Hyunjoon Yoo + Partners Complete Smurf Village School in South Korea

Hyunjoon Yoo + Partners designed the Smurf Village School in Hwaseong-si, South Korea, completed in 2021. The architectural firm aimed to create a village-like environment for children's development through varied building groups and yards. Lead architects Hyunjoon Yoo and Jiyoung Jon led the design team, which included Jinsung Heo, Jiho Kim, Taewon Choi, Eunsuk Noh, and Seonghyeon Baek. The 8,781-square-meter project features smaller building blocks instead of a single large structure, departing from standard Korean school layouts. Photographer Kyungsub Shin documented the school, which incorporates products from manufacturer Eagon. Builders Seojin, structural engineers Seum, civil engineers Anam Engineering, lighting designers Newds, energy consultants ENH, landscape designers Studio HYMH, and M/E engineers LEEGUN engineering with electrical consultant Hyeob-In all contributed to the construction. The design encourages open-mindedness and endeavor in children by providing diverse outdoor spaces for play between buildings.