Portfolio
Joonbae Seo
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION & ACHIEVEMENTS
2023-2024
Columbia University
Master of Science Advanced Architectural Design
End of Year FS2023 Exhibited
Buildner Reimagining Future Workspace Competition - Honorable Mention
2019-2023
University of Seoul
Bachelor of Architecture
Graduated with Dean’s List, and Honours
International Young Architect Competition - Open Political Space - Grand Prize
Seoul Architecture Festival UAUS Pavilion Competition - Grand Prize
Seoul Campustown Design Competition - Third Prize
EXPERIENCE
SKILLS
EGA Architectural Design in Seoul
Internship
Participated in design for mix-using project, including meetings with UNstudio, Netherlands
Saved a week with fast Rhino modeling and Photoshop ability before the design deadline
Contributed to the planning and design of a library project, participating in concept meetings and presenting various design proposals from fast physical model making
3D Modeling, Rendering Tutor
School associated
Volunteering activities taught various expression methods and tool skills to juniors to help them achieve good results in various competitions
Campustown Designer by Seoul Metropolitan Government
Public Town Designer
Pinpointed the issues within the village after meeting residents and visited various companies to design, produce, and install prototypes aimed at resolving the village’s problems
English Korean
Rhinoceros Auto CAD Vray Photoshop Indesign Adobe Suite
Revit Enscape Illustrator Microsoft tools
Grasshopper
My design philosophy is to propose a new form by adding or multiplying creative values inside and outside of buildings. This creates a new type of architecture, and under various conditions, newly defined architecture leads to an unimaginable unique design and public values in the urban system. To me, this is called ‘New Typology’.
The direction of the design set through various research is logical and powerful. The powerful and enjoyable spatial design born in this process has aesthetic values and becomes an organism in the city.
Concept, space, and structure, I believe that architecture can be completed only when these three things are grouped in the same context. My belief is that these integrated elements work in harmony to create my unique architecture, which is my design motto.
01. Casa Verde: Gardens for everyone 02. Res publica - New National Assembly Building
Shift to Shaft
Storage for Knowledge
Museo of water - Who owns water?
House
Casa Verde: Gardens for
New York’s community gardens have been beloved urban public gardens since the 1970s. One such garden, Lotus Garden, was established where a condominium now stands, which was previously the site of three different theaters. The garden uses the first floor for parking and the second floor as the community garden, making it difficult for the elderly or those with disabilities to access.
In Lotus Garden, various objects made elsewhere are installed among different types of plants. These objects include structures for plants and shelters for insects and birds, interacting with the garden’s ecosystem in various ways. Using the characteristics of these objects, the site incorporates community gardens, performance spaces, and residential areas, linking these different programs through such objects to form a new network.
Plant Incubator
Community Shed
Plant climbing center Greenhouse
-13 ft x 1ea
-Polycarbonated Roof, Pet Coated Metal, Curtain, Metal Rack -Seedlings Container -Ambient Light, Water Supply
- 77 ft x 1ea
- 2’5”x2’5” Structural Metal Grid, Wide Metal Mesh, Pet Coated Metal Staircase
- Core, Livingwall, Platform for Vein Plants, Elevator - Green Surrounding
- 70 ft x 1ea
- 3’x3’ Structural Steelbar, Polycarbonate, Metal Floor, Wooden Floor
- Community Greenhouse, Indoor Balcony, Small Performance
- Mixture of Shade and Sunlight Garden, Free Platform
- 12 ft x 5ea
- 16”x16” Structural Plywood, Polycarbonate, Metal Mesh, Hinge, Wire
- Bridge between Blocks, Hanging Garden, Exhibition Wall, Bench
- Movable, Hanging Plants, Wall for Ivy
At the building’s entrance, three different materials are visible. The facade is made of fences, which are covered by climbing plants like English Ivy. The greenhouse, located behind the housing section, is visible from the entrance and serves as a platform for small performances. Residents use corridors that connect to the exterior, but their privacy is protected thanks to a mesh facade. Additionally, planters installed on the facade help greenify the building.
Gardens are not confined to a single floor but are also placed at the ground level due to greenhouses. On warm days, a variety of plants thrive under both direct and indirect city lights. In shaded areas, shade-loving plants grow, while sun-loving plants flourish in well-lit spots. Conversely, when the weather turns cold and days shorten, the external gardens enter a dormant winter phase. However, plants inside the greenhouse enjoy a vibrant garden year-round under controlled conditions.
Objects working in the garden
Two structures enhance the existing community garden, focusing on the relationship between the garden and people, adding variety to the space. The Plant Incubator encircles a chimney-like structure emanating from an underground parking garage. Inside, seedlings grow, which are then replanted in the garden by gardeners. The Community Shed includes numerous hanging plants, providing a place for people to sit and relax while enjoying the view of the garden.
Sixteen units share the greenhouse and garden with the public. The housing area receives southern sunlight, while the corridor side faces north. To create a green facade and a hobby space for residents, a shade garden connected to the kitchen has been developed in the corrtidor. In contrast, the balcony is suitable for growing sunlight-friendly plants. Residents can share the balcony space, which fosters interaction through gardening.
garden Green facade
garden
Sunlight garden
Indoor polywood deck
Curtain
Sharing balcony
Murphy bed
Gypsum board Metal stud Plywood finishing
Res Publica - New National Assembly Building
Spring 2022 / University of Seoul
Hee-Jun Sim, Kyung-Ju Hwang
National Assembly Building, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Goverment building, Open political space
Rhino, Auto CAD, Enscape, Photoshop, Illustrator
Individual Work
UOS (University of Seoul) Architecture graduation exhibition _ Grand prize
A young architect international competition-Open Political Space _ Grand prize
" How can an architect intervene in the national building for right political activities? "
" Which suggestion can both respect the building and solve the political issues in it? "
Physical Model
1:150
Acrylic, Royalboard, OHP film, Wood
‘Wall’: This primary filter impedes the flow of people, enforced by police officers stationed at each entrance.
‘Square’: Extending 250 meters in front of the building, it is designated as a ‘Non-public square,’ primarily utilized for special national events.
‘Ignored Design’: Originally without a dome, it was added to politicians’ orders to convey a dignified appearance. The main gate, exclusive to politicians, reinforces the divide, compelling the public to access the building from the rear—a structural manifestation of separation between politicians and the populace.
Yeouido Site Model Rendering Scale 1 : 3000
Solid Unfair Structure
The project becomes redesigned, shifting from a self-closed structure to an open ‘Public Park in the city.’ The boundary wall is removed, fostering a connection between the main gate and the building. This transformation aims to bring the building closer to the public physically and psychologically by eliminating the solid structures symbolizing political power. The resulting spacious hall reduces the building’s volume, while the exposed plenary chambers emphasize the importance of public participation.
Members' Office Building Civil Slope Park Han River N.A Communication Building Vistor Center
The resulting spacious hall reduces the building’s volume, while the exposed plenary chambers emphasize the importance of public participation. ‘Res publica’ over the chambers represents that there is no parliament without the public. It returns to people combined with dome, the evidence of dictatorship.
The upper part of the assembly building becomes ‘Res Publica’. ‘Res publica’ is a space where people can exchange political opinions that are open to the public and includes a stage in a way that symbolizes the agora of Athens in the past. Beyond simple stages, there are platforms of various sizes, and this platform induces people’s natural exchange of gaze and opinion. The curved roof, designed to respect the dome of the existing building, incorporates sunlight into it and merges with the ‘Res Publica’.
The market place in Athens by Greece mary evans picture library
The School of Athens by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino in 1511
St. Paul Preaching in Athens by Raphael in 1515
Removing structures, and showing plenary chambers for all
Existing plenary chamber plan
New plenary chamber plan
The National Assembly Building’s current non-transparent and concrete-blocked elevation resembles a fortress. To enhance openness and lighten the building’s image, I propose a translucent elevation made of frosted curved glasses. These glasses follow the grid line of the building and the shape of the ‘new agora.’ The clear elevation and void in the middle reveal hidden chambers outside, covered with shells as ‘Objet.’ This redesign not only showcases the workings of the National Assembly but also adds aesthetic appeal to the overall structure.
Main Hall, Chamber
1:150
Acrylic, Royalboard, OHP film, Wood
“ How the future office can work including a data center, also be open to the public? “
“ How the energy can be reused relating to various public programs? “
Shift to Shaft
Jan 2024 / International Competition : Reimagining workspace
280 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
Future Office, Urban Data Center, Public
Rhino, Vray, Photoshop, Illustrator
Team Leader/ Work with Minjeong Song and Yonghyun Kwon
2024 Buildner - Reimagine Future Workspace - Honorable Mention
‘SHIFT TO SHAFT’ can be categorized into three main sections. Firstly, the left section comprises office buildings, including Tech Space and Flexible workspaces extending towards the lower left. Secondly, there is a public area that utilizes the heat from the data center. It includes a greenhouse integrated with nature in the upper right, various visual educational experiences, an auditorium, a sauna, and exercise facilities. Lastly, terrace areas made of boxes are a machine roof park that unfolds between the two areas.
Flexible Workspace
C D Green House Technology Workspace
Public Space - Sauna
Storage for Knowledge
Year/School
Tutor
Location
Fall 2021 / University of Seoul
Jun-Hee Cho
427 Cheongpa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
Library, Adabtive reuse, Practical works
Revit, Auto CAD, Rhino, Photoshop
Individual Work
" Which potential does the abandoned storage have on the
" Structural detail between old and new "
This project, while academic, involved producing approximately 70 pages of construction documents, following a practice-based approach. The workflow was structured as follows: initial space planning and structural grids were drafted using AutoCAD. Subsequently, floor plans were imported into Revit where over 90% of the work was carried out. For the final production phase, rendering images and videos were completed using Lumion and V-Ray.
Hangang-daero
Sejong-daero
Toegye-ro
An old storage and a new square mass combine each other, and change to a new library on this site. One of the most focused parts of this project is how a border can be expanded spatially and how it can be built in an actual building. The square has in line with the top edge of the storage gable. Buffer space becomes an entrance and is paved by bricks that are getting inside from the outdoor paving. Walls become gates to entering the new spaces, and the roof acts as stairs and stands.
Museo of Water : Who owns the water?
Fall 2023 / Columbia GSAPP
Museum
Rhino,
Individual
“ How to display when the water had been discriminated by the gender and social class? “
"How each exhibiting space can be designed for each object? “
Jorge Otero-Pailos, Mark Rakatansky
San Giorgio Maggiore Island, Venice, Italy
Vray, Photoshop, Illustrator
Work, Adaptive Reuse
San Giorgio Maggiore Island: the historical layers lop-siding to men
Interlocked design, not just linerly displayed
‘Piscina Gandini’ and ‘San Giorgio Maggiore Island’ are surrounded by historical layers only for men. I propose the notion, of ‘interlocking’, for the gender exhibition about water history, responding to the geopolitical logic as well. ‘Interlocking’ means that the exhibitions of women and men are not contrasted and displayed, but the two must be mixed, and when they are mixed, they can be a more equal position. So, they get entangled with each other, and the in-between space is placed with a neutral exhibition.
Physicaltrainingforboys
San Giorgio Maggiore Church in 1566
Monastery/ Houses for monks in 982
Military Barrack in 19~20th Centuries
Piscina Gandini in 1961
Marine Center for Orphan boys in 1951
Differences in displaying objects between genders
The spatial hierarchy that separates men and women is distinguished by the way they are displayed. Exhibits of men who went out to sea or freely lived outside are fixed with light structures like small trusses or steel structures, on the other hand, women’s exhibits are limited like their history, so they were embedded in heavy structures.
“Exhibitions about gender cannot be discriminated”
“Each object has its value and needs its own space with its property”
“Spatial and structural interlocking enables the binding of different narratives into one”
Neutral Object : Gondola
Women’s Object : Venetian well
Men’s Object : Crafting ship
Crafting ship Gondola Venetian well
Gondola
Engine from marine center
Clothes from marine center
Boaatman statue
First woman gondolier statue
Existing Swimming pool
Seawater in the pool
Year/School
House
Fall 2020 / University of Seoul
Marc Brossa
84-3, Mangu-ro 18ga-gil, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
Social housing, Community space, Connection
Rhino, Vray, Auto CAD, Photoshop
Individual Work
" Which local problems are in an old campus town in Seoul? "
" Island changes to Continent, suggesting a common hub for town dwellers "
Making Island to Continent
1. Dividing a mass to three parts, connecting an alley to opposite one
2. Lowering height like a stair, and inserting common space in the lower floor 3. Rotating masses for dynamic alley's width
Cutting
masses to
type
C. Oak-top type
Marine Tech Island
Substation, Research Center, Museum
Rhino, Photoshop, Illustrator
Research : Group Work with all classmates
Design : Individual Work
" How can discarded energy and programs coexist together? "
" What kind of space will be created when space for machines is provided to people? "
- Make high voltage to send the electricity to the land - Lessen the voltage for safely sending to the substation
- Distribute the electricity to the buildings - Generate the electricity from the strong offshore wind
Marine-tech Island started from the idea that the space for mechanical devices transferred to the space for the public. Since the existing offshore substation is for machines, the available space is limited compared to the large scale, and it is difficult for the public to easily access it due to a lot of heat from the transformers.
Each program has a space created by wrapping a large space, and a huge scale of space is provided to people.
The curved shape creates space boundaries and serves as a knowledge cluster on the sea as an artificial island floating on the site.
Physical Model
First Aqua Kit
Spring ~ Fall 2021 / University of Seoul
Kyung-Ju Hwang
Somewhere near the water, Non-specific Competition, Pavilion project, Living with a water disaster Rhino, Grasshopper, Photoshop, Illustrator, 1:1 model
" How can an architect's work act in emergency situation? " Year/School
Group Work _ Team leader _ Design concept, Graphics, Construction 2021 UAUS (Union of Architecture University Student) x Seoul Architecture Festival exhibition _ Grand prize
" How do people accept the 'Living with disaster' ? "
Scenario : When people get dangered to the water disaster?
Big cities historically developed near water for drinking, transportation, and defense. However, with the rise in water-related disasters due to climate change, such as swelling waves and sudden floods, the need for adaptation has become crucial. This project aims to demonstrate ‘living with disaster’ by proposing a new pavilion designed to withstand and respond to various water-related challenges, including both natural and human-induced incidents like water sports accidents.
Basic module - Butterfly knot
Module 1
(R= 50mm)
Aqua noodle (EVA Form)
Module 2
(R= 30mm)
Life boat
Life jacket
Two rings which are on the top and the bottom are fastened by nine segments and make a dome structure.
All frames are PVC pipes. A segment consists of eleven stories and about sixty joints, connecting each of them. Furthermore, five big butterfly modules are inserted into the segment, making it more stable.
(B)
(D)
Maximum occupancy
The number of type per a pavilion 9 Weight 8kg
Total required time to use 1min
2
Maximum occupancy
The number of type per a pavilion 3 Weight 16kg
Total required time to use 2~3min Maximum occupancy
3
The number of type per a pavilion 1 Weight 48kg Total required time to use 3~4min
The pavilion is designed to expand into variable shapes based on different situations, altering the acceptable number of people through segment combinations.
‘Type 1’ accommodates a maximum of two people with five butterfly knots as life jackets.
‘Type 2’ connects three segments, providing increased capacity and buoyancy. When the segments remain connected, the entire structure transforms into a safe island
‘Type 3’, easily connectable for a secure collective space.
This adaptive design allows not only self-rescue but also facilitates rescue activities for others.
Professional works - Suwon Mix-use building
July 2021~Sep 2021 / EGA Architecture Design(Collaborated with UN Studio)
Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si
Design Competition, Cross Checking with Gyeonggi Provincial Government, Mix - Use
Rhino, Auto CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator
Elevation