UWS Headquarters, Design Project.

Located just a block behind COEX in Samseong-dong, the UWS headquarters is the first permanent home of a cutting-edge IT company specializing in cloud, data services, and blockchain—moving beyond previously rented spaces.

The site, situated at the northeast corner of a one-way 6-meter-wide road intersection, has a long rectangular shape stretching north to south. Formerly occupied by a house, the plot is modest in size at just over 60 pyeong (about 200 m²).

To comfortably and efficiently accommodate a growing number of employees on this compact site, a highly functional and straightforward floor plan was adopted. With each floor covering about 30 pyeong (roughly 100 m²) and housing at least 20 employees with sizable desks, the core was designed to be as compact as possible. For comfort, privacy, and convenience, each floor landing was equipped with two single-user restrooms.

The building’s identity as a state-of-the-art IT headquarters is subtly expressed through bent panels of silver-colored steel, evoking the look of computers and IT devices. The design takes the form of a simple box—free of unnecessary projections—intended to minimize common long-term building defects such as thermal bridging, water leakage, and condensation. This approach also simplified construction and helped reduce costs compared to other buildings of similar scale.

On the south side, where neighboring buildings are set back to secure sunlight rights in the north-south orientation, the façade was designed as a fully transparent curtain wall to maximize daylight, solar access, and views toward the garden. On the northeast corner, a three-story transparent window was installed to face the intersection and main entrance, responding to the site conditions.

Other independent windows primarily serve ventilation purposes. Instead of prioritizing views or daylight, their placement and scale were tailored to the needs of computer-focused office work, ensuring balanced lighting and comfortable concentration. Perforated metal panels were added to the exterior, accentuating the understated, shimmering simplicity of the box form and reinforcing the symbolic image of an IT enterprise.

Nevertheless, the rooftop was planned as a garden for employees, while mechanical parking systems were introduced to provide more than twice the legally required capacity, along with dedicated waiting areas—offering maximum convenience for users.