ROOFTOP URBANISM : Urban Ecology of the Oktapbang in Changshin-dong, Seoul

HYPER HYPO SEOUL / ROOFTOP URBANISM

ROOFTOP URBANISM Urban Ecology of the Oktapbangs in Changshin-dong, Seoul

Oktapbang, rooftop rooms, are mostly single room unit rentals of illegally converted staircase bulkheads on the rooftop of 3-5 story multifamily low-income housing buildings called “villas”. Due to the lack of aﬀordable housing especially for the growing population of single person households, Okatapbangs have become ubiquitous throughout the low-rise residential districts of Seoul. Recent K-dramas have romanticized the Oktapbang as a transition space for young people with big dreams, with its large open rooftop terrace with glamorous views of the city. But in reality Oktapbangs are illegal housing that have barely working plumbing, leaks and no proper heating and bare minimum insulation during the winter. Renters have minimum protection against forced evictions and rent increase. In 2014 the government initiated a program to allow legalization of illegal Oktapbang construction but due to additional cost required to process additional architectural documents and surveys, the program was not successful. We investigate the urban typology and ecology of the Oktapbang to identify the problems and possibilities of rooftop housing. We propose to facilitate more single-person housing utilizing the rooftops but with construction systems that can meet basic code and living standards. We also propose federal and city grants and subsidy programs that can facilitate the owners to actively expand on a new type of rooftop housing for the city and also protect tenant rightsh. This in turn will help regenerate the commercial fabric of neighborhoods through the inﬂux of young single person households.

sources: https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20190322056200797 https://www.mk.co.kr/news/realestate/view/2014/10/1320769/

Seoul National University Graduate School of Environmental Studies Dept. of Landscape Architecture + Graduate Program for Urban Design URBAN TERRAINS LAB / Program Director, Yehre Suh / Investigator, Seungmin Noh

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ROOFTOP URBANISM : Urban Ecology of the Oktapbang in Changshin-dong, Seoul

Published on Jun 1, 2021

Yehre Suh / Urban Terrains Lab

Oktapbang, rooftop rooms, are mostly single room unit rentals of illegally converted staircase bulkheads on the rooftop of 3-5 story multi-family low-income housing. Due to the lack of affordable housing especially for the growing population of single person households, Oktapbangs have become ubiquitous throughout Seoul. Most of these illegal housing barely meet code and tenants have minimum protection against forced evictions and rent increases. We investigate the urban typology and ecology of the Oktapbang to identify the problems and possibilities of rooftop housing. We propose to facilitate more single-person housing utilizing the rooftops but with affordable construction systems that can meet basic code and living standards. We also propose grants and subsidy programs that can facilitate the owners to actively legalize rooftop housing and also protect tenant rights. This in turn will help regenerate the commercial fabric of neighborhoods through the influx of young single person households.