House with an Oak Bark Roof in Daei-ri, Samcheok, Gangwondo, South Korea

Artist/Designer: Vernacular

Project Location: South Korea

Style/Period(s):
Traditional, Classical

Primary Material(s):
Clay, Wood, Stone

Function(s):
Residential Structure

Related Website(s):

Significant Date(s):
19th Century

Additional Information:
The house was designated as a National Folk Cultural Property in 1989, now referred to as National Folk Cultural Heritage. "Gul-pi" is the oak bark, about 3 cm thick, stripped from the base of oak trees like Korean oak, oriental oak, or sawtooth oak. A house with a roof made of oak bark is known as a "Gul-pi-jip." In the mountainous areas of Gangwon-do, where thatch or roof tiles were scarce, gul-pi was commonly used to cover roofs. It is known for its durability, with a saying that goes, "Tiles last ten thousand years, but gul-pi lasts a thousand."

The house layout is typical of a mountain home in Gangwon-do and follows a "gyeop-jip" (double-layered house) design. There is a central room called a "do-jang" between the main bedroom and the sarangbang (men's quarters), with a hallway or wooden floor space and a kitchen in front of these rooms. A door between the do-jang and the main room indicates that the do-jang was part of the main living space.

The floor plan is designed as a double-layered house shaped like a field (田). It is a closed floor plan comprising several rooms, such as the floor, primary bedroom, sarangbang, ji-jang (kitchen), and a stable (shed) in one house. This design is a response to the climate and external environment. Since the region experiences extreme cold, each room is attached to minimize exposure to the outside of the building. This design aims to trap warmth (latent heat) generated inside the house and keep it inside as much as possible to retain heat. Additionally, the design seeks to protect livestock from wild animals.

The "neo-wa-jip" (wooden-shingle-roofed homes) in the village have a main entrance in front of the wooden floor area, but it is less frequently used. People usually enter and exit through the door between the sa-rang-bang and the stable. The house features "kka-chi-gu-mung," a small hole for ventilation and lighting, as well as "go-kol," a fixture that serves as a light source and heating device. Go-kol refers to a hole made in a wall to place a 'Gwan-sol-bul.' 'Gwan-sol' is a pine tree branch or knot with a lot of pine resin. In the past, people would light a fire here to use it as a substitute for a lamp for both heating and lighting purposes. There is also a facility called "hwa-ti," a tool used to preserve embers for a long time, which is still maintained and located in one corner of the pavilion. The kitchen remains original, with square columns supporting the beams and roof on rough stone foundations, child columns, crossbeams, and main rafters completing the roof structure.

In the 1930s, it became more challenging to collect oak bark, so people started using materials from nearby oak trees in mountainous regions instead. The house is on the northern side of a stream in a long valley stretching east to west. While it's not known exactly when the house was built, its current state suggests it was constructed in the 19th century. This type of house is commonly found in mountainous areas such as Hamgyeong-do, Pyeongan-do, Gangwon-do, and Ulleungdo, particularly around the Gaema Plateau. These houses are most common in areas with heavy snowfall and significant temperature differences between summer and winter.

Address: 864-2, Hwanseon-ro, Singi-myeon, Samcheok, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea

Tags: Korea, Historic House, Hanok, Gangwondo

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