- Project: Doldam House
- Architect: one-aftr
- Location: South Korea, Sokcho-si
- Year: 2023
- Area: 88 m2
- Photography: Jang Mi
A Sculptural Mountain Refuge Rooted in Stillness
On the foothills of Seoraksan National Park in Sokcho-si, South Korea, Doldam House by one-aftr stands as a poetic interpretation of mountain living — an architecture born from the terrain, the light, and the quiet rhythm of nature.
In a landscape dominated by pine forests, granite cliffs, and misty skies, the house appears not as an object placed on the site but as a fragment of the mountain itself. The 88-square-meter retreat transforms raw concrete into a language of calm permanence, redefining what a compact contemporary dwelling can achieve when it listens to its surroundings.
A Dialogue Between Architecture and Terrain
The Korean word doldam translates to “stone wall,” an element deeply embedded in the country’s architectural heritage. In traditional villages, these low stone boundaries mark transitions — between road and courtyard, house and nature. one-aftr reinterprets this concept, turning the house itself into a continuous stone wall that folds and encloses space.
Perched along a gently sloping site near the forest edge, Doldam House rises from the ground like a weathered boulder. Its monolithic form follows the contours of the land rather than imposing a geometric grid. The structure’s massing is angled, fractured, and grounded — a direct response to wind direction, topography, and sunlight.
From afar, the house reads as a single sculpted object — austere yet harmoniously scaled to its surroundings. The design rejects decorative gestures in favor of tectonic simplicity, allowing texture, proportion, and shadow to do the storytelling.
Form, Material, and Texture
Concrete defines both the structure and the atmosphere of Doldam House. Yet this is not the cold industrial concrete of the city. Here, the material is hand-finished and tinted with soft grey pigments that mimic the granite hues of the nearby cliffs. Each surface retains subtle traces of wooden formwork — an imprint of construction that connects craft and context.
In contrast to the somber grey exterior, the entrance and internal details glow with a vibrant burnt-orange hue. This striking accent is not an arbitrary flourish; it symbolizes warmth and human presence amid the coolness of stone. It evokes the autumn leaves of the surrounding forest and the inner life of the house — a reminder that architecture can hold both weight and warmth.
The dialogue between grey and orange, rough and smooth, shadow and light defines the home’s aesthetic identity. Every transition — from outside wall to gate, from wall to window — is intentional, measured, and poetic.
Spatial Composition and Circulation
The plan of Doldam House is based on six modular rooms arranged as two rows of three volumes beneath one long roof. This compositional logic allows the architecture to breathe like a landscape — alternating between solid and void, enclosure and release.
Instead of corridors, spaces interlock and overlap. The kitchen and living area open toward the main courtyard, while the bedroom and study turn inward, buffered by thick walls that ensure privacy. Each room captures a distinct mood — filtered morning light, framed tree trunks, a glimpse of distant peaks.
Two open voids articulate the mass:
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The Central Courtyard, which acts as a light well, garden, and visual anchor.
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The South Deck, which opens toward the valley, merging interior life with the rhythm of the seasons.
This spatial porosity dissolves the conventional boundary between inside and outside. The architecture orchestrates a continuous sensory dialogue: the smell of pine, the play of light, the shifting temperature of air.
Light as a Building Material
Natural light is treated as a construction material — cut, directed, and framed.
Deeply recessed openings carve shafts of light into the concrete, creating gradients from brilliance to shadow. Slit windows along the north wall admit soft daylight that slides across the rough texture, while larger apertures in the courtyard gather sunlight and reflection.
At dawn, the east façade glows subtly; at sunset, the orange gate reflects the fading sky. By night, the interior illumination transforms the structure into a quiet lantern among the trees.
This choreography of light lends Doldam House a contemplative atmosphere, blurring distinctions between architecture, sculpture, and landscape.
Material Honesty and Environmental Sensibility
The house’s environmental strategy is embedded in its material logic rather than added as technology. The massive concrete envelope provides high thermal inertia, maintaining comfort across seasonal extremes. Thick walls store heat during the day and release it slowly at night, reducing mechanical energy demand.
Local stones excavated from the site were reused in the courtyard and pathways, minimizing waste and visually tying the home to its setting. The roof’s overhangs protect against heavy rainfall and summer sun, while operable windows allow natural cross-ventilation.
Vegetation was left largely untouched, and no artificial lawn was introduced. Instead, gravel and native plants shape a low-maintenance landscape that continues the geological character of the site.
Interior Ambience
Inside, the mood shifts from monumental to intimate. Exposed concrete surfaces contrast with warm wood and the signature orange panels used for built-in furniture, sliding doors, and cabinetry. This restrained palette highlights the changing light and enhances the spatial depth.
The absence of decorative clutter allows occupants to perceive subtle differences — the echo of footsteps, the texture under hand, the slow cooling of surfaces at night. The home encourages presence: a conscious awareness of time, body, and space.
The architects describe the project as “a house where one listens before one speaks.” This ethos is tangible in every gesture.
Living Within Nature, Not Against It
From the first sketch, Doldam House was conceived not as a shelter from nature, but as a continuation of it. The concrete envelope protects the interior, yet its geometry opens toward forest and sky. Every aperture frames a living scene — drifting mist, falling snow, filtered sunlight through pine branches.
The outdoor courtyard extends domestic rituals into nature: morning tea, evening reflection, gathering around a small fire. Even on rainy days, the rhythm of drops against concrete becomes part of the dwelling’s identity.
This is architecture that transforms climate into experience, and stillness into beauty.
Architectural Philosophy
one-aftr, a Seoul-based practice known for its minimalist yet emotionally resonant works, approaches architecture as a process of reduction — stripping away the unnecessary until only essence remains. Doldam House exemplifies this philosophy.
By compressing 88 m² into a structure of remarkable presence, the architects demonstrate that scale does not determine significance. Every proportion, joint, and transition has purpose. There is no ornament — only composition.
The result is an architecture of humility and precision, where form emerges from listening: to site, material, and memory.
A Study in Quiet Strength
In an era dominated by glass pavilions and visual excess, Doldam House offers a counterpoint — an architecture of silence. Its strength lies not in spectacle but in coherence. Every design decision reinforces the central narrative of balance: between mass and void, warmth and coolness, human and nature.
The home’s meditative stillness recalls the spirit of Korean traditional architecture, where space is never static but always alive with changing light, air, and sound. Doldam House translates that ethos into a modern vocabulary — one that is sculptural, minimal, and timeless.
Key Takeaways
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Contextual Integration: The house emerges naturally from the Seoraksan terrain, using local materials and respecting existing vegetation.
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Material Authenticity: Exposed concrete with visible formwork grain establishes a tactile connection to craft.
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Compact Intelligence: Despite its 88 m² footprint, the modular layout creates a sense of expansion through voids and framed views.
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Emotive Color Strategy: Orange accents humanize the heavy concrete, adding emotional warmth.
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Passive Performance: Thick walls, thermal mass, and cross-ventilation achieve energy efficiency without visible technology.
A Modern Korean Archetype
Ultimately, Doldam House captures a distinctly Korean sensibility — an architecture that embraces imperfection, celebrates restraint, and honors its setting. It is both refuge and sculpture, both house and landscape.
In Sokcho’s mountainous terrain, one-aftr has built not just a dwelling, but a meditation on coexistence — between material and spirit, isolation and belonging. Doldam House invites us to dwell quietly, to see architecture not as enclosure, but as the thoughtful framing of life within nature.
