Origin: Korea, a traditional house form developed over centuries, notably in the Joseon era
Hanok is the name for the traditional Korean house, built with a timber frame, earth or plaster walls and a gently curved tiled roof. Its best-known features are the ondol, an underfloor heating system that carries hot air beneath the floor, and the maru, an airy timber-floored hall for the hot season. Sliding doors covered with hanji paper give a soft light, and the rooms gather around a courtyard.
In Vietnam the layout ideas of a courtyard, an airy timber veranda and lattice doors can be borrowed rather than rebuilding a literal hanok. Floor heating is rarely needed in the tropics, but warm timber floors are pleasant in northern winters. Locally made clay roof tiles, termite-treated timber and moisture-resistant paint suit the climate, and lattice doors can be glazed with frosted glass so that paper does not mould in the humid season.
