Towards Metabolic Circularity in South Korean Housing

Abstract

This thesis challenges South Korea’s demolition first approach to aging apartment complexes, arguing that wholesale reconstruction intensifies carbon emissions, material waste, and repetitive residential form. Using Eunma Apartment as a material extraction site and Mido Apartment as a site of architectural intervention in Seoul, it asks whether a renovation-based model can establish a new urban circularity of apartment materials while also addressing long standing architectural deficiencies. It proposes a metabolic framework in which concrete and steel recovered from decommissioned housing are processed, refabricated, and reintroduced into targeted renovation sites. Through this approach, the project improves spatial quality, public space, parking, and residential adaptability, while diversifying existing apartment modules to better accommodate smaller households. The thesis argues that circular renovation can reduce construction related carbon emissions, extend the life of existing housing stock, and offer a more adaptive alternative to conventional reconstruction.