2023 Korea Young Architect Award given to four rising architects

The Korea Young Architect Award aims to recognize young architects who strive to design better spaces for people based on their own philosophy. This year, four emerging architects from three architecture firms have been recognized for their efforts with the award.

Among the 46 architects or collectives that were considered for the award, three architectural studios were chosen -- More Less Architects, Kimnam and Agit Studio -- the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday.

Architect Kim Young-soo, founder of More Less Architects, takes a meditative approach when looking at spaces. Although architecture pursues a practical function, Kim values artistic elements.

“We are pursuing subtly beautiful spaces,” he wrote on More Less Architects' website.

Aloha Dosan, a commercial building designed for sustainability, and Daily Care Center in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, designed for seniors are some of Kim's works.

Kimnam is run by Kim Jin-hyu and Nam Ho-jin, who co-founded the firm. The architects have designed spaces with a fundamental question: “How can architects contribute to society?”

The architects’ projects so far include Chalet a Pracondu in Switzerland that brought life to a century-old abandoned cottage and Warm and Cool, a residential building in Seoul.

"When we design a building, we try to recall a narrative or episode about the architecture. That is so as to emphasize with people and bring value to the architecture," Kim said at the final round of presentations to the judges on June 28, which was open to the public.

Architect Seo Ja-min who founded Agit Studio in 2013 has struggled to stick to her design philosophy from the early days of her practice, the architect said at her final presentation. The studio’s projects include the Ordinary Library and Time Walk in Seoul.

"As an architect, Seo sheds light on fundamental elements in architecture that would have been easily neglected in the field, posing a question to the older generation," wrote architect Lee Min-ah, one of the five experts on the judging panel.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Oct. 25 at Cultural Station 284, where models of the winners' works will also be displayed.

The Korea Young Architect Award was established in 2008 to discover and support up-and-coming architects.