Ulsan, South Korea

Once a village known for pottery kilns, the site is defined by gentle, rolling hills and the rhythmic patterns of fertile soil.

Over time, cultivation shaped this land into a landscape where human life and nature naturally coexisted — the foundation upon which the architecture takes form.

Orvis Clubhouse by LESS ARCHITECTS, won an 2026 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.

The design seeks harmony between architecture and the land. Streams and ponds weave through the site, bringing movement, reflection, and sound into daily experience.

Light and wind flow through the buildings, allowing nature to exist not beside architecture, but within it. From the geometry of the ground itself, a continuous sequence of forms was developed into the architectural design.

Through this process, an engaging encounter between land and architecture emerges — one that allows the buildings to rise naturally from the contours while maintaining unity with the landscape.

Where the architecture meets the earth, spaces transform into soft transitions — areas of “inhabitable nature” where people can rest, gather, and connect with the surroundings.

These thresholds blur the line between inside and outside, creating places that are both natural and livable.

Above this terrain, a collection of two-story, village-like structures unfolds across the site. Between them, open courtyards and terraces host daily life, encounters, and events — forming a small community within the landscape.

The two-story composition and three central courtyards create an intimate dialogue between interior and exterior spaces. These courtyards serve as mediating devices that link nature and architecture while encouraging a three-dimensional perception of space.

By allowing abundant light and wind to enter the interiors, they regulate the indoor environment and enhance the building’s energy-efficient character, reinforcing the sense of comfort and ecological balance throughout the site.

Rather than dominating the site, the architecture grows with it. Each structure responds to the changing seasons, light, and air, creating a continuous dialogue between the built and the natural.

By amplifying the site’s inherent rhythm and character, the project becomes more than architecture — it becomes a living environment where people, place, and nature exist in continuous harmony.

Project: Orvis Clubhouse
Architects: LESS ARCHITECTS
Lead Architect: Junseung Woo
Design Team: Hokyoum Kim, Siyeol Song Jinkwan Kim, Sunhwa Lee, Dongwook Kim Seongmi Pyo, Junhyeong Kim
Landscape Architects: Prof. Young Min Kim, IRE
Lighting Design: Lightology
General Contractor: IDSTUDIO and JANGJIN
Client: Orvis Golf Club
Photographers: Donggyo Lee, LESS