The House of Double Happiness (쌍희재/미니 한옥)

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  • by Kim, Hyok
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Hanok (Korean traditional house) impacts on well-being trend in Korea. It receives enthusiastic attention from young generation as an alternative form of cookie-cutter housing; apartment slashing Korean real estate market. Even though the idea can not afford to accommodate all the demands due to limited space in Korea as well as high rate of construction expense, it fully showed the possibility of evolution in housing system.

The "House of Double Happiness," renovated by DJ Hwang, became a de facto guideline showing how a Hanok can survive in contemporary society. Prime time news channels recently featured details in renovation process of Hanoks in the area of Gahoe-dong, Seoul Korea. Two photo shots above show outlook and internal of "House of Double Happiness," named by twin Chinese characters (meaning happiness) on the inner side of house fence. You can look at those characters over the second row of window glass from the second photo shot. And you can pronounce the name of house with Ssang-hui-jae.

Photo shot below proves an alibi that I was with DJ Hwang and the landlord over dinner and beer. :) The book, titled, "The return of Hanok (한옥이 돌아왔다)" and written by DJ Hwang, included renovation cases of Hanok, criticism of innate limitation of Hanok in terms of building materials and their combinations, and then proposal toward bright future of Hanok. He picked, in another side, Korean construction act and regulation as one of obstacles against quality enhancement of Hanok.