UNWASTED
Urban Regeneration
Yakryeong Market, Seoul, South Korea
Enriched with history, Yakryeong Market is the oldest standing herbal market in South Korea. However, like many other traditional places, the city development has posed a catalysing threat to the decay of the market.
Is there a way to revive this market that is otherwise gone?
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*This project was selected to exhibit in Seoul Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism in 2019*
Note: we were initially assigned to work the team of three for the urban research and scheme, and later proceeded on individual architectural projects that involves the site regulations of 50% residential and 50% commercial space, in addition to the parking to total constructed area in the ratio of 1:15. Additionally, there should be some connections between each project within the team. Regardless, the studio places more focus on the urban scale.
The Silent Journey of Herbs
We perceived the market as an actual and potential network, from the process of making to distribution to sales and consumption. Along the journey, we noticed a quantity of by-products produced, and that became our main topic. Currently, these wastes are collected and recycled outside, but what if it happens within the market? We then proposed another network injected that will work along side with the existing one, under the main concept of recycling.
From there, our idea was to create our individual programs that are closely connected to one another, operating under the recycling hub concept.
Urban Research
We looked into the existing waste distribution, indicating the representative sizes of icons in relation to the amount of waste, and categorised it into 4 groups: herbal, organic, recycling and inorganic, in which the first three would be recycled in our hub. We also observed and mapped out the mass and void as well as programs for each building, in addition to human and vehicle circulation. From there, we noticed that the most circulated routes for human, one-way driveways for vehicles the large void space in the center which is the site's museum, and the locations for herbal related programs that are mostly located along the east and center the vertical axis. Subsequently, these factors contribute to the site selection that was in the center of the market.
Urban Scheme
Being centralised together, the sites are interconnected, allowing the efficient operation while providing a learning platform for users to experience the whole processes of recycling. With this, in respect to the oneway driving constraint, we came up with the new driveway system that divided into three routes for the waste collection in different zones. Additionally, we also proposed new bin system, design and organisation to replace the old and unused ones. The amount of the bins placed in each area is in relation to the actual amount we found in the site.
Visual Manifesto
Collected the herbs and herbal waste from the site, we made a collage of our collective ideas out of it.
Our projects are closely connected by both the programs which work together as a hub and the journey that takes users through our site.
The art piece shows the wastes come in our hub (from the top), being recycled (on the left) to fertilisers, which then being distributed (on the right)
As the process proceeds, the modules become more fragmented accordingly.
Thus, first collective space (Site A) is the collection point, workshop and exhibition area which acts an introduction internally (among us) and externally (the public).
The second (Site B) is then the fertilizing farming where the selected organic wastes will be transformed to fertilisers, using the the techniques of earthworm farming.
The third (Site C) becomes the market for people to purchase our as well as other products.
Vermicular
I took on Site B, the fertilising farm using the techniques of worm farming, using the continuous flow systems, in which the earthworms ingest and digest the organic wastes, and discard the vermicomposts that are highly nutritious as fertilisers in a waste container before moving themselves to the next one. The spaces designed for users are then divided into two -- one for worms and another for humans, challenging the dependent coexistence between both, creating the "win-win" situation where worms need the wastes generated by humans for food while humans need the worms to transform their waste into valuable products. These two spaces come under the arch forms with different transparencies to serve different functional purposes.
Prototype I & II
The prototypes visualise the developing and final overall idea of the exterior spaces including the massing and connecting route
The Journey in Vermicular
The plans and axonometric drawings show the connecting routes between our sites, the subprogram programs and interior spaces in Vermicular as well as the underground carpark.
When entering from site A, visitors are greeted with exhibition space showcasing the processes of worm farming from the start to the end product and result as shown in the photos below. As they walk through the route, another public access is the shared cafeteria and garden for both them and the inhabitants.
Therefore, Vermicular aims to provide a platform for worm-fertilising-farming exchanges in terms of inspiration and knowledge
The Main Entrance
One of the two public open garden spaces
The Worm Farming Exhibition
The garden is grown using soil and the fertilisers obtained from the process
About Vermicular
A series of transparencies in the catenary arch dome forms become living spaces, where worms would live in the changeable containers in the arches and human under the arch domes. In these containers, there are small holes with meshes for drainage and ventilation while the sub-poles that lies across act as the locks and climbing media. After 22 - 30 days, the worms instinctively move from one container to the next when all the wastes are digested, allowing the fertilising continual. The finished fertilisers are then collected by the inhabitants, replacing them with new organic waste, creating the interaction between them. The arches also act as light poles as an efficient amount of electricity can be extracted during this process.
Though it is not highly successful in terms of connecting back to the recycling theme, the main materials proposed for the arches and domes were the PVCs, white concrete infused with herbs, glass and polycarbonate sheets respectively.
The Underground Entrance
Another entrance from the carpark that provides access to the cafeteria
The Interior Space
The coexisted living space between worms and humans
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Can this soon be the living habitat?
With the injected network, we hope to encourage more visitors to provide them the platform for interactive learning experiences in order to preserve and regenerate this traditional herbal market for the generations to come
Urban team members : Lee Siin, Kang Taehwa, Yamin K.
Instructor : Prof. Byun Hyojin
