Expanding Affordability with Wood Frame Infill Wall System for Korea’s Social Housing Market.

By: Tai Jeong

Country Director, Canada Wood Korea

The light wood-frame infill wall system will be applied to a 5-story Social housing project in Seoul as non-load bearing partition and exterior walls. The superstructure of this 780sqm building is reinforced concrete. The ground floor of this building will be used for commercial and office space, and the upper floors are for residential usage. Canada Wood Korea is extensively involved in this project by providing technical supports and creating a case study for future promotional activities. The installation of the wood wall will start this February, and the whole project will be completed by June 2020.

Growing demand for mid-rise buildings, including apartments and condominiums for affordable housing, creates an opportunity for the wood infill wall system as it’s an ideal solution to balance value with performance. Some of the key benefits, according to the architect of this project, are its environmental benefits, including healthier indoor air quality and its versatility if the building is under renovation or remodelling.

Mr. Park Won Soon, Mayor of Seoul, recently announced that the City of Seoul is planning to provide more than 10,000 Social housing units over the next three years.

* Social housing: The population of Seoul grew exponentially, and so did housing prices so affordable housing has been a key policy issue for city mayors. One distinctive feature of Korea’s public housing policy is that tenants tend to eventually purchase their apartments. Operators operate and support programs that utilize a variety of community spaces so that tenants can take the lead in restoring the community. TwitterLinkedIn