- Presenting the Vision of the Future Society through Space March 02, 2021
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Architect Jaewon Cho (Architectural Engineering, Entering Class of ‘89), CEO/Founder of 0_1 Studio
Architect who Contemplates the Social Role of Space
The office building of the Samtoh magazine, with ivy wrapped around red bricks, has been regarded as a landmark of the Daehak-ro ("University Street") neighborhood in Seoul. It has also functioned as an open space where people who just came out of Hyehwa Station Exit 2 stand and breathe for a moment, or as a meeting place for young people before watching a play. This space, which contains both the artistic culture of Daehak-ro and the architectural history of the work of the late architect Kim Swoo-geun, was renovated in 2018 and newly named as the "001."
The goal of CEO Jaewon Cho (Architectural Engineering major, entering class of '89), who was in charge of designing this project, which attracted public attention in many ways, was clear. With the idea of "turning an old building into a platform with innovative functions," the architect's imagination has been added to the original vision. The vision of Kim Swoo-geun, who dreamed of giving up space to the public and coexisting with community culture, met with Cho's innovative imagination and delicate and meticulous resilience to develop a space that creates future values. Cho's belief that "designing an architecture means communicating with the story contained in the architectural space" was proved once again.
Cho is very interested in the social value of space. "Cow & Dog," which was designed in 2016 and won the Seoul Architecture Award for Excellence with the aim of "making cohabitation and collaboration the values and norms pursued by the space," is considered as the beginning of today's overflowing shared offices. Stimulating the imagination of the space and life among the general public and giving them courage to practice through serial columns in the press or open lectures is also a social role she plays as an architect. This demonstrates her conviction that architectural design is about communicating with the appearance of life contained in the architectural space.
"Depending on how the architect defines his or her role, the results can be different. In my case, I talk to a client about the potential of the building after defining the condition of the site, the social program the client requires, the users’ requirements for the use of the space, as well as the impact and sustainability the space has with the city. I tend to actively suggest the role of the space to the client."
Cho says she is the one who makes a set of questions. She feels a true identity as an architect when he meets a client who needs a project that needs a new definition, rather than trying to make achievements on every project.
Opening Eyes to Learning beyond Text
Jaewon Cho started thinking about society while repeating the university entrance exam. For her, who had good academic performance, the experience of failing to enter university had a greater impact than she thought.
"It made me think about my social position. I realized that I've been overestimated with only my grades until then. So, I started to think about who I am as a social entity without considering academic performance."
Although Cho was a STEM track student, she remembered an article about architect Kim Swoo-geun that she had read before when she was considering choosing a major related to social issues.
"It was an article about Mr. Kim's architecture and life. And when I read that he lived with imagining and planning for the future 60 to 70 years after his life, I got the impression that "Wow, an architect is a person who looks at not only reality, but also at long futures ahead." I chose architectural engineering because I thought that architecture could be a discipline that can carry out social practice."
She spent an exceptional amount of time on campus due to the nature of her major. As she spent a lot of time on designing, the depth of relationships was inevitably huge as there were many days of staying up all night with her classmates.
"Out of 80 students who entered the department with me, 15 were female students, and they were all so full of personality. I enjoyed my college life very much and it helped broaden my experience."
Since Cho was interested in social issues, she naturally read and discussed books on the social role of architecture and the history of art through the "Architecture and Society" club in her department. At the time, the study was mainly about reading texts one by one while comprehending texts, and Cho also devoted herself to learning by reading and understanding texts. It was the cultural anthropology class that brought her a turning point.
"I still remember Professor Chan Ho Kim's class. He taught me that the reality I'm facing is the text I have to look at, and that the study begins from there."
Cho did not miss that class and attended it even if she stayed up a few nights for design practice. She still vividly remembers the last day of the semester.
"It was a general lecture, but the professor shook hands with each one of the students. I felt that he was trying to say that each and every one of us was important."
Moreover, Professor Chohan Hyejeong's book Reading Text and Reading Lives gave her important insights into her view of scholarship.
"There were articles that I couldn't understand even though I read hard. I came to realize that it was because they didn’t reflect my reality. I learned that learning is a process of finding potential and possibility through the professor’s writing."
To Break Away from Monopoly and Competition and Become the Subject of Diversities
Due to the soaring real estate market prices, anxiety over the homes of members of society is increasing rapidly. There is a strong tendency to view space from the perspective of property or profit taking, which even made "building owners" as the profession envied by many people. Cho says it is important to first ask what is the value of life one is pursuing and imagine the shape of one's life accordingly.
"I don't think people are jumping into real estate solely to make a profit or live their own monopoly. They are just terrified. It's a fear that people feel like "Oh, if I don’t jump into this game now, I won't be able to have a small piece of land alone when I get old." I believe that there are more members in this society who are open-minded enough to make concessions, coexist, and collaborate with others if given a variety of options."
As an expert, Cho keeps contemplating the work of showing a new type of life in contact with the source of capital with good will.
The pandemic situation accelerated the realization of worries and imaginations about housing. The meaning of space as a platform has grown even more in terms of providing services, not contents. Cho says that people are already searching for answers to their housing and life without waiting for answers from experts.
"The new pattern for space has already begun. You don't have to buy expensive real estate in an expensive place to build a place where you can connect and have a presence in society, as well as to balance your work and your life."
She suggests a way to escape from the competitive landscape and focus on the conditions that can be chosen right away.
"If your place of work isn't affected by where you live, you don't have to choose to live in Seoul or in a big city. If you have to live in a city, you can choose the shared vehicle service instead of having your own car."
However, she emphasizes that it should be accompanied by joint efforts for members of society who are not even given a choice.
"For those with limited jobs that exist only in the city center, living outside the city center is not an alternative. On the other hand, those who have a choice should be proactive since their practice can be an option for other members. These movements are already found all over society."
Common Porch to All Citizens
Jaewon Cho picked Baekyang-ro as the most meaningful space on the Yonsei campus. She dreams of giving our society more space like Baekyang-ro.
"As soon as I pass through the Main Gate, and come across Baekyang-ro that stretches right in front me, I think that this is like "everyone's porch." A university campus is like a city. The fact that there is a common space for all members from different places to pass gives a great sense of belonging. That sense of belonging is the reason why people live together. A space like a root that gives you confidence, thinking, "Yes, I belong to this place." I think Baekyang-ro gives every single Yonseian a place to lean on."
Having a common porch that all citizens can lean on is the future that architect Jaewon Cho dreams of.
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