Sahmyook University Architecture Department Holds Graduation Exhibition 'For Humans; By Your Side'

Sahmyook University's Department of Architecture recently hosted its 2026 graduation exhibition, titled 'For Humans; By Your Side,' at the Maru Art Center in Seoul. The exhibition delved into the department's unique theme of 'human rights architecture,' positioning architecture not just as the creation of physical spaces, but as a foundation for organizing human lives and relationships.

The core concept of 'By Your Side' emphasized the spatial relationships that support human dignity and everyday existence. The exhibition critically examined the potential for architecture to respect and support human lives, underscoring the social responsibilities of the field. Student projects, developed over a month following final critiques, were judged by a panel on the day of the exhibition.

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Architecture does not begin with buildings, but with the daily lives of individuals, relationships with neighbors, and the memories of a community coalescing into space, finally revealing itself as architecture. The starting point of Sahmyook University's Department of Architecture's human rights architecture is to contemplate spaces where everyone can stay safely and the vulnerable are not excluded.

The grand prize was awarded to Lim Seung-min for 'RRC: 46,' a project focusing on the Gangnam Waste Incineration Facility. Instead of merely concealing or demolishing the facility, which has been perceived as an eyesore since its completion in 2001, the project preserved key architectural elements and spatial memories. It reinterpreted the site as a complex cultural space for citizens, integrating exhibition, cultural, and recreational programs within a reconfigured mass that connects with the surrounding urban fabric.

Another top honor, the Excellence Award, went to Kwon Ye-bin for 'The PLANT: Mapo Circular Economy Base.' This project transformed the Mapo Waste Incineration Facility into an active infrastructure. By moving waste processing underground, it created a vast rooftop park and vertical farm, topped with a 'breathing roof.' Notably, the project proposed a 'zero-emission' system that circulates exhaust gases from the underground process to power microalgae facades and smart farms, offering a vision for future urban architecture. Several other projects also received awards for their insightful contributions, exploring themes from disaster defense facilities to revitalizing historical water routes.

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I congratulate the students on completing this exhibition through their intense contemplation. I look forward to our graduates growing into architects who prioritize people and responsibly propose warm living spaces, rather than just designing more elaborate buildings.