Korean architecture
Compared to cooling technology such as air conditioners or fans, heating hardware has
Direction of heat
been
Gud
Buo
travel
integrated into the Hanok for centuries. One
of
Gudulj
the most durable concepts of technology to originate from Korea, the Ondol is a traditional system of floor heating. It is a system, first implemented in the Joseon dynasty era, that draws heat from the fire in kitchen through a pathway below the main house.
ul Oil paper
k
Goimd
ang
ol
the
Gorae
Agungi
The Buok, equivalent to the kitchen, was located off to one side of the main house, attached to the building on the outside. It serves the purpose of a kitchen, where food is cooked and prepared, but it also provides heat for the rest of the house. Instead of a stove, the Buok used the Agungi, a fireplace attached to the house, to cook and heat food. The Agungi was positioned this specific way to distribute heat between the Hanok and the Buok. Unlike a stove or an induction heating, the thermal energy of the Agungi was not concentrated at all; hence, the heat from its fire could be used to heat the interior of the house. As the fire burns, its smoke, along with the heat passes through the Gorae, a tunnel underneath the house. Above this tunnel are flat stones, ranging from 5 to 8 cm in thickness, named Guduljang. These stones rest uniformly on top of supporting stones, named Goimdol, to ensure even heat transfer to the room above. Another level above the Guduljang is the room floor, which is layered by sheets of oil paper, meaning the heat from the fire is contained enough to produce a comfortable level of heat without scorching whatever is on top of it. The combination of the Ondol system and the room that this system is built into is called a Gudul. 3 This explanation of the Ondol system makes it seem complex and difficult, but it is very similar to the modern floor heating system, and some even say that it has inspired the floor heating that is integrated into many buildings. However, the difference between the Ondol system and the average floor heating system is that it performs much more sustainably. As the system starts with heating slabs of stone, the heat lasts an incredibly long time from a single session of heating. In the time of the Hanok, residents often heated the room in the evening through lighting a fire in the Agungi and put out the fire before they went to sleep. Even without a source of energy, the Guduljang stored enough heat to warm the room overnight. In comparison to modern heating systems where, when turned off, the heat dissipates within an hour, the Ondol system has a much more efficient use of energy over a longer period of time.
Chae and kan – spatial ergonomics
As well as thermal factors, the spatial engineering and performance determine how comfortable it is to live in a house. Spatial performance includes factors such as the light distribution around the house, its
3 Kim B, Lee J (2003) ‘A Study of Ondol (Gudul, Floor Heating System) and Kitchen Space in the Traditional Houses on Jeju Island, Korea’, International Journal of Human Ecology, Vol. 4 No. 1 June 2003.
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