LH Launches Youth Housing Design and Idea Competition

Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) announced on the 16th that it will hold the LH Youth Housing Architecture Competition for young people and adolescents. This marks the 29th edition of the annual housing sector competition.

The design category will focus on a site near an urban railway station in Hagye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul. There are no architectural restrictions other than a floor area ratio of 200% or less and a building coverage ratio of 60% or less. Previously, participation was limited to university students, but starting this year, anyone between the ages of 19 and 39 is eligible. Professor Lee Jungwon of Sungkyunkwan University will serve as the general coordinator, overseeing the competition theme and direction.

This year, an idea category has been introduced for the first time, allowing adolescents aged 9 to 18 to participate. For this category, participants are required to submit a short video featuring housing concepts that incorporate smart technologies. Judging for the design category will include both a written review and a presentation, while the idea category will be evaluated through two rounds of written reviews. Five external experts in the field of architecture will serve as judges.

The total prize money is 24 million won for the design category and 5.4 million won for the idea category. Top winners will be given opportunities such as participating in overseas architectural tours or receiving additional points on the written exam when applying for a job at LH. Lee Sangjo, head of LH's Smart Construction and Safety Division, stated, "This year's competition has expanded its eligibility and introduced a new category to discover new perspectives and future ideas for housing."