Hidden Sunken Hub

An architecture that revives the memory of a place through reinterpretation. Hidden Sunken Hub is a residential project built upon the context of a former school swimming pool — a space that once embodied joy, vibrancy, and inspiration during childhood. The design concept begins by recalling the atmosphere of this forgotten place and transforming it into a new architectural experience, allowing the spirit of the original space to re-emerge in a different form. The client envisioned a home that maintains a strong sense of privacy from the outside world. Activities within the house should remain concealed from external views, while the occupants inside are still able to observe and stay connected with the outside environment. To respond to this vision, the design adopts the concept of Closed–Open Architecture, creating a delicate balance between enclosure and openness. This approach allows the building to protect the intimacy of its interior while maintaining a subtle relationship with its surrounding context, ultimately shaping the spatial experience of the house. Another challenge of the project lies in its construction condition. Since the building sits on top of the former swimming pool structure, the architectural system must remain relatively lightweight. However, the client strongly preferred a bold and raw aesthetic reminiscent of a concrete house. To reconcile these contrasting requirements, the design introduces an alternative material strategy: a foam-based structural core wrapped with cement board panels and finished with a thin concrete-like plaster surface. This technique preserves the visual weight and tactile character of concrete architecture while significantly reducing the overall load of the structure. The result is a building that appears solid and monolithic, yet is technically lightweight and carefully engineered for its site condition. Within its modest footprint of 100 square meters, Hidden Sunken Hub becomes more than a residence; it is a reinterpretation of memory, material, and architectural perception — a hidden dwelling embedded within the landscape of memory.