▴Achieving a 991% Floor Area Ratio on a 1,709.4㎡ Site with an Efficient Mixed-Use Development Proposal

▴‘Hackers Square’: Translating Brand Philosophy into Space Through a Library-Inspired Motif

 

 

Gansam has been selected as the winner of the “Hackers Education Group Headquarters Design Competition.”

The competition aimed to create a symbolic educational environment that embodies the vision of Hackers Education Group, a leading institution in the professional certification examination sector, while integrating organizational functions previously dispersed across multiple buildings to enhance operational synergy.

The client emphasized the exclusion of excessive ornamentation, seeking instead to express corporate identity through materials and the intrinsic values of architecture itself. Gansam received high praise for overcoming the constraints of a high-density urban site and proposing a refined architectural language that establishes a strong presence, while organically integrating educational and work functions within a cohesive mixed-use space.

 

Establishing Trust in the Urban Context Through a Restrained Grid Façade

The site is located in a high-density urban area, surrounded by high-rise buildings on all sides except the north, resulting in limited access to daylight and views. To address these constraints, a grid façade with clear order and rhythm was applied. The systematic modules and stable proportions of the grid pattern visually express Hackers’ corporate philosophy of structure and reliability.

 

In addition, spatial efficiency was maximized through a front-oriented office layout and an eccentrically positioned core, while a pilotis-type public open space was introduced to significantly enhance accessibility from the main boulevard.

 

 

‘Hackers Square’: A Lobby Space Shaped by the Accumulation of Knowledge

The interior spaces reinterpret the essence of the education group the accumulation and transmission of knowledge through the archetypal image of a library. The main lobby, ‘Hackers Square,’ is designed as a vertically open, plaza-like space extending from the first to the third floor.

 

Centered around the Hackers Library, positioned between a series of arch structures, the continuous library spaces visually express the process through which knowledge is accumulated, while naturally conveying the brand identity to both visitors and employees.

 

 

 

An Efficient Mixed-Use Environment Through the Vertical Integration of Education and Work

Gansam enhanced spatial efficiency by securing an optimal floor area ratio of 991% on a limited 1,709.4㎡ site.

The program was vertically integrated to allow education and work functions to operate as a single ecosystem. Centered around the symbolic Hackers Square, the building is organized vertically with the Academy (Levels 4–7), Workplace (Levels 8–17), and Lounge (Level 18), strengthening the connection between learning and working environments.

The Academy incorporates flexible partition systems to adapt to changes in educational programs, while the workplace features a three-sided open-plan layout combined with biophilic design, creating a comfortable and healthy working environment. User convenience was further enhanced through a three-level underground self-parking facility accommodating 121 vehicles, along with a clear separation of circulation for students and employees.

 

 

 

 

A representative of Gansam stated, “We focused on establishing a strong presence within the urban context through a restrained design, while translating Hackers’ educational philosophy into a spatial experience,” adding,
“We hope this headquarters will become a new landmark that embodies the identity of the education group and a space that earns lasting trust over time.”