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(soon)
Вакансия
Founder and Principal Architect
of JOHO Architecture, Seoul
of JOHO Architecture, Seoul
Jeong Hoon Lee
How does an architect think?
I believe an architect thinks by holding two opposite forces at once: the abstract and the concrete. On one hand, we imagine emotions, atmospheres, and the invisible qualities of a place. On the other, we measure weight, water, wind, and every detail that makes a space stand. Architecture lives between these two worlds. For me, thinking means translating emotion into geometry and materializing an idea without losing its soul.
What is your first action when starting a project?
I begin by listening — to the site, to the client, to the cultural context. Every site has its own memory and temperament. Before drawing anything, I try to understand what the land already wants to become. Only after this quiet moment of listening do I begin to sketch the project’s first line.
I believe an architect thinks by holding two opposite forces at once: the abstract and the concrete. On one hand, we imagine emotions, atmospheres, and the invisible qualities of a place. On the other, we measure weight, water, wind, and every detail that makes a space stand. Architecture lives between these two worlds. For me, thinking means translating emotion into geometry and materializing an idea without losing its soul.
What is your first action when starting a project?
I begin by listening — to the site, to the client, to the cultural context. Every site has its own memory and temperament. Before drawing anything, I try to understand what the land already wants to become. Only after this quiet moment of listening do I begin to sketch the project’s first line.
D.P.L.G. from the Paris La Villette School of Architecture and Vice President of the Architectural Design Institute of Korea. With experience at renowned firms like Zaha Hadid Architects and Shigeru Ban Architects Europe, he brings a wealth of global perspectives to his practice which was founded in 2009.
What project are you proud of?
‘Seolhaeone Clubhouse’ in Yangyang, Korea, is a project I hold dear. It stands between mountains and the East Sea, balancing landscape, function, and cultural memory. Recently it received the Silver Prize at the AMA in Madrid, but beyond awards, I’m proud that the building has become a meaningful destination for so many different types of visitors.
In which of your completed projects would you like to change something?
Almost every project. Architecture is never truly finished; it is a long conversation between intention and reality. If I had to choose one, perhaps ‘Platform-L Art Center’ in Seoul. The project opened new horizons for my practice, but with the experience I’ve gained since then, I would refine certain spatial transitions and daylight strategies. But I see these not as regrets — only as signs that I continue to grow.
‘Seolhaeone Clubhouse’ in Yangyang, Korea, is a project I hold dear. It stands between mountains and the East Sea, balancing landscape, function, and cultural memory. Recently it received the Silver Prize at the AMA in Madrid, but beyond awards, I’m proud that the building has become a meaningful destination for so many different types of visitors.
In which of your completed projects would you like to change something?
Almost every project. Architecture is never truly finished; it is a long conversation between intention and reality. If I had to choose one, perhaps ‘Platform-L Art Center’ in Seoul. The project opened new horizons for my practice, but with the experience I’ve gained since then, I would refine certain spatial transitions and daylight strategies. But I see these not as regrets — only as signs that I continue to grow.
How do you understand that your concept is ready to be built?
A concept is ready when three conditions align:
What is your favorite thing about working as an architect?
The moment when an idea leaves my mind and becomes part of someone’s daily life. Architecture is the most physical form of imagination: people touch it, live in it, argue in it, fall in love in it. Seeing that transformation — from a sketch to lived reality — is the most rewarding part of my work.
How do you avoid repeating yourself from project to project?
I try not to impose a “style.” Instead, I follow a method: understand the unique problem, material, and cultural context of each commission. Repetition happens when the architect becomes louder than the site. My practice, Material_Metry, is about letting geometry grow out of material and context. This approach naturally prevents repetition; every site, like every material, sings a different song.
A concept is ready when three conditions align:
- It clearly expresses the project’s central emotion or story.
- It can be translated into structure, detail, and material without compromise.
- It remains calm—I stop feeling the urge to add or subtract.
What is your favorite thing about working as an architect?
The moment when an idea leaves my mind and becomes part of someone’s daily life. Architecture is the most physical form of imagination: people touch it, live in it, argue in it, fall in love in it. Seeing that transformation — from a sketch to lived reality — is the most rewarding part of my work.
How do you avoid repeating yourself from project to project?
I try not to impose a “style.” Instead, I follow a method: understand the unique problem, material, and cultural context of each commission. Repetition happens when the architect becomes louder than the site. My practice, Material_Metry, is about letting geometry grow out of material and context. This approach naturally prevents repetition; every site, like every material, sings a different song.
Seolhaeone Clubhouse, Yangyang, Korea, 2022.
photos — Archframe.
photos — Archframe.
Sense of the Sea Café, Busan, Korea, 2022. Photos by Roh Kyung.
Countless Glass shop. Seoul, 2015.
photo by Jaehyeon KIM.
photo by Jaehyeon KIM.
Platform-L Art Center, Seoul, Korea, 2016.
Photo by Namgoong Sun.
Photo by Namgoong Sun.
