2017 SAMOO Works + Process

SAMOOpublished an annual book, 2017 SAMOO Works + Process. The book contains recenttwenty built projects selected from each program. Also, it describes processesof eight proposed projects and sixteen built projects. The special issueintroducing SAMOO's exhibition 'Visionary City' for UIA 2017 Seoul, which waspraised by the architects from all over the world, is in the book as the firstchapter. This annual book marks the start of SAMOO's future publications sincethe last SAMOO's 40 year anniversary book.SAMOOare committed to transparent communication to fulfill our client's value, andconstantly innovate to provide the best service. SAMOO expresses our gratitudeto those who have been with us and supported us. SAMOO invites you to join usin our next steps forward.   

SDA: Samoo Design Awards 2017

SAMOO Architects & Engineers, award prizes to teams who devote themselves for design and technical innovation for each and every year. The title of prize known as SDA (SAMOO Design Award), and award the prizes on SAMOO foundation day (1st of October) with full of interest and celebration. SDA committee selects outstanding and innovative design in planning and completion categories, also selects the best BIM project team for the grand prize.In this year, SDA establishes 2 more new categories that is ‘R&D/Technology’ for specialize and advanced technology and ‘Best Partner’ for mutual cooperation. In 2017, total 14 project teams awarded SDA and 8 best partners selected for successful cooperation with SAMOO. From continuous education and employee motivation such as SDA, We SAMOO always do our best to meet client’s ambitious expectation.​ ▲Winner in Completion, 'Daegu Creative Campus'  ▲Winner in Completion, 'e-Pyeonhansesang Terrace Gwanggyo 3/4BL'  ▲Winner in Design, 'Hyundai Premium Outlet Namyangju'  ▲Winner in Design, 'Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 2 Expansion'  

National Museum of World Writing

The invention of ‘writing’ is essence of human civilization, which makes us possible to record everyday life and inherit knowledges to next generation. As a part of ‘Writing’ we established concept for National Museum of World Writing as “Architectural PAGES”. Just as nature of writing (it connects past, present and future), PAGES will connect people to people, people to museum, and museum to park.The site is located at the edge, between the man made city grids (Straight line) and nature made park (curvature line). Rather than dominating vertical mass, PAGES takes nature curved shape and it represents the true meaning of park which offers relief and relaxation to urban context. Also maze like fluid shape creates open space that invites pedestrian to the museum garden.PAGES is the museum that understands root and future of human literal culture, also it is the sculptural letter that records various stories and lives. ​ PAGES is an empty space and blank piece paper. Everyday human life can be record in PAGES and these writings becomes an Architecture.  Just as a prehistoric scribbles in cave, initial concept sketch starts with acceptance of curvature line form exist park. The trail, located between site and park, composed with boundaryless fluid spaces (cross, overlay, and reverse of inner and outer wall) create a blurry sequence. Visitors experience will record in PAGES and these records lead to a new experience for next visitors. If you walk along the white concreate wall, you may find yourself in the middle of ‘World Letters Ocean’. The record of various activities in the garden flows into the inside exhibition space and these records become the architectural sphere. This process of storing memory is architectural set up to enhance visitor’s experience for letter.  

Visionary City for UIA 2017 Seoul

 The map ofVisionary City has been cut up from various areas and projects, which SAMOO hasdesigned for the past 4 decades. The fragments of each city reveal our endeavorto find and respect the soul of each city. Through this fragmentation andreconfiguration, the cities and projects selected from the works of SAMOO,which are building new relations among cities and buildings, allowing diverse interpretations.Furthermore, through multi-dimensional transformation, Visionary City wasdesigned to visualize a new future for the next 40 years while appreciatingSAMOO’s endeavors of the past 40 years.  Exhibition MainTheme: 'SOUL of CITY'Roles of architects,in this context, seeking 'SOUL OF CITY', are indeed significant, deliveringmeaningful and diversified urban environments to life through the convergenceof culture, nature and future. These efforts will be translated into UIA 2017’sacademic programs by reflecting three sub-themes of Culture, Future and Nature,and other subjects including Passion and Human values.  

The 14th SAMOO Design Workshop (SDW)

The Samoo Design Workshop, a festival and a playground for future architects, was held at Kyowon Vision Center in Gapyeong from August 21 to 25.Full of challenging spirit and enthusiasm, the participants who will lead the future has shown their design skills, enjoying the workshops for 4 nights and 5 days. They also had an opportunity to improve the depth of thought by sharing the ideas on architecture outside school or work. The workshop this year also invited two students from University of Rwanda’s School of Architecture.Under the theme of Blending Branding, the participants proposed various solutions seeking a new architectural value in changing times. As the instructors, the architects in Samoo offered countless hours of advice and support to the students.Samoo will continue to provide the future architects with the opportunity for challenge and growth.​  

SAMOO CSR: Invitation of Students in University of Rwanda

5th August 2017, Patrick Kubiwimana and Josue Mutuyumana, students of University of Rwanda (UR), had arrived at the Incheon int'l airport for 3 weeks special experience from Rwanda known as heart of Africa. Till 26th August, they experienced Architecture studio in SAMOO, Architecture trip and 2017 SAMOO Design Workshop. In those events, they took opportunity to communicate with lots of Korean architects and buildings designed in best quality.   This special invitation event was arisen from a single project. That was University of Rwanda EDCF (Economic Development Cooperation Fund) Project funded by EXIM Bank of South Korea as part of ODA (Overseas Development Aid). While proceeding this project, SAMOO hold the competition of designing a UR headquarters' canopy, to provide opportunity for students to make a canopy concept. This competition was held as a SAMOO's 40 years anniversary CSR activity. 2 months later, SAMOO and UR had received lots of creativity works from UR students. In January 2017, DoKwon Park, CEO of SAMOO, visited Kigali for celebrating a group of student who won this competition. In the ceremony, the special gift which had never mentioned was announced by him, and Patrick and Josue was invited to ‘3 weeks Korean architecture experience program’.   SAMOO had provided the special programs from accommodation to field trip schedule. On the first week, they did homestays, which SAMOO staff provided, to experience Korean living culture. Also through an experience of architectural practice, they had an opportunity to understand deeply how Korean architects work. After studio week, they experienced lots of Korean architecture from palace to modern skyscraper with architect mentors from SAMOO. In every visiting places, they had discussions to share their impressions. On the last week, they were invited 2017 SAMOO Design Workshop as a special guest. They did not only their own work but also communicate with other Korean architecture students. After the end of ceremony, they came back to Rwanda with an unforgettable memories.  Their passion to communicate with Korean architect and architecture went beyond what SAMOO expected. Definitely it was a special experience for not only two students but also SAMOO as well.    

Incheon Int'l Terminal 2 Expansion

As the one of the expansion masterplan of Incheon International Airport, this project began to enlarge the annual passenger capacity up to 46 million from 18 million. Considering current conditions that the airport is running, detailed plans were needed. We want to provide pleasant experiences to passengers as integrating cutting-edge technology and passenger priority design.  With the concept that the new style was fitted out the current image, the exterior was designed as befits the Global Hub Airport symbolizing the gate of Korea, while harmonizing with other facilities and contexts. To maximize the operation efficiency, SAMOO proposed various solutions such as a method to augment East-West cross induction roads and the independent aircraft stand taxilane for each gate.   Interior spaces were designed with the concept, 'the place where the romance of travel reaches the sky'. Unlike the previous airport that was emphasized the efficiency, the metaphor of 'The roads to the sky' derived from each passengers' travel experiences was applied in indoor spaces. Terrace style retail mall was planned to enliven a space where the sky would be spread on the ceiling. The green hub in wing tips would be used as an event plaza harmonizing with green spaces. Aside from diverse space design, clear circulation system led natural flow of passengers.  This project was the fruitions of SAMOO's effort to win a large-scale airport. SAMOO has been accumulating know-how to design an airport throughout steady investments and R&D. Moreover SAMOO constantly try to be a trend leader in the field of the airport architectural design, and SAMOO keeps making partnership with the airport industry to contribute development of the field. 

SAMOO CSR: Donation Campaign

SAMOO had a donation campaign in last month as a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility actives. For the campaign, every SAMOO staffs collected usable goods and these will sell by the social enterprise 'Good Will Store’. The sale profit will benefit for the disadvantaged and Good Will Store will hire the disadvantage for selling goods. Since, the donation campaign was planned and carried out by the young employee union member, the spirit of social responsibility will inherit to SAMOO’s next generation. Each union member explained the meaning of donation campaign to their colleagues individually, and handed out personal donation bag for motivation. According to Good Will Store, the quality of SAMOO’s goods are higher than other organizations, so they extended appreciation for our participation.  Other than donation campaign, SAMOO participates various CSR activities, such as ‘community services’, new employees ‘briquet haulage’, and ‘kimchi making’. Also, SAMOO voluntary club regularly visits Disabled infant and youth welfare center to build fellowship with disabled infants and offer necessary supports. 

MIPIM-Asia Awards 2016

The Garak Market project won the silver prize in Best Urban Regeneration Project of MIPIM-Asia awards 2016.MIPIM Asia is a global conference to gain industry insight and to discover the most outstanding projects, as gathering top-level professionals from all sectors from 2006. In 2016, "Real Estate Disruption: Take a Step Ahead" was the main theme to discuss deeply present and future of Architecture and Real estate industries. Also the summit held the award ceremony that selected best practice in the year. MIPIM-Asia Awards gave Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes in 12 categories including built and proposed projects.The Garak Market project was deserved credit for providing benefits to users and neighborhoods as re-developing the old whole-sale and retail market in urban, so it was awarded in the Best Urban Regeneration Project. The Garak market was not a desirable facility in the middle of residential area due to smells, traffic and disconnection. However, it become a great destination for citizens, tourists and neighbors to mingle and enjoy the festive and dynamic environment of the market in the middle of a busy urban area. SAMOO's efforts to make better places for the citizens and residents became a great example of changing an unpleasant urban dark side into a lively, vibrant neighborhood.​  

The First SAMOO Design Week

To celebrating the 40th anniversary, SAMOO opened the very first Design Week for two weeks from Sep. 30 to Oct. 14 in the reception hall of SAMOO HQ building.In the event, SAMOO’s talented staffs exhibited their sketches, photos, illustrations, music works, metal crafts, and ceramic artworks. The staffs of SAMOO were hugely inspired by those high quality works from different areas, and visitors had a good opportunity to see SAMOO’s design capabilities. On Day 1 of the event, in S-TED, SAMOO’s staffs came forward as a speaker and shared their ideas about various themes including future society, VR and yoga. And their speech was followed by a free discussion which made the time more meaningful by deepening our intellectual depth.This Design Week became an unforgettable event as people could refine their design instincts by directly engaging with many different fields besides architecture and by communicating with designers. SAMOO will keep inventing various programs to enhance the capabilities of its staffs so that they can come up with a great architecture.