Researcher ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4528-0928
Graduation Year
2024
Date of Submission
12-2023
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Environmental Analysis
Reader 1
Albert Park
Reader 2
Marc los Huertos
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2023 Jordan J Oh
Abstract
This thesis analyzes the traditional Korean hanok within the Western framework for sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. It then cross-references the findings of this analysis with existing theory on the cultural role of architecture to elucidate how the traditional Korean hanok can serve as a model for sustainable architecture in South Korea. Through a comprehensive analysis this thesis highlights the importance of architectural vernacular to define a sustainable building, and critiques contemporary Western ideas of sustainable architecture. Furthermore, this thesis synthesizes two current approaches to sustainable development in South Korea, the u-eco-city and the Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED), with the findings on the hanok's sustainable attributes. It concludes with a proposal for a comprehensive and culturally rooted model for sustainable architecture. This holistic model emphasizes the importance of considering culturally appropriate, place-based design in the built environment to stray from Western ideas of both modernity and sustainability. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of sustainability by bridging the gap between Eastern architectural traditions and Western sustainability paradigms and advocating for a more culturally sensitive approach to sustainable development. Further research on this topic on implementing a bottom-up aspect into G-SEED is recommended.
Recommended Citation
Oh, Jordan, "The Korean Hanok as a Model for Sustainable Architecture in South Korea" (2024). CMC Senior Theses. 3531.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3531
