the riverbank, making for a well-lit and relaxing spot to rest. The glossy floors found throughout the home continue in this room; however, they've been softened by the strategic placement of several intricately woven antique rugs. A notable finishing touch in this room is the low-lying wooden bench that faces the window, inviting the couple to sit a spell and absorb the natural beauty of their home's environs.

Loving the simple layout and comforting details of this home? Have a look at another stunning home that shines in its simplicity.

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