Designed by: @nonnwater

Captured by: @kim_jaeyoun_photo

In the quiet neighbourhood of Ppallaegol, with Bukhansan rising in the distance, an old house stood as if time had stopped. That suspended time began to move again when NONNWATER established its first home there. Ppallaegol was named for its clear mountain water and was once known as a washing place said to have served the royal court. Although the stream has since been covered, a channel of water has been brought back into the courtyard. True to its name, the space is conceived as a cabanon: a long walk beside still water, an open courtyard and shifting views created through a sequence of openings and closures.

NONNWATER is a spatial design studio whose name brings together None, Next, North and Water, the latter referring both to water and to Pureum (靑), a notion of vitality. This idea informs the spatial experience, from the approach through one of Seoul’s quiet, hidden gaps to the house itself. A secluded alley lined with timber decking leads beneath the branches of a willow tree towards a solid boundary wall and dark timber gate. Raised approximately one metre above its original height, the wall filters views from the street and screens the surrounding disorder, while its warm, sunlit tone softens the cool character of the north-facing site.

Inside the courtyard, the view is reduced to sky, trees and a still body of water. The horizontal plane of water becomes a central metaphor for Pureum, while the long approach along its edge towards the entrance embodies Next as a movement forward. The interior and exterior follow the nature of a kan, a traditional Korean spatial concept that can operate as one continuous space or two separate realms depending on whether it is opened or closed. Shared materials and deliberately blurred boundaries allow the eye to move fluidly between inside and outside, creating a sense of expansion.

The linear walls remain free of decorative elements, maintaining a restrained order while concealing the functions within. The resulting space has a quiet solidity, yet its simplicity is intended to deepen through the passage and texture of time. As the boundaries between elements gradually dissolve, the space becomes absorbed into its surroundings, shaping a new landscape within this secluded part of the city.