A canopy of tree-like timber columns crowns the double-height living space at the centre of this polycarbonate-clad house, which JK-AR has completed in South Korea.

Named The House of Three Trees, the residence centres around the ornate wooden structure that JK-AR has created by merging the traditional wooden joinery technique Gong-po, otherwise known as Dougong, with digital modelling and fabrication.
The house intends to reintroduce old timber construction techniques that were once commonly used across east Asia, and showcase their potential when combined with contemporary building technologies.

"The house redefines the virtue of east Asian timber buildings in its tectonic aspect which is a combination of structure and ornamentation," explained the architecture studio. "Moreover, the house serves as an example of how contemporary technology such as design computation and digital fabrication can reinterpret traditional architecture. Technology can give east Asian timber construction the potential to evolve in a new direction."

The House of Three Trees' structure is composed of 4,006 individual pieces of wood, which are joined to create three tree-shaped columns. Above, the "trees" meet to form a canopy that spans the ceiling of the house.
The way in which they are combined means that they form a solid structure without the need for glues or fasteners.
"The tree structure of the house is solely composed of wooden joinery," added th...