Hanok is Eco the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
DANIEL TANDLER
Hanok is Eco the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
DANIEL TANDLER
Architecture, of all the arts, is the on which acts the most slowly, but the most surely, on the soul. — Ernest Dimnet
CONTENTS
ONE History of the Hanok
TWO Biography of Daniel Tandler
THREE Interview with Daniel Tandler FOUR Works of Daniel Tandler FIVE How to Build the Hanok with Wood and Hanji
SIX Hanji
CHAPTER ONE
HISTORY OF HANOK
HANOK Traditional Korean architecture reflects the deep spiritual connection that exists between a person and the world they inhabit, some that Korean culture deems to be essential. In the modern world of high-rises and skyscrapers, this unique Korean structure harks back to a simpler and calmer existence.
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which are over 500 years old still remain today.
the lives of those living in the house. Features of Hanok Help Regulate Temperature
Before the 1960s, there were still a large number of
Inside the House
Hanok in South Korea. However, since 1960s, due
A distinctive feature of Hanok is the under-floor
to industrialization and rapid growth of population,
heating system called ondol which is a system of
a lot of Hanok have been demolished to build apart-
channels running beneath the floor of the house
ments and factories. It is estimated that initially
from which heat is delivered from the fireplace in
there were more than 1 million Hanok in South Ko-
the kitchen to providing warmth to the floor of the
rea but in 2000, only 10,000 were left. Fortunate-
house so people can utilize the floor for both dining
ly, after 2000, with the environmentally-friendly
and sleeping in daily life. The section of the house
attitude and interest in Korean history and culture
closer to the furnace is warmer and the warmer area
gaining ground among the people, interest in Hanok
is reserved for elders. Moreover, ondol is used for
(a form of architecture that is eco-friendly and has
medical purposes – it is believed that lying on the
a long history) has revived and people are more con-
hot floor in the cold winter can help ward off illness
cerned about the preservation of Hanok.
and is good for tired or sick people, pregnant wom-
Human-friendly Hanok
en, and elders. Nowadays, some modern apartments
Hanok is designed with the human body and needs
are furnished with a heating system similar to the
in mind. For example, since people are usually sit-
ondol system although traditional heat channels are
ting down in the room, the ceilings and the height
replaced by under-floor metal pipes with running
of fixtures are generally lower than those in the hall
water heated either by gas or electricity.
where people are usually standing. To protect the
Another important feature is the wide wood-
privacy of domestic life, women and children occu-
en-floor area (maru) located in the center of the
pied the inner quarters of the house and men the
house and used for multiple purposes. The room is
outer quarters. Both the height and size of a window
usually larger than other rooms and is raised from
are based on the standard height and shoulder width
the ground to allow air to freely circulate under it,
of an adult person.
creating a cool living environment during the sum-
Hanok has fewer walls and more doors between the interconnected rooms in the house – this pro-
mer season. Hanok tends to have long eaves (chroma) –
vides flexibility in changing the layout to suit the
far-projecting overhanging chroma are better at
needs of the people. For example, when the door
shielding the house from the high sun of summer
is closed, it serves as a wall and when it is open, it
months as they provide a large amount of shade,
brings in the breeze to keep air circulating through
making Hanok much cooler in summer. In winter
the house. On the other hand, bedrooms in Hanok
months when the sun is low, sunlight penetrates
are a place to sleep in, play in and eat in – intercon-
deep into the interior of the house to provide
nected bedrooms are separated by sliding doors that
warmth and the deep chroma also prevents the
can be opened to create one single inner space to
warm indoor air heated by the ondol floor from es-
fit the activities to be undertaken. Vacant or emp-
caping the house.
Hanok. Such spaces can be used to plant flowering plants or trees or provide extra spaces for enriching
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ty spaces are an important structural element of
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
Traditional house are called “Hanok” and some
CHAPTER TWO
DA N I E L TA N D L E R
Hanok has natural beauty. A bent tree acts as it is bent, and if there is a knot, it acts as it is.
Since the main material is wood, you can feel the warmth of the hanok when you touch it. It seems that the vitality of the tree is transmitted. — Daniel Tandler
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
Born in 1980. Co-CEO of Urban Detail-Seoul, an architectural office. He grew up in Germany as the youngest of two sons of his mother, Soon-Bock Tandler, who worked as a nurse practitioner, and his German father, Peter Tandler. He majored in architecture in Germany to design a hanok, and I have been working as an architect for 8 years after com19 | 20
ing to Korea.
dent. He didn’t have bad grades, but he didn’t fit his aptitude. In 2003, after finishing his sophomore year, that conviction was further strengthened while he was in Korea for an internship at the Samsung Economic Research Institute. He felt frustrated at the thought of living at his desk all day in an office with fluorescent lights, gray floors, and partitions.
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
Daniel Tandler was originally an economics stu-
He returned to the University of Göttingen, where he began reconsidering his career path. ‘What do I really like?’ he thought. After much deliberation, he realized that he had a great interest in Korean traditional culture, especially hanok. The problem is that there are very few data on hanok in Germany. After scouring the library, I finally found a book by Shin Young-hoon, the director of the Hanok Cultural Center at the time. It was also in Korean. As a child, he often visited Gwangju’s family and communicated with his grandmother, and it was fortunate that the Korean language skills he had learned were supplemented at Yonsei University’s Korean language school as an adult. He immediately sent an e-mail and was able to receive a reply from Jang Myung-hee, the then-deputy director of the Hanok Cultural Center. With this relationship as an opportunity, he came to Korea every vacation and had the opportunity to participate in hanok tours and seminars. He made up his mind that he wanted to study hanok design in earnest, but people’s advice remained the same. He told me to go back to Germany and study architecture. There was no systematic education system suitable for him in Korea. Eventually, he entered the Architecture Department at the Aachen University of Technology in 2004. 21 | 22
Interior of Hanok
CHAPTER THREE
I NT ERVIEW W I TH DA NIE L TA NDLE R
Daniel Tendler, a German-born ‘hanok expert’, talks about the keynote of modern hanok. Daniel Tendler is a representative architect of Urban Detail and an architectural biology consultant who studies the relationship between architecture and the environment. He is more immersed in the value and aesthetics of hanok than anyone else, and at the same time is always thinking about the contact point with modern times.
We heard that it was the hanok that started the construction.
“
That’s right. I originally majored in economics. When I came to Korea, I did an internship at the Corporate
Interest in or affection for hanok may have been more emotional than if someone who studied architecture fell in love with hanok.
Economics Research Institute, and then I realized that it didn’t suit me. I wasn’t the kind of person who could sit at a desk all day and work. So I asked again. ‘What do I like?’ Many things came to mind, but strangely, there was also a hanok in it. When I was young, I often went to my grandmother’s house in Gwangju, and since then, I’ve loved hanok. In the end, that idea became the starting point and even studied architecture. — Daniel Tandler
“
In fact, most foreign tourists who see hanok for the first time like it. Even if you don’t study architecture, there are things that you instinctively like. Aesthetics that have been passed on for hundreds of years, the skills of craftsmen, or a unique space. I started out because I liked it so vaguely, but as I studied architecture, I gradually came to understand why. Of course, while studying, I got away from hanok and became interested in architecture itself. — Daniel Tandler
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
They do modern work, but you are famous as a hanok expert. What is the reason for the name of the architectural firm ‘Urban Detail’?
“
In fact, in the beginning, we also considered names in Chinese characters or Korean names. (Laughs) However, although hanok is a traditional archi-
You’re also an architectural biology consultant. I think it’s a bit of an unfamiliar job.
tectural style, it does not necessarily mean that it should remain in the tradition. I thought that the name doesn’t have to be in Korean. This is the meaning of Urban Detail. A house is actually a very small detail in an urban environment. They come together to form a city. And it also means that our architecture firm cares from the big frame to the smallest detail. — Daniel Tandler
“
It is a field that originated in Germany in the 1970s. At that time, the toxicity of building materials was a serious problem, such as killing people due to insect repellents applied to wood. So I started researching architecture and human health, and then it expanded. Now, it can be seen as a job that deals with the overall relationship between architecture and the environment. — Daniel Tandler
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What kind of keynote does Urban Detail’s hanok have? What is left behind and what is being repaired to bring the hanok into the modern era?
“
It’s not about ‘improving’, it’s about changing with the times. Therefore, there is no need to carry on with the technological limitations or situational specificities of the time.
I don’t think there is an answer. The traditional hanok culture of framing wood and building pillars, tiled, and rafters will continue. However, it can be inconvenient if you have to light a fire in the furnace to heat it. So we can change the built-in equipment to make life easier for today’s people. And if you go one step further, you can create a modern hanok by adding a modern aesthetic, or you can work in a way that grafts the core of the space called hanok into modern architecture. You have to ask these questions. ‘What is a hanok?’ I think my obsession with the late Joseon Dynasty was too strong. There were hanoks before and after that. — Daniel Tandler
“
Yes. But on the other hand, there are some elements of hanok that can be applied to modern architecture. Hanji is a good example. It has a nice soft feel that reflects light, and it’s easier to manage than you think. When German architects visited, they showed me a hanok, and they asked with wide eyes. what kind of material is this They admire how the material can express the light like this and cleanly cover even the minus molding. — Daniel Tandler
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
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CHAPTER FOUR
WORKS OF DANIEL TANDLER
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
embracing both traditional and modern elements like the water heaters installed for which you can hire water heater experts for this job. The basic spaces of Hanok are ‘Bang’, which is a closed room with traditional wallpaper and a floor heating system called Ondol, ‘Daechong’, the representative main hall with a wooden floor and visible structure, and ‘Bueok’, the kitchen with fireplaces that contribute to the heating system. Also important in the spatial understanding is the courtyard, the ‘Madang’, which has always used to be a semi-private space for both housework and social interaction. Most of the remaining Hanok in the capital Seoul, besides the main palaces and temples, date back to the 50’s and early 60’s and partly to the Japanese colonial period. Thus, they are not architecture of the last Korean kingdom Jeoson and therefore often not considered as truly traditional Main view before renovation and Main view after renovation – Photo by urban detail
The recent years have brought a boom
architecture. Nonetheless, the con-
in renovating and building activities
struction method basically remained
of traditional architecture in Korea.
unchanged; modifications were main-
Relatively unknown abroad, interest
ly made to the heating system using
has increased and Korea is active-
wall mounted oil filled radiators and
ly trying to promote its century-old
interior materials.
building culture. In the midst of the Hanok boom, we have remodeled a
The ‘Daechong’ kept its representative
Hanok in Myeong-Ryun neighborhood
function and was extended by one inter-
in Seoul as a joint office for Hanok
column unit where a room was located.
construction cooperative ‘Chamooree’
Guests are welcomed here after entering
and architecture office ‘Urban De-
the building through the main gate into
tail-Seoul’ and hope to contribute to a
the courtyard. To the left you enter the
healthy architecture culture in Korea,
meeting room. Here you can see how
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
Renovation layout – Photo by urban detail
the original building was extended in
ing room allow the whole space to be
the past in order to gain more space. We
opened up. The restroom also remained
found an iron H-beam that was installed
at its original location, separated from
to replace two columns and decided to
the main interior space through the
integrate it into the interior concept to
main gate. While it seems inappropriate
make such past changes visible. The
to have a separate restroom at private
history of the building can still be read
Hanok considering modern living stan-
through such elements.
dards, this seems an acceptable solution for an office space. Restroom and kitchen are clearly modern design but fit well
into the working space with an L-shaped
with the traditional elements. If you
desk and desk space for 3 people. It
also want eye-candy kitchens like this
is open towards the kitchen that was
in your own home, professionals who of-
set at its original place. A sliding door
fer services like Kitchen Renovations are
between the meeting room and the Dae-
your bestfriend. A very important aspect
cheong and the traditional Korean ‘Duel-
in renovating the space was the inte-
mun’, a hanging door that can be lifted
gration of traditional design and crafts-
up between the Daechong and the work-
manship on the one hand and modern
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The original ‘Anbang’ was transformed
Main hall Daechong’ – Photo by Jun Michael Park
hand. For example, windows are modified traditional windows with insulation glass and modern sealing but handcrafted by a traditional window carpenter. Traditional Korean wallpaper is used in the meeting room and working space but for the flooring we chose cork
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
elements and materials on the other
parquet because the traditional Korean flooring made of waxed paper seemed not resilient enough for an office use. The walls outside and in the Daecheong are finished with lime plaster.It turned out that our modern-traditional Hanok offers an excellent space for smaller creative firms like ours. Interaction is vigorous and during summer time the courtyard offers many opportunities to organize meetings and events, with the outside and inside space corresponding thanks to the transparent facade of the Hanok with sliding windows. Due to the floor heating and use of natural climate regulating materials the indoor climate is noticeably better than in most modern offices where convection ovens are in wide use in Korea. This project should not be understood as the preservation of an historical building with a high proportion of original substance. Such a situation would require a different approach. But for many of the remaining Hanok in Seoul with original structure but replaced interior we think our project could be an example of how to turn such buildings into attractive and promising spaces. 33 | 34
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
CHAPTER FIVE
BUILDING A HANOK
Eco-friendly Hanok Hanok is built with a view that the orientation and
tilation and exposure to sunlight are also taken into
layout of a hanok should be in harmony with the
account when designing hanok. Moreover, digging of
surrounding natural environment. For example, as an
the ground during construction should be kept to a
ideal location for the house, Korean people prefer a
minimum to ensure minimal environmental impact.
site protected by hills or mountains at the back, with
Hanok are made using only natural materials such
a stream or river passing in front. The roofline of the
as earth, stone and wood. Wood is used for pillars,
house is designed to run parallel to the curves of the
rafters, doors, windows and flooring. Walls are a mix-
surrounding mountain ridges. Factors such as limiting
ture of straw and earth. The Korean traditional paper
the effects of wind off the mountain, adequate ven-
— called Hanji— which is made from natural wood
The wooden structures within the house are assem-
cross ribs of the windows. The hanji allows natural air
bled together through different kinds of joints without
to penetrate through doors and windows and natural
using any nails. If you are interested in how a hanok
light to enter the room, providing indirect lighting
is constructed, you can refer to this website for a video
which creates diverse colours and beauty. The floor
clip or a series of pictures showing the construction
is polished with bean oil after covering it with hanji,
process.
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
pulp is glued to the frame of the sliding doors and the
making the flooring waterproof. The roof can be made up of tiles, thatches and shingles though most of the hanok remaining today are tile-roofed houses.
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Elements of an Eco-friendly Hanok
Earth Wood
ROOF
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
Roof Tile Lime
In summer, it blocks the heat. The bottom line that doesn’t reach the bottom point is that the application is difficult.
WALL All the materials for the walls come from nature. In particular, the soil acts as a natural humidifier by retaining moisture in wet weather and emitting moisture in dry weather.
Lime
Bamboo
Wood with straw
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Earth with straw
Bamboo
Elements of an Eco-friendly Hanok
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
WINDOOW The windows are made of Korean paper and look great. Recently, double-glazed windows and insect repellents have been added to fusion-style Screen
hanoks. Glass
Hanji
Ondol Ondol, once heated, stays warm for a long time. In addition, the heated floor warms the air slowly (convection phenomenon), so it has excellent humidity control ability. Chimney
Heat Fireplace
Red Clay + Charcoal + Salt 41 | 42
CHAPTER SIX
HANJI
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
Changhoji (Hanji which is Korean paper), breathing with nature. The science of Hanok is hidden in the shoji paper applied to the door. Changho paper has countless holes that are invisible to the naked eye due to the nature of the paper. This hole naturally regulates the temperature and humidity of the room as well as ventilation without having to open the door. Another good thing about Changho paper is that it separates the inside from the outside while allowing sunlight to pass through and bringing natural light into the room. In consideration of the lighting, various patterns, including lattice pattern, three-year-old pattern, circle-shaped pattern, and aza-sal pattern, etc. 45 | 46
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler
Copyright c 2021 by The Korean Foundation All Righrs Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. First Published in 2012 by Seoul Selection B1 Korean Publishers Association Bldg., 105-2 Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-190, Jorea Phone: (82-2) 734-9567 Fax: (82-2) 734-9562 Email: publisher@seoulselection.com Wecsite: www.urbandetail.co.kr ISBN: 978-1-62412-047-3
Hanok is Eco: the Architecture of Daniel Tandler