Samoo’s Next 50 Years : Reinventing Itself as a “Space Lifecycle” Partner

In its 50th anniversary year, Samoo Architects & Engineers is on the verge of setting a new all-time record for order intake.The milestone finds the firm at its peak, as both a living chronicle of Korean architecture and the country’s largest architecture firm.Yet the message CEO Son Chang-kyu has set out for the anniversary is not self-congratulation over past achievements.It is a call for fundamental transformation. He defines Samoo’s first 50 years as the “first half” and has put “client-centric business” front and center as the key theme that will carry the firm through the “second half.”In an interview with Daehan Kyungje on the 30th of last month, Son said, “Until now, every architecture firm has run on a feast-or-famine model builtaround one-off projects and man-hours. When there’s no work, we fret about the drought; when there’s too much, we scramble for people. All thewhile, we have stayed stuck in the passive role of an order-taker.That is precisely why our scope of practice keeps shrinking.” He added, “Samoo’s next mission at 50 is clear: rather than getting trapped in one-offprojects, we will become a partner that thinks in terms of the client’s entire business lifecycle.”◇ Beyond the Drawings: Proactive “Space Lifecycle” SolutionsThe space solutions business Samoo is building under Son goes beyond the traditional role of a design firm that simply produces drawings and handsthem over. When a client sets out to build a headquarters or plan a space, Samoo proactively offers a “space lifecycle solution” covering the entirejourney, from early-stage feasibility studies conducted before the client even commissions the project to operations after completion.“Samoo’s first 50 years were a process of drawing on past successes to identify businesses with long-term viability,” he said. “Now we need to shift ourperspective. We have to look at things from the client’s point of view, not from the standpoint of products or projects. We must be able to offerdifferentiated services before the client asks for them.”Built around the client’s entire business lifecycle, the space solutions business Son envisions unfolds on several fronts. At the outset of a project,Samoo analyzes a wide range of big data, including credit card transaction data, foot traffic and transportation flows, to recommend the optimallocation and size of the space before the client even asks. In the design and construction phases that follow, it takes the initiative in proposingmodular construction for projects where schedule compression is critical. For companies focused on ESG management, it proposes smart buildingenvelopes and eco-friendly systems that create tailored environments.The solutions continue after completion. Samoo provides carbon accounting reports that quantify emissions and identify ways to reduce them,helping improve the building’s sustainability. It also uses occupancy sensing technology to analyze space utilization in detail, then recommendsefficient reconfiguration and remodeling. Its modular furniture solutions, in particular, allow customized spaces to be created quickly, adapting toorganizational changes or new ways of working without major construction. Going a step further, Samoo uses digital twin technology to simulatefuture headquarters expansion in a virtual environment, offering end-to-end support from planning through operation to future growth.“We must evolve from passive order-takers into ‘sellers’ who proactively bring value propositions to the market,” he said. “Just as the seeminglyunbreakable 10-second barrier in the 100-meter dash was eventually broken, I believe that once we create and deliver a new level of service in thedesign market, it will spread across the entire industry.”Son’s pragmatic management philosophy puts solving clients’ business problems ahead of the glamour of signature architecture. It is the product ofhis 35 years at Samoo.When he joined Samoo in 1991, the young Son Chang-kyu harbored the idealistic aspirations typical of architecture students. He planned to gainhands-on experience at a large firm, then open his own atelier and build a career as a design architect with his own body of work. In 1990, he marriedthe woman he had met in college, and when he became a licensed architect in 1995, that dream seemed within reach.But life was not so kind. The very year he joined the firm, his father died suddenly. The joy of landing a job was short-lived. Still in his twenties, hebecame the sole breadwinner for a family of five, including his mother, a younger brother serving in the military, a younger sibling still in school, andhis wife. Above all else, he needed a stable monthly paycheck to support them.To make matters worse, the 1997 Asian financial crisis, known in Korea as the “IMF crisis,” hit like a tidal wave. With the entire market frozen, strikingout on his own would have been reckless. On the day he shelved his dream of independence out of duty to his family, he decided to stay at Samooand kept asking himself a fundamental question:“Architecture must begin with the client’s needs, but as problems grow larger and more complex, there is a limit to the answers an individual or asmall firm can offer. How, then, can I contribute to the company’s survival and growth from within a large organization, and help answer theenormous demands of society and the planet?”This shift in mindset was the starting point that would eventually lead him to the CEO’s chair. He set aside his ego as an individual designer and cameto see design as problem-solving for the organization, its clients and society.[전문 보기][초대석] ①삼우의 다음 50년, ‘공간 라이프사이클’ 파트너로 거듭난다

Modular Educational Building,
Winning 2026 World of Modular Award

Modular Educational Building’ won first place in the Permanent Modular Education categoryat the 2026 World of Modular Award.For further information, please visit the related articles linked below.[Related Articles]삼우건축, ‘월드 오브 모듈러’ 교육시설 부문 1위 수상 - 디벨로퍼뉴스(dpnews.co.kr)

Winning iF DESIGN AWARD 2026

‘FIT Campus’, ‘b.Grid’ - received Germany’s iF DESIGN AWARD in 2026‘FIT Campus’, ‘b.Grid’ undertaken by SAMOO Architects & Engineers, was selected as the winner of the main prize in the Architecture, Product Design category of the iF DESIGN AWARD, one of the world’s three major awards. Located in Hanover, the International Forum Design is the longest-running independent design institution in the world. Since 1953, it has been honoring the iF DESIGN AWARD to the best design every year.‘FIT Campus’, ‘b.Grid’ won over the 129-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world. The competition was intense: 10,003 entries were submitted from 68 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of quality.About the iF DESIGN AWARDFor 74 years, the iF DESIGN AWARD has been recognized as an arbiter of quality for exceptional design. The iF label is renowned worldwide for outstanding design services, and the iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most important design prizes in the world. Submissions are awarded in the following disciplines: Product, Packaging, Communication and Service Design/UX, Architecture and Interior Architecture as well as Professional Concept. All awarded entries are featured on the iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE, in the iF design app and are displayed at the iF design exhibition Hamburg.

IDEA Design Award 2025 ‘Bronze’ Selection

SAMOO has won three works in the Environments category at the 2025 IDEA Design Awards, sweeping all three of theworld's top design awards this year.SAMOO POC in ‘seongsu’ - IDEA Design Award ‘Bronze’ SelectionSAMOO POC in seongsu, awarded ‘Bronze’ in the Environments category, is a demonstration model of a value-add businessthat upgrades undervalued buildings into profitable assets by applying new technologies and designs. It combinescutting-edge architectural technology with the preservation of the existing building’s industrial heritage toprovide a unique spatial experience where the past, present, and future coexist. ‘Olympic Park Foreon’, ‘New York Korea Center’ - IDEA Design Award Finalist WinnersThe Environments category winner, Olympic Park Foreon, is the largest redevelopment complex in Korea and was designed as an eco-friendly apartment complex that reflects various housing types and creates an open complex with nature.The New York Korea Center provides spaces for exhibitions, performances, and lectures, and has been highly regarded as a gateway to Korean culture, tourism, and various international events.For further information, please visit the related article linked below. [Related Articles]삼우, '세계 3대 디자인상' 3년 연속 모두 석권…글로벌 경쟁력 입증 - 한국경제 (hankyung.com)

RedDot Design Award 2025 ‘Best of Best’ Selection

SAMOO Architects & Engineers has been honored with three awards across three categories in the 2025 RedDot Design Award (Design Concept)―with one these awards achieving the prestigious 'Best of Best' selection. The 'Best of Best' distinction is reserved for the most innovative designs among all entries, and Carbonomy by SAMOO were selected for this honor.‘Carbonomy’ - RedDot Design Award ‘Best of Best’ SelectionCarbonomy, awarded in the Sustainability category, as a next-generation carbon information platform that drives behavioral change beyond carbon accounting.It automatically collects data across different languages and formats, matches emission factors, and produces consistent and standardized results, and provides an innovative convenience service by applying AI-based hyperautomation technology to the complex processes of corporate carbon accounting and ESG disclosure.  ‘SAMOO POC in seongsu’, ‘b.Grid’ - RedDot Design Award WinnersSAMOO POC in seongsu, awarded in the Brand Design & Identity category, is situated within Seongsu-dong. POC Seongsu is a value-add remodeling project that preserves the industrial heritage of the existing structure while integrating advanced architectural technology to offer a unique spatial experience where the past, present, and future coexist. b.Grid, awarded in the Service Design category, is a platform that analyzes the space based on the user's data to recommend the optimal layouts. The selected space module is ordered, manufactured, delivered, and installed through a smart order system. It has been highly praised as an innovative future office space shopping platform. About the RedDot Design AwardThe RedDot Design Award is regarded as one of the three major international design awards alongside the iF Design Award and IDEA―with a history dating back to 1955.

CEO&STORY, Interviews with CEO Sohn Chang-Kyu

“SAMOO will secure global competitiveness unique to K-Architecture by going beyond design and integrating architecture with advanced technologies in response to the evolving market landscape."SAMOO CEO Sohn Chang-Kyu gave a press interview to share the future and vision of ‘K-Architecture.’  For further information, please visit the related articles linked below. [Related Articles] [인터뷰] 삼우, 성수 PoC 개관… “기술-건축 융합으로 ‘K-아키텍처’ 선도” - 대한경제

Winning iF DESIGN AWARD 2025

‘Carbonomy’ - received Germany’s iF DESIGN AWARD in 2025‘Carbonomy’ undertaken by SAMOO Architects Engineers, was selected as the winner of the main prize in the ServiceDesign Concepts category of the iF DESIGN AWARD, one of the world’s three major awards. Located in Hanover, theInternational Forum Design is the longest-running independent design institution in the world. Since 1953, it hasbeen honoring the iF DESIGN AWARD to the best design every year.‘Carbonomy’ won over the 131-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world. The competition wasintense: 10,651 entries were submitted from 66 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of quality.About the iF DESIGN AWARDFor 71 years, the iF DESIGN AWARD has been recognized as an arbiter of quality for exceptional design. The iF labelis renowned worldwide for outstanding design services, and the iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most important designprizes in the world. Submissions are awarded in the following disciplines: Product, Packaging, Communication andService Design/UX, Architecture and Interior Architecture as well as Professional Concept. All awarded entries arefeatured on the iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE, in the iF design app and are displayed at the iF design exhibition Hamburg.

Winning the Excellence Prize of the BIM Awards 2024

SAMOO Architects & Engineers has been honored with Excellence Prize in both the Design and Engineering categories atthe BIM Awards 2024. This achievement particularly holds great significance as it was won in the Architecture (A) andEngineering (E) categories through the use of BIM technology (T).Award OverviewHosted by: buildingSMART Korea, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building TechnologyAward-winning Projects- Design Category: Songdo Severance Hospital- Engineering Category: CapitaLand Data Center (EQUINIX SL2x)The Songdo Severance Hospital, winner in the Design category, is a large-scale medical complex project that includesan 800-bed general hospital, dormitories, research facilities, and other supporting buildings. The project utilizedBIM across all stages, from conceptual design to detailed design, researching and developing BIM-specifictechnologies at each step to innovate work processes and improve operational efficiency. Additionally, it establisheda standardized BIM framework for healthcare facilities, enabling the completion of the digital transformation ofhealthcare facilities.The CapitaLand Data Center (EQUINIX SL2x), winner in the Engineering category, is EQUINIX’s first hyperscale datacenter in Korea. The project was executed using full BIM across all stages of the design, achieving ‘zero’interference between major disciplines. Additionally, it enhanced design understanding by providing Combined Servicefor the main equipment routing. Through the accumulation of data in the data center project and the development ofprograms, the project successfully strengthened BIM expertise and competitiveness.About BIM AwardsSince 2009, the buildingSMART Korea and Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology have held theBIM Awards annually to promote the activation and proper use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology inKorea's construction industry. The BIM Awards has established itself as a key event that contributes to theadvancement of BIM technology and the enhancement of international competitiveness.

FIT Platform, Winning 2025 CES Innovation Award

'FIT Platform' won the 2025 CES Innovation Award.Following winning the world's top three design awards, it is even more meaningful as it has earned recognition forits innovative architectural technology at a global tech exhibition.

2024, Winning the World's Top 3 Design Awards

'FIT Platform' has won the main prize at IDEA, sweeping all three of the world's top design awards this year.SAMOO is internationally recognized for its competitiveness in new businesses that combine future technologies witharchitectural design.For further information, please visit the related article linked below.[Related Articles]삼우건축, 美 IDEA 본상 수상…세계 3대디자인상 석권 ‘쾌거’ - 대한경제 (dnews.co.kr)