Joho Architecture

Just a year after setting up his Seoul-based practice, Joho Architecture, in 2009, Jeong Hoon Lee won a South Korean government award for young architects, swiftly followed by distinctions including shortlistings for local and international Brick Awards for his projects' imaginative and flawless brickwork. Lee often takes his design cues from his materials' own geometries. Residential projects feature prominently in his portfolio. An early project, Namhae Cheo-ma House, in the rural South Gyeongsang Province, remains one of Lee's favourites. The remote location created complications with labour and material deliveries. 'Ironically, because of these handicaps, the project became more unique,' he explains. Recent work includes The Curving House and Scale-ing House, both in the densely populated Gyeonggi Province of South Korea.
www.johoarchitecture.com
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Rooted in Italian heritage, Tooy is redefining bespoke lighting
Italian lighting company Tooy translates ‘made-in-Italy’ savoir-faire into contemporary, one-of-a-kind pieces
-
Hôtel Le Provençal is a sun-kissed family affair
A beloved third-generation hotel in the south of France reopens with a fresh look, all whilst preserving its authentic midcentury heritage
-
Sculpture meets jewellery meets sport? Kelly Wearstler’s latest venture is doing something completely new
The designer is launching a new curatorial platform, Side Hustle, free from the limitations of commercial commissions and aiming to foster truly original, experimental and interdisciplinary work
-
In South Korea, a new Bangjja Yugi museum honours a centuries-old Korean tradition
Studio Heech transforms a coal-mining warehouse into a glowing cultural hub celebrating Korea’s master bronzesmith Lee Bong-ju – and the ancient craft of bangjja yugi
-
Thomas Heatherwick's 2025 Seoul architecture biennale calls for ‘radically more human’ buildings
The 2025 Seoul architecture biennale launches in the South Korean capital, curated by Thomas Heatherwick, who argues for creating buildings in tune with emotion, 'the thing that drives us'
-
On Jeju Island, South Korea, a cabin stay with unobstructed views of forest and sky
Egattoc is a new hospitality complex by architect Byoung Cho, who wanted to create an experience where guests ‘can see the forest while they take a shower’
-
Join our tour of Taikaka House, a slice of New Zealand in Seoul
Taikaka House, meaning ‘heart-wood’ in Māori, is a fin-clad, art-filled sanctuary, designed by Nicholas Burns
-
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: meet the practices
In the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024, our latest guide to exciting, emerging practices from around the world, 20 young studios show off their projects and passion
-
Studio Heech transforms a Seoul home, nodding to Pierre Chareau’s Maison De Verre
Young South Korean practice Studio Heech joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
-
Architect Byoung Cho on nature, imperfection and interconnectedness
South Korean architect Byoung Cho’s characterful projects celebrate the quirks of nature and the interconnectedness of all things
-
2023 Seoul Biennale of architecture invites visitors to step into the outdoors
Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2023 has launched in the South Korean capital, running themes around nature and land through the lens of urbanism