New College of Engineering Annex Kyung Hee University

The design of the new annex for the College of Engineering at Kyung Hee University is a thoughtful response to both the legacy of the existing Engineering Hall and the evolving needs of the university community. Originally constructed in the 1980s as the first building on the International Campus, the existing Engineering Hall is characterized by its U-shaped layout and the central sloped courtyard that has long served as an open space for leisure, relaxation, and interaction among students and faculty. The new annex aims to respect and enhance this historical context while introducing cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research and educational facilities. The design takes into account the sloped lawn, a significant part of the campus landscape, by integrating it into the new structure as an active and versatile courtyard. This space not only preserves the original function of the area as a communal gathering place but also reinterprets it to accommodate modern needs.

In planning the annex, careful consideration was given to maintaining harmony with the existing Engineering Hall. The new structure addresses the height difference between the front and rear of the site, creating a seamless connection that enhances the overall campus experience. The annex is conceived as a symbol of the university’s commitment to innovation, serving as a bridge between tradition and the future of education and research.

 

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Year : 2024

Location : Yongin, Korea

Size : 3,925 m²

Status : Ongoing

Type : Education

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Suyeon Seo, Chaeyoon Chang (I.f), Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang, Soohyun Im, Roun Yi, Bugun Kim, Isaac Kang (I.f CDL)

Collaboration :

ARA Architecture Group

Agile Medium

Agile Medium ; A Future-Oriented Public Building Embracing Change

The Seobu Truck Terminal site serves as a catalyst for Yangcheon-gu's vision of a "working and growing city," reorganizing the urban fabric into a pedestrian-centric structure through the introduction of a high-tech urban logistics facility. Positioned as both the terminus and the extension of the green axis, the site acts as a public anchor that accommodates and expands the flow of the city.

In an era of hyper-change, the work environment can no longer be contained within fixed forms. While industries and working methods evolve rapidly, architecture remains a long-lasting physical structure. Agile Medium translates this temporal discrepancy into a matter of systems rather than static forms, proposing a spatial organization premised on the continuous cycle of change.

The workspace ratio is entirely reorganized from a traditional 7:2:1 structure to a 4:3:3 networking-centric paradigm. By streamlining independent workspaces and expanding areas for collaboration and interaction, the lower levels are designed as open, welcoming spaces that draw the public in, while the upper levels provide optimized environments for deep focus and growth.

The spatial framework is governed by a 1.8m to 5.4m grid module, allowing for flexible reconfiguration according to organizational scale. The split cores and the Agile Spine orchestrate the programmatic distribution around a highly adaptable central open plan, facilitating a seamless sequence that guides users through the startup lifecycle: Support → Interaction → Immersion → Growth.

Urban infrastructure and the startup support facility coexist within a single architectural framework, with the integrated control center securing operational efficiency through independent circulation paths. Furthermore, the natural level difference of the site is seamlessly absorbed through sloped landscapes and ramps, transforming it into a welcoming public landscape.

Finally, the structure and facade are seamlessly integrated into a unified exoskeleton system. Built upon an open-plan layout and combined with prefabricated concrete panels, this approach ensures construction precision and scalability. It ultimately functions as a resilient infrastructure ready to adapt to any future programmatic shifts.

 

Year : 2026

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 4,958.12 m²

Status : Competition Entry (3rd Place)

Type : Office

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang, Bokyung Seo, Soohyun Kim (I.f)

Collaboration :

EFFECTUS

Living Manifold

Living Manifold: A Residential Structure Weaving Preservation and Coexistence

Living Manifold proposes a new identity for the extension of the University of Seoul International House, where preservation and coexistence are organized into a multilayered residential structure. Located between the existing residence halls, Haneul Pond, and Baebongsan Mountain, the site is not only a place for additional dormitory rooms but also a critical point where nature, campus life, and residential community overlap.

The project responds to this condition by arranging a T-shaped residential tower and a low-rise communal base around a sequence of open spaces. The upper residential volume is set back to secure privacy, daylight, and views, while the lower communal area extends the existing dormitory programs and creates a shared platform for students. Public and semi-public programs are placed at the lower levels with separated access routes, allowing local community use without disturbing the security of the student residential zone.

The shared spaces are organized as an expanded living room system: the urban living room at the lower level, the community living room at the first floor, and the everyday living rooms distributed across the residential floors. These spaces support different scales of interaction, from public events and RC programs to small study, rest, and casual encounters between residents.

Landscape is also treated as an active framework rather than a background. The front yard, courtyard, rear garden, and rooftop garden form a gradual transition from campus openness to residential privacy and the ecological edge of Baebongsan. Through this layered arrangement, Living Manifold redefines the dormitory extension as a living network that connects nature and campus, individual privacy and collective life, students and the wider community.

 

Year: 2026

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 6,796.86 m²

Status : Competition Entry

Type : Domitory

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim, (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f)

Yeoju Residence

This site is nestled at the foot of Taebong Mountain in Geumsam-myeon, Yeoju, at the heart of a well-developed single-family residential village. To the east, it opens up to the picturesque Dogok-ri village, while to the north, it offers a serene view of a hillside planted with birch trees—creating a peaceful and quiet neighborhood setting.

The house consists of a master bedroom, a guest room, and a shared space that combines the living room and kitchen. On the second floor, a family room provides a comfortable area for family members to spend time together.

Given the location and topographical characteristics of the site, construction on-site is minimized by employing a panelized modular building method. Structural walls, along with wall and roof panels, are prefabricated off-site and assembled on-site, allowing for efficient and precise construction with minimal disruption to the natural surroundings.

 
 

Year : 2026

Location : Yeoju, Korea

Size : 156.16 m²

Status : Completed

Type : Residential

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Suyeon Seo, Chaeyoon Chang (I.f), Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

Lamp Shade Series

Soft Tectonics is a research initiative exploring Bending-Active structural systems that generate form through the active elasticity of materials. By controlling internal stress distribution and bending radii without external mechanical or thermal stimuli, the research experimentally extends the principle that "form originates from the physical potential of the material." This approach aims for an integrated concept of Material = Structure = Form.

Utilizing polymer-based flexible materials and fiber-reinforced composites, the system activates bending elasticity to create self-supporting structures. The core feature of this research is curvature-based stiffness, which ensures structural integrity even within thin cross-sections.

The methodology bridges the digital and physical through elastic deformation simulations, custom profile-extraction software, and error-correction processes. Parametric algorithms derive multiple structural possibilities from a single design, while over 200 prototype experiments optimize the balance between structure and self-weight. This Micro-to-Macro / Macro-to-Micro strategy connects object-scale experimentation to architectural-scale implementation.

 

Year : 2026

Location : Seoul, Korea

Project Director :

Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University / I.f CDL)

Principal Researcher :

Gwangeun Hwang (I.f)

Supported by : I.f Architecture & Research

K:ink Tower

K:INK Tower is a bending-active composite experiment that explores the moment when softness transforms into structure. Using large-scale, ultra-light composite fibers developed by AXIA Materials, the project investigates how flexible materials can discover form and stability through the natural flow of tension.

Standing 4.2 meters tall, the tower consists of eleven concave panels that interlock through a calibrated balance of bending and stress, embodying the Soft Tectonic philosophy — an architecture that stands through tension rather than rigidity.

K:INK Tower captures the precise instant when continuous surfaces bend and resist, revealing a vertical gesture where material energy crystallizes into form and structure emerges from its own tension.

 

Related Research

 
 

Year : 2025

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 1m radius, 4.2m height

Project Director :

Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University / I.f CDL)

Principal Researcher :

Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

Project Assistant :

Isaac Kang, Bugeon Kim, Chaewon Go, Juyoung Lee (I.f CDL)

Supported by : Kyung Hee Univ., I.f Convergence Design Lab, Axia Materials, Kolon Global, I.f Architecture & Research

Composite Pavilion Prototype

Related Project

 

Composite pavilion prototype is a research-based pavilion project developed for the 2025 Korea International Architecture Festival. Rather than presenting K:INK Tower only as a completed exhibition object, the project focuses on the experimental process through which flat LiteTex® composite sheets are transformed into a self-supporting architectural structure through bending, tension, and material elasticity.

The project investigates how softness can become structure. Using AXIA Materials’ lightweight continuous-fiber composite panels, the research tests the relationship between two-dimensional cutting profiles, three-dimensional curvature, panel connections, and structural stability. The 4.3-meter-tall prototype is composed of 12 concave panels, whose form emerges from the calibrated balance between flexibility and tension rather than conventional rigid framing.

The proposal also examines the conditions of the exhibition site at Nodeul Island. By measuring the courtyard in front of Nodeul Lounge and analyzing visitor circulation, visibility, and indoor–outdoor exhibition flows, the project adjusts the pavilion’s scale and placement to function as both a spatial installation and a material research prototype.

Fabrication studies further verify the project’s constructability, including replaceable panel layouts, cutting plans from 9m × 2.7m LiteTex sheets, bolt spacing, curvature reinforcement, wind-load resistance, and a pedestal-based foundation system. Through this process, the project demonstrates a full workflow from material behavior and geometric research to fabrication planning and exhibition-scale prototyping.

 

Year : 2025

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 1m radius, 4.2m height

Project Director :

Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University / I.f CDL)

Principal Researcher :

Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

Project Assistant :

Isaac Kang, Bugeon Kim, Chaewon Go, Juyoung Lee (I.f CDL)

Supported by : Kyung Hee Univ., I.f Convergence Design Lab, Axia Materials, Kolon Global, I.f Architecture & Research

Seorae Salon

The ambitious expansion and relocation project for the Global Village Center in Seocho-gu involves transforming the above-ground open lot of an existing underground public parking garage into a dynamic, integrated facility designed for the shared use of Seorae Village residents and its numerous multicultural families. The final structure consists of two distinct wings, which will be functionally and visually unified by a connecting second-floor deck.

On the first floor, a vast public open space will be created, featuring both a specialized “Bookworm” bookstore and a library that intentionally blurs the line between the building’s interior and exterior, promoting community engagement.

Furthermore, a highly innovative design element is the canopy covering the vehicle ramp to the subterranean parking lot, which is cleverly repurposed as a terraced/stepped community resting area, providing an accessible and distinctive public amenity where residents can pause, socialize, and observe the surroundings.

 

Related Research

 
 

Year : 2025

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 728.90 m²

Status : Ongoing

Type : Community Center

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Suyeon Seo, Chaeyoon Chang, Suhyeon Kim, Jeonghan Chae (I.f), Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

Collaboration : 위치건축사사무소

Roof Structure Simulation

 

This study presents a Grasshopper-based simulation developed to explore roof alternatives for the Seorae Global Village Center proposal. Unlike a conventional gable roof, the proposed roof consists of three inclined planes, making it difficult to test design variations through manual modeling alone.

To address this complexity, a parametric script was developed to generate roof forms by adjusting key design parameters. The script allowed multiple roof alternatives to be reviewed quickly while also checking potential conflicts between form, structure, and building equipment. Through this process, the simulation functioned not only as a tool for form exploration, but also as a technical design method for coordinating architectural geometry with structural and MEP requirements.

Overall, the study demonstrates how Grasshopper can support an efficient design workflow by allowing complex roof geometries to be tested, compared, and refined in an integrated manner.

 

Year : 2025

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 728.90 m²

Status : Completed

Type : Community Center

Project Director :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Principal Researcher :

Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)

 

Related Project

Suyu Office

 

Year : 2025

Location : Seoul, Korea

Size : 462.12 m²

Status : Design Proposal

Type : Office

Principal in Charge :

Seojoo Lee, Hyojung Kim (I.f), Dongil Kim (I.f CDL)

Design Team :

Chaewon go, Bugun Kim, Isaac Kang (I.f.CDL)

Facade and Spatial Renewal Plan - 03

Cross Louvers

Screen Louvers

Horizontal Ribbon

Spatial Renovation

This study proposes a façade and interior renewal plan, with a focus on accessibility, courtyard connectivity, and environmental performance. The building suffers from deteriorated exterior tiles, exposed equipment, outdated public areas, and level differences that weaken the connection between indoor spaces and the courtyard.

The façade alternatives — Cross Louvers, Screen Louvers, and Horizontal Ribbon — respond to the school’s identity by expressing convergence and exchange while also improving shading performance and concealing exterior equipment. The interior strategy is distinguished by the addition of ramps and elevators for barrier-free access, the restructuring of low-level public spaces, the overcoming of courtyard level differences, and the conversion of underused upper-level space into an open rooftop garden.

 
 

Year: 2025

Location : Yongin, Korea

Status : Design Proposal

Type : Institution, Renovation

Principal in Charge :

Dongil Kim (I.f CDL, KHU)

Design Team : Bugun Kim (I.f CDL)

Facade and Spatial Renewal Plan - 02

DNA Sequencing

Monolithic

Wrinkled Strips

Spatial Renovation

This study proposes a renewal strategy, focusing on resolving the visual and spatial complexity caused by multiple building extensions. The existing building shows façade deterioration, polluted tile surfaces, exposed mechanical equipment, and fragmented entrances and common spaces.

The façade alternatives — DNA Sequencing, Monolithic Layering, and Wrinkled Stripes — are developed from the identity and the building’s accumulated layers of expansion. This proposal emphasizes symbolic façade expression based on biological imagery, the reorganization of scattered entrances, the reconnection of pedestrian routes, and the transformation of inefficient shared areas into lounges, open labs, and a rooftop garden for rest and exchange.

 

Year: 2025

Location : Yongin, Korea

Status : Design Proposal

Type : Institution, Renovation

Principal in Charge :

Dongil Kim (I.f CDL, KHU)

Design Team : Isaac Kang (I.f CDL)

Facade and Spatial Renewal Plan - 01

Classic

Modern Classic

Innovation

Spatial Renovation

This study proposes a façade and spatial renewal strategy, a large academic building directly facing the central campus area, including Sasaek Square. The project addresses deteriorated exterior tiles, exposed outdoor equipment, and outdated lobby and shared spaces through façade replacement, courtyard-oriented spatial restructuring, and improved public circulation.

The design alternatives — Classic, Modern Classic, and Innovation — explore different ways to harmonize the existing building. A key feature of this proposal is the reorganization of scattered lounges and common areas around the atrium and courtyard, while linking the entrance lobby and rooftop garden to surrounding pedestrian flows and the observatory walking path.

 

Year: 2025

Location : Yongin, Korea

Status : Design Proposal

Type : Institution, Renovation

Principal in Charge :

Dongil Kim (I.f CDL, KHU)

Design Team : Chaewon Go (I.f CDL)

College of Engineering Building Renovation

Essential Classic

Neo-Classic

Innovation & Performance

This study proposes a renovation and vertical extension strategy for the main Engineering Building at Kyung Hee University under the concept “Where Tradition Embraces Innovation.” The project aims to enhance the building’s symbolic value, improve spatial efficiency, and upgrade environmental performance through façade renewal, window and shading system improvements, rooftop strategies, and interior reorganization.

Based on site investigation, 3D scanning, digital modeling, and analysis of existing structure and rooftop equipment, the study develops several design alternatives: Essential Classic, Neo-Classic, and Innovation & Performance. These alternatives explore different balances between campus identity, classical architectural language, new functional demands, and high-performance façade systems.

The proposed extension strategies include façade improvement, rooftop garden creation, vertical expansion, elevator and restroom extensions, and additional space for faculty offices and laboratories. Overall, the study positions the Engineering Building as a future-oriented campus asset that connects Kyung Hee University’s architectural heritage with contemporary spatial and environmental needs.

 

Year: 2025

Location : Yongin, Korea

Status : Design Proposal

Type : Renovation

Project Director :

Dongil Kim, (I.f CDL)

Principal Researcher :

Seungil Kim (I.f CDL)

대형 연속섬유 복합재를 활용한 활성탄성면의 형상 구축 및 제작 방법론에 관한 연구

 

대형 연속섬유 복합재를 활용한 활성탄성면의 형상 구축 및 제작 방법론에 관한 연구

Design and Fabrication Strategies for Bending-Active Plates Utilizing Large-Scale Continuous Fiber Composites

This study presents a form-finding and fabrication methodology for large-scale bending-active structures using continuous fiber composites. Bending-active structures leverage the elastic deformation of flat and flexible materials to achieve freeform curved geometries. Traditional methods using metals, plastics, or fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) often encounter scalability challenges due to assembly requirements of multiple elements.

To address this, the proposed strategy utilizes continuous fiber composites to construct bending-active surfaces from single flat sheets, enhancing both structural integrity and construction efficiency. Based on a literature review, the study analyzes the form-finding principles of active bending plates and the properties of continuous fiber composites to derive an optimal reinforcement strategy. Based on a literature review of form-finding principles and composite properties, two reinforcement strategies were developed: surfacial reinforcement to increase panel rigidity and topological reinforcement to improve global stability. These strategies were assessed through digital simulations and physical prototyping.

A full-scale, vertically self-supporting pavilion was constructed to test real-world applicability, with performance compared to similar precedents. The results demonstrate that combining surfacial and topological reinforcement effectively reduces structural weaknesses, enabling the formation of stable, three-dimensional geometries. This approach streamlines material processing, shortens construction timelines, simplifies transportation and assembly, all while minimizing complexity. The proposed methodology expands the architectural application of continuous fiber composites, offering a structurally and economically efficient solution for large-span or geometrically complex structures, while contributing to sustainable construction practices through material optimization.

Kim, Seungil, Hwang, Gwangeun and Kim Dongil. (2025). Design and Fabrication Strategies for Bending-Active Plates Utilizing Large-Scale Continuous Fiber Composites. Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea, 41(7), 251-259.

https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART003227403

 

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