First Place Winner
Jipyeong: Fermented Stay
Design by
Hong Hyungi
Juror’s Comment:
A deeply rooted and poetic adaptive reuse proposal that beautifully translates the cultural legacy of a Korean brewery into a contemporary hospitality experience, especially through the reinterpretation of Jumak culture and Hanok spatial principles. The integration of communal spaces like the Pyeongsang and Toetmaru creates a strong social narrative.
Work on:
Architectural intervention feels safe; could explore bolder contrasts.
Hong Hyungi
Hyun Gi Hong began in Landscape Architecture and is currently studying Architecture at Dongguk University. His experience in both fields has allowed him to approach space from a broader and more diverse perspective.
For him, architecture goes beyond visual beauty; it is a flexible “vessel” that accommodates human behavior and everyday life. He believes that architecture truly completes itself when space, environment, and people naturally harmonize to create meaningful relationships.
Regardless of how complex the design process may be, his goal is to remain grounded in this essence—to create spaces where people can comfortably connect, interact, and enjoy their surroundings.
Celebrating Creativity & Vision
Winner’s Spotlight: An Exclusive Interview
Discover the story behind the victory — from concept to creation.
Concept & Vision
What was the central idea behind your proposal, and how did you interpret the challenge of transforming an existing structure into a contemporary hospitality destination while preserving its historical identity?
The central concept of my proposal is rooted in Adaptive Reuse—the transformation of the historic Jipyeong Brewery (established in 1925) into a contemporary boutique hotel. Historically, Korean breweries were far more than industrial production sites; they functioned as the village's social epicenter and a gathering place centered on hospitality and community. My proposal revitalizes this heritage by reconceiving the site's purpose—shifting it from a place of physical production into a destination for collective relaxation and cultural exchange.
To reconcile historical preservation with modern hospitality standards, I drew architectural inspiration from the traditional Korean Jumak culture—a historic institution that seamlessly merged tavern and inn functions. Rather than treating the existing structure as a static museum artifact, I have embedded its history into a living architectural landmark. This approach allows visitors to authentically experience the distinctive regional character of Jipyeong-ri while engaging with a space that honors its past.
Heritage & Preservation
Every historic building carries its own story and character. How did you identify and preserve the most significant architectural, cultural, or historical elements of the existing structure within your design?
Jipyeong Brewery carries a deeply layered history, encompassing both the essence of Korean brewing culture and significant moments in modern history. In my design, I identified and preserved two pivotal layers of heritage: the cultural origins of Korean hospitality and the historical significance of the site itself.
First, I honored the cultural heritage of Korean brewing. Korean hospitality originated in the Gayangju culture—a tradition of home-brewing where households produced liquor to welcome guests. Following the Liquor Tax Act of 1909, which restricted home-brewing, Korean breweries transformed into communal gathering spaces that anchored village life, providing both economic livelihoods and fostering a vibrant culture of hospitality. To preserve this legacy, I integrated functional heritage zones—including the Brewing Studio, Nuruk Room, Steaming Room, and Fermentation Room—into the ground floor plan. These spaces ensure that the physical memory and craft of Makgeolli production remain central to the modern hotel experience.
Second, I preserved the site's historical narrative as a sanctuary during wartime. During the Korean War, the brewery served as a French command post and refuge that protected lives during one of the nation's most critical moments.
Rather than treating these narratives as museum artifacts, my design weaves them into a living landmark—a space where guests actively engage with and experience the layered stories of Jipyeong.
Adaptive Reuse Strategy
Adaptive reuse requires balancing conservation with transformation. What were the key interventions you introduced, and how did they help reimagine the building for modern hospitality functions?
My adaptive reuse strategy balances conservation with transformation by merging traditional spatial organization with reinterpreted heritage construction techniques to meet modern luxury hospitality standards.
Inheriting Traditional Rice Husk Insulation and Innovating into "Sag-Resistant" Boards Historically, the original Jipyeong Brewery utilized a traditional insulation method, filling its walls with loose rice husks to naturally regulate temperature, humidity, and microbial fermentation. In my design, I sought to directly inherit and honor this functional heritage for the contemporary hotel experience.
However, loose rice husk insulation has a critical structural flaw: it tends to settle and sag over time, causing gaps that severely compromise thermal performance. To overcome this challenge, I developed an innovative solution by processing upcycled rice husk charcoal into rigid, solid boards (160mm and 110mm thicknesses) to fundamentally prevent sagging.
My system pairs these sag-resistant rice husk charcoal boards with loess plaster, Hanji paper, and a Smart Vapor Barrier. Unlike chemical insulators that completely seal and compromise timber structures, this bio-based system allows the building to breathe and naturally regulate humidity—authentically carrying forward the brewery's original architectural DNA—while simultaneously achieving the high thermal efficiency and acoustic privacy standards required by luxury hospitality.
Guest Experience& Sense of Place
How does your design create a unique and memorable experience for guests, and in what ways does it strengthen their connection to the site's heritage, culture, and local context?
The guest experience in "JIPYEONG: FERMENTED STAY" is designed around a floor-sitting lifestyle and a seamless connection to the surrounding environment. The 4-panel sliding door system minimizes physical barriers, reinterpreting the traditional concept of 'Borrowed Scenery' by inviting the outside landscape directly into the guest rooms.
Furthermore, elements like the Toetmaru (a wooden veranda acting as a flexible buffer) and the Pyeongsang (an open, wall-less platform) blur private and public boundaries. This encourages guests to step out, relax, and connect naturally with the heritage of the site, transforming a simple overnight stay into an immersive cultural experience.
Sustainability & Responsible Design
Adaptive reuse is often considered a sustainable architectural approach. What environmental, social, or economic sustainability strategies did you incorporate into your proposal?
My proposal features a sustainable timber extension engineered for a circular lifecycle, from operation to deconstruction.
I utilized traditional interlocking joinery, including Four-Way Interlocking Joints and Shouldered Tenon Joints, which eliminate the need for carbon-heavy chemical fasteners. For insulation, I incorporated upcycled rice husk charcoal boards paired with loess plaster, ensuring exceptional long-term thermal efficiency. This eco-friendly material palette significantly lowers the carbon footprint while respecting regional craftsmanship and agricultural upcycling.
Community & Cultural Impact
Beyond serving as a hotel, how does your project engage with the surrounding community and contribute to the cultural and urban life of the area?
My project actively rejects the isolation typically associated with luxury hospitality destinations; instead, it acts as a contemporary 'Jumak' that balances tranquil rest with vibrant community exchange. This is achieved through a strategic, time-based program integration built directly into the Dining & Pub layout:
• 07:00–10:00 (Hotel Guests): The space serves exclusively as a peaceful breakfast area for overnight guests.
• 11:00–19:00 (Guests + Residents): It transforms into an inclusive dining space where lunch and dinner are prepared using fresh, local ingredients from Jipyeong, bringing travelers and local residents together.
• 19:00–23:00 (Guests + Residents): It evolves into a Makgeolli bar offering Jipyeong’s signature rice wine paired with seasonal local snacks, revitalizing the site's original identity as a social hub.
By utilizing wall-free, open architectural features such as the Daecheong-maru, Toetmaru, and Pyeongsang, the design creates welcoming communal hubs that naturally bridge the gap between local residents and visitors. Through this spatial fluidity, the hotel seamlessly integrates into the daily life of Jipyeong-ri, contributing directly to the cultural and urban vitality of the surrounding area.
Design Challenges & Innovation
What were the most significant challenges you encountered while working with an existing structure, and what innovative solutions did you develop to address them?
The most significant challenge I encountered was introducing modern, private hospitality functions—such as strict acoustic privacy and climate control—into a historic, open timber frame without destroying its poetic spatial character and its inherent need to "breathe."
My innovation lies in the holistic integration of the traditional Lifting Window, the modular Kan grid, and the upcycled rice husk insulation envelope. The Lifting Window allows users to dynamically modulate the boundary between complete openness and enclosure. By pairing this feature with a modern Glulam structure (using 150x300mm Daedeulbo beams and 150x150mm columns) and a Smart Vapor Barrier, I solved the technical and structural demands of a luxury hotel. This approach fully resolved modern engineering requirements while meticulously preserving the wall-free, breathable, and fluid aesthetic of traditional Korean architecture.
The Future of Adaptive Reuse
As cities continue to evolve, what role do you believe adaptive reuse will play in shaping the future of architecture, hospitality, and heritage conservation?
The future of architecture lies not in erasing the past, but in fermenting it for modern use. In an era where endless demolition and new construction are no longer environmentally or culturally sustainable, adaptive reuse will become the primary vehicle for responsible urban evolution.
In the hospitality sector, contemporary travelers no longer seek generic, cookie-cutter luxury; they desire an authentic sense of place deeply rooted in regional narrative. By anchoring modern premium functions within historical sanctuaries like the Jipyeong Brewery, adaptive reuse proves that heritage conservation does not have to be a static, passive effort. Instead, it can serve as an economically viable, socially engaging, and environmentally responsible cornerstone that actively shapes the future of community life and architecture.
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