Mom’s Garden Center / Todot Architects and Partners

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Considering the context of the site and other issues, we decided to design a three-story community facility linked to the street by a courtyard and verandas. We expected that this decision, like tables or seating areas in front of shops, would allow even passers-by would freely stay in the courtyard and mingle with one another serving its purpose as a public space while vitalizing the shops around the courtyard. The ambiguity between the public and the commercial realms often results in more successful projects.The client, who was born and raised in the area, visited us with a plan to build a community facility on the site inherited by his father. The question was “What does a community facility on the outskirts of a suburb look like?” Due to the infamously high land value, community facilities in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, maximize their floor areas within the legal boundary. However, a lot of alternatives exist in suburban areas due to the low population and the high construction cost in contrast to the low land value.Text description provided by the architects.Even though the site is situated in a suburb, is a more populated area than the surrounding neighborhoods. A train station, apartments, a market, and schools are located nearby. “Mom’s Garden” is sitting on the outskirts of the town center where single-story shops are scattered along the three-lane road, creating a tranquil street scene.We imagined such a garden or a courtyard in this project that strengthens relationships and identity among local residents. Moreover, we named the project, “Mom’s Garden”, expecting that it would embrace the client, the lessee, the users, and other people like the mother’s hug. Even though we left the garden “empty”, it would soon be filled with people, memories, and vital energy.