Mimicry, meaning to imitate or mimic, refers to the act of imitating someone or something within pre-arranged circumstances. Role-playing, a typical type of play among young children, and mimicry have much in common. In role-playing, no strict rules apply, and the joy of this play lies in acting and becoming someone else, being different people or things in diverse situations. Considered a critical concept in modern sociology, a persona – a social mask – is a means of a social response by creating multiple identities in public. As such, the concepts of persona and role-playing share common factors with mimicry. In mimicry, planned conformity and the neutral flexibility of adapting and responding to potential changes are thought to be more crucial than constantly adhering to adherence forceful and strict rules, and making closed conclusions.
The borders of the building site, located on Misagangbyeonhangang-ro, Hanam, each face different environments. The north and east sides face areas for potential commercial facilities along the roadside. In contrast, the north side borders a small green landscape on the edges of a green space that stretches out from an urban park. The west side is a quiet residential area with different-sized houses lining the streets. In addition to the predetermined situations the building sites face depending on the currents of the local community and their surroundings, they constantly confront multiple ever-changing environments.
New neighborhood living facilities coming into the establishment should accommodate the given programs depending on the circumstances encompassing the site and should also be flexible in responding to changes. Just like the human persona, where people wear different masks in public depending on the situations they face in society, mimicry architecture functions as a structure with its own color in different circumstances by conforming to given orders and external environments while taking on the neutral character of fitting in well with multilateral environmental changes.
To meet the social demand and fulfill the role of the site, we designed the architecture to naturally engage with its surroundings through planned conformity the depending on reflects the characteristics of each border adjacent to the site.
Each façade has been designed with altered directions, landscapes, and opening-and-closings, enabling a visual exchange with one another. The ground floor, that is connected with the road, has an open entrance facilitating a mutual relationship with the neighboring environment. Spaced out from the lower level, the volume of the upper level of the façade entails a solid opaque mass. The detached space between the masses, created by a transparent volume, is the outdoor terrace, which gives a spacious openness, extending the indoor-initiated eye into the exterior. An open void overhead the main façade entrance creates space for exterior stairs that take you straight to the second floor, making it more accessible from the main street. In contrast, the opening to the upper level has been caved in for the façade facing the residential area; the refined façade forms a section of the mass, providing an easy background to the calm residential area. The lower level of the structure, situated along the green zone, has transparent glass windows stretching along the side. In contrast, the terrace on the upper-level augments nature by integrating the green area and trees into the structure.
Neighborhood living facilities are not created to be monofunctional; they must be designed to accommodate various programs depending on the changing environments. In other words, these facilities must have flexible adaptation and response capabilities to manage different situations over time. They must be neutral yet independent with their own exclusive features.
The lower level, that connects with the ground, has been given a transparent look, adding visibility to the road and backstreet. The area can be utilized as a well-balanced mixed-use space, where any incoming facility can blend into the surroundings along with the road.
The entire building can be used as a small business office building. The exterior stairs connecting to the street and the second floor can be utilized as a freestanding commercial facility or independent workspace. The overall structure has been designed to be used as a single space with vertical connections by installing stairs in the interior of the first and second floors.
Leaving room for vertical connections with the interior and exterior spaces and the partitioning of the volumes on every floor make it possible for each part to retain its own features while utilizing the entire building as a whole, thereby serving as the perfect venue to initiate different events and correspond to changes in programs.
Mimicry Misa is an architecture that conforms to static and restricted settings while responding to social demands amidst changing environments and openly adapts to different circumstances.
We look forward to Mimicry Misa developing into a structure that reflects its societal role as a building, bringing about diverse mutual interactions with the constantly changing environment, thereby serving as a neutral space and adaptable structure over time rather than a mere completed facility.
