UB Students Collaborate Across Asia for Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism

Students from the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning joined peers from Chung-Ang University (CAU) in Seoul, Pusan National University (PNU) in Busan, and Japan Women’s University (JWU) in Tokyo to co-create Our Hagwon, a design-research project selected for the 5th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (SBAU) directed by Thomas Heatherwick.

Led by Jin Young Song, associate professor of Architecture at UB and founder of the international research collective Team Vertical Paradox (VP), the project examines Korea’s unique Hagwon culture—private learning institutes that have shaped urban life in dense metropolitan contexts. 

In 2022, private education spending in Korea reached a record 26 trillion won ($20 billion)—10.8% higher than the previous year and equivalent to Iceland’s GDP. Seoul alone has over 24,000 cram schools, three times more than convenience stores, and around 80% of students attend Hagwons. This intense culture fuels social inequality and contributes to student mental health issues. Suicide is the leading cause of death among Korean adolescents, with academic stress—a major risk factor—linked to about 12% of youth suicides. A national survey also cites childcare and education costs as key drivers of the country’s low birthrate.

The faculty-student team framed this problem as an opportunity to research the fundamental function of architecture, critically reexamining architecture’s public mission through verticality, education, art, community, and urbanism to propose new alternatives. Among 148 global teams and 1,214 community participants in the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, Our Hagwon was selected as one of nine projects to be exhibited in 2025.

“Global cities are increasingly similar in form and experience, shaped by commercial architecture and standardized products,” said Song. “Korea’s Hagwon buildings reveal how efficiency-driven development has come to define daily life within the urban landscape. Yet this generic setting also exposes local specificity—how a culture adapts, resists, and expresses itself even within sameness. Through this inter-university collaboration, we treated design as a shared language across different pedagogies, representations, and identities. Working together, we asked not only how façades function, but how architecture can meaningfully serve society in the places where learning, aspiration, and pressure converge.”

More than 70 students from four universities collaborated across three countries to investigate how façades, learning environments, and public rituals intersect in high-density cities. The cross-institutional studios met online and through thematic workshops, exchanging drawings, models, and research on educational architecture and community spaces.

UB students offered fresh insights into the elemental functions of building façades within the urban fabric. The Japanese student–faculty team examined parallels in ‘juku’, Japan’s own version of cram schools, bringing a distinct cultural perspective. Professors at the Korean partner universities contributed research grounded in urban data and sociological analysis.

“Now that we can learn anytime and anywhere beyond the classroom, learning environments can emerge through new connections with contemporary urban and social challenges,” said Song. “This only requires passion and curiosity to explore, expand, and grow.”

The 2024 UB Graduate Research Studio in the Department of Architecture, taught by Song, emphasized façade design and ritual space as a framework for architectural agency and connection between people. The 2025 studio, taught by Greg Serweta, focused on vertical communities and the social potential of tall buildings.

Both studios are supported by DeSimone Consulting Engineers. In addition to their generous commitment to advancing building-façade research and education, they have provided direct professional support to student teams. Façade specialists Rok Lee, Daniel Chung, Benjamin Reich, and Whitney Boykin worked closely with students, helping them translate conceptual ideas into advanced professional knowledge in façade systems and structural engineering.

The studio explored the cultural, social, and economic dimensions of architecture through inter-cultural and cross-institutional collaboration. It reimagined façades and urban learning environments as civic interfaces, connecting students, professionals, and communities.

“This research studio and the Biennale participation were one of the most rewarding experiences of my time at the University at Buffalo. It challenged our team to develop innovative, real-world solutions for vertical school design, with a focus on Hagwons. Guided by mentors and weekly consultations with DeSimone Façade Engineers, we refined our designs and detailed solutions as if preparing them for construction,” said Melanie Wu, who graduated from UB with a Masters of Architecture degree in 2025. “This collaborative and iterative process strengthened both our technical and creative skills,” Wu continued. “The studio also offered invaluable international engagement. Presenting our work globally alongside peers and professionals instilled a deep sense of pride in the impact of our design.”

The final installation, part of the Humanize Wall, is currently on view as a major feature of the Biennale at Songhyun Plaza near Gwanghwamun Gate in Seoul. An accompanying exhibition, Our Hagwon Folding Screen, is on display at the Hour Gallery of the Seoul Hall of Architecture and Urbanism, featuring collaborative drawings and a six-meter-wide photographic folding panel developed by students from all four institutions. Officially, a total of 810,000 visitors joined the Biennale, making it a truly valuable opportunity to showcase UB to the global audience.

“This is a powerful example of UB’s global engagement,” said Erkin Özay, chair of the Department of Architecture. “Our students didn’t just participate—they co-authored a design dialogue with peers from other universities across Asia, linking architecture, culture, and education.”

The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (SBAU) is a global platform for design, innovation, and urban research. Curated by Thomas Heatherwick, the 2025 edition explores the theme “Humanise”, calling for architecture that restores empathy and human connection in the built environment. Team VP’s project is printed on metal panels in this large-scale installation (Humanize Wall). The event ran through November 28, and the installation has now been relocated for permanent exhibition in Seoul. 

Team VP (Vertical Paradox) is a research/design group that critically explores learning environments and private educational spaces in metropolitan contexts. The team consists of researchers from diverse backgrounds and operates through international collaboration among Chung-Ang University (CAU), Pusan National University (PNU), Japan Women’s University (JWU), and the University at Buffalo. Focusing on the impact of commercial buildings that house Hagwons on urban streets and social life, the team investigates how educational spaces shape the social and spatial structures of cities and articulates alternative imaginaries through design research.

Team VP: Jin Young Song (UB), Soe Won Hwang (CAU), Keojin Jin (PNU), Gregory Serweta (UB), Kaz T. Yoneda (JWU), Seunghan Paek (PNU), Jimin Lee (Arum).

SUNY Buffalo Students (Ryan Allgaier, Joey Amirato, Troy Behar, Aditya Datta, Jasmin Ferreiras, Michael Hernandez, James Herlihy, Omar Ibrahim, Zach Izzo, Andrew Hu, Alex Hoover, Yau Wai Lam, Jack McGowan, Anthony Meli, Safayath Rafat, Brandon Rosas, Ian Simmons, Amanda Spidalieri, Huiying Tan, Staci Tubiolo, Antonio Vargas, Melanie Wu, Sandra Zarub, Bobby Zhao).

The project is supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, UB Office of International Education, UB Department of Architecture, Chung-Ang University, Pusan National University, and DeSimone Consulting Engineers.