LH public rental housing, Haesimdang

■ Urban public rental housing for the elderly

Haesimdang was planned and supervised by the LH( (Korea Land & Housing Corporation)  Social Housing GROUP, and jointly designed by GEEUMPLUS and GAIN ARCHITECTURE.

Haesimdang is an LH rental housing pilot model that responds to an aging society and aims to give a positive image of public rental housing to the region by contributing to the publicity and realizing social values in the city center. Haesimdang, which means “a house where we can live comfortably,” combines residential convenience facilities and services such as health and care so that we can live in harmony with the local community. This public housing is designed to accommodate the elderly as well as those with reduced mobility.

The first floor is a space for the disabled, the second floor is a space for the elderly women, the third floor is a male elderly person, and the fourth floor is an elderly couple type to compose the space to suit the characteristics of the generation. A local community space was installed on the first floor adjacent to the roadside to provide a place of rest for local residents with inexpensive cafes and drinks. It is designed to allow rest, exchange and leisure activities to take place through the common living room, a community facility on each floor, and to find work in the rooftop eco- garden. In addition, the brick finish that matches the landscape of the neighborhood, the color applied to the living environment-aware design on each floor, and the exterior steel plate finish designed with a tree symbolizing life as a motif, not only make the elderly aware of their space, but also, provided the neighborhood with a new beautiful building.

■ Urban public housing that responds to the climate emergency, by <biodiversity and biophlic design>

Haesimdang reflected the biophilic design in the architecture. Biophilic design is a design that harmonizes with nature and is based on <Biophilia>, which means love for living things. By harmonizing nature with modern architecture, it is possible to meet nature in everyday space.

First, the rooftop garden is designed as a permaculture that combines agriculture and sustainable gardens where various species and plants interact. Although it is a small rooftop space of 200㎡, it plays the role of a eco-garden in the city where various ecosystems coexist and residents can do their pastimes. And, the interior green wall applied to the common spaces on each floor, including the community space on the first floor, provides a natural environment indoors so that residents and users can feel the pleasant atmosphere of nature.

While many buildings have focused on energy production or saving to respond to the climate crisis, Haesimdang plays a positive role in the environment by securing biodiversity and establishing green spaces. Haesimdang will serve as a good example of the potential of a new role of public rental housing in response to climate change, promoting the residents' community.

■ The public value of LH public rental housing

In the meantime, negative stereotypes about Public rental housing continued to exist in Korean society. Haesimdang will be a model that represents the possibility of the coexistence of architecture and nature in the city center as well as the pride of our neighborhood through spatial planning and architectural design specialized for the region and residents. It expects that it will improve the self-esteem and independence of the elderly, and will pursue healthy and positive coexistence with the local community.