One might easily surmise that there are only a few types of housing in South Korea, and rightly so. The urban landscapes in the country are dominated by towering apartment blocks and low-rise multi-unit buildings called "villas."

What is less well known is that new types of homes are being built that aim to break the isolation and monotony of apartments by creating shared spaces. These buildings, while still few in number and mostly hidden from sight in the densely packed city of Seoul, also offer the possibility of different lifestyles.

Design creates connection

People holding saplings and plants gathered around a modest flowerbed at a small alley near Myongji University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 20. The residents of Third Place 6 were discussing the arrangement of the plants and working the soil together.

The building, with its white exterior and irregularly placed windows, stands out among the standardized red-brick villas, or low-rise apartments, surrounding it. Third Place 6 has a small garden at the entrance, visible from the street, that adds to its distinct charm.

Third Place 6 was created by Park Chang-hyun, CEO of a round architects, and is the sixth building in a series of shared dwellings in the area that prioritize social connection among residents.

Completed at the end of last year, the building has two units on both the second and third floors, one unit on the fourth floor, and is home to five residents. Each unit has a unique layout, allowing its occupants to fully express their individual tastes and personalities.

Third Place 6 was developed as part of a Seoul City initiative launched in 2017 to overcome the limitations of conventional housing. Rent is set at less than 95 percent of the area's market rate. Residents are required to participate in and co-organize various community programs as part of their tenancy.

“Standardized housing often isolates households, creating a disconnection. Here, the aim is to enable a life where neighbors are naturally linked through their shared living environment,” explained Park.

To encourage interactions among residents, Third Place 6 has eliminated elevators, with spacious stairways and hallways making up 40 percent of the building’s layout. These areas become a place to rest, chat and connect, with tables and chairs facilitating casual meetings.

Park explained that “housing is not merely a place to live but a medium for connecting people.” Reflecting local features and residents’ interests, each Third Place has a theme. Third Place 6 has a “plant” theme, providing a small shared garden. Once a month, the residents come together to take care of the plants and maintain the garden.

Lee, a 3D visualizer who moved into Third Place 6 from a typical Korean "villa," shared that she used to worry about safety so much that she bought a CCTV camera for her door. However, after moving here, she no longer sees her neighbors as potential threats but as people she can depend on. “Now I even feel comfortable sharing my door passcode with my neighbors when I need help.”

“I’m now more attuned to the changes in the seasons, and I spend more time at home. The unique structure creates spaces that allow for spontaneous interactions with neighbors,” said another resident, surnamed Park, who emphasized how much he enjoys the spacious stairs and hallways.

"The whole building feels like a home, and it brings a sense of openness and ease,” he added.

Choi, a professor in her 50s, said her concept of “home” has expanded since moving to Third Place 6. “In an apartment, I only felt at home once I was inside my unit. But here, I feel at ease as soon as I enter the alley.”

Recalling her time studying in France, Choi described how neighbors there would sometimes knock on one another's doors for small favors or impromptu gatherings. She has rediscovered that same sense of freedom and connection here. “In a large apartment, the only interaction that happened was complaints about noise, and only a few people greeted each other in the elevator. Here, I feel like I’m part of a shared life with my neighbors.”

Designed to balance independence with connection, Third Place 6 allows residents to maintain their privacy while fostering neighborly awareness. Home is no longer just a private space but one that extends to space shared with others.

This sense of solidarity might very well extend beyond the walls and reach other people in the neighborhood. “Area residents also join a plant-related workshop supported by Seodaemun-gu, naturally expanding our sense of community. I’m hopeful that the sense of community will grow to include the wider neighborhood.”

Building community beyond walls

Another example of shared housing that fosters such connections is Collective Mine, located in Gungjeong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Located west of Gyeongbokgung and Chung Wa Dae, the former presidential office complex, it's in a quiet little neighborhood of low-rise houses, offering a clear view of Bugaksan and Inwangsan.

On the afternoon of Oct. 30, people were lined up next to a brick building on a quiet street in Gungjeong-dong. They had come to check out the modest vegetable market held occasionally at the cafe on the first floor of Collective Mine. The market serves as a neighborhood gathering spot. As one young man picked up a vegetable, an elderly woman took notice and offered some tips on how to cook it. When an eggplant rolled under a truck, passersby worked together to retrieve it, adding to the light-hearted atmosphere.

Collective Mine is a four-story wooden building completed in November 2019 on Seoul city-owned land leased for 40 years. It features 11 rooms with shared bathrooms and a single entrance. It is an all-female residence and, due to limited space, there is no parking.

Prioritizing public engagement from its inception, Collective Mine presents a new perspective on rental housing by building positive relationships with the neighborhood.

Seoul Social Standard Director Kim Hana, the creator of Collective Mine, recalled the initial challenges, noting that new rental units are often met with strong opposition from neighborhood residents due to concerns about a potential drop in rent prices or property values.

“To address such negative perceptions, we aimed to create a space that would provide tangible benefits to the local community. The cafe on the ground floor serves as a gathering place for residents and neighborhood people alike, and revenue from the cafe covers a portion of the residents’ rent,” said Kim.

Residents have formed relationships with their neighbors by participating in casual interactions at the cafe, which has now become a natural social safety net.

Kim agreed that newer apartment complexes today provide high-quality communal facilities, but noted that they are often exclusively for the residents, creating a closed environment. “Bonds within the building are important, but engaging with the neighborhood community is equally valuable,” said Kim.

At Collective Mine, residents have access to two washrooms, two restrooms, and a single bathroom shared by four residents on each floor. Though their rooms are not overly spacious, residents feel the extended neighborhood — including its parks and cafes — are part of their personal space. “Instead of relying on surveillance cameras, I believe we get a greater sense of security from connections with our neighbors,” Kim added.

Kim emphasized that single-person rental housing will increasingly be in demand. “Previously, shared housing was seen as suitable only for younger people. However, recent data show that there are almost as many of single-person households among the elderly as in the younger generation.”

This article is the second in a series exploring diversity in housing in South Korea. --Ed.