Innovative technologies applied, including high-efficiency smart construction technology and carbon reduction
Groundbreaking begins on 416 integrated public rental units in Sejong Living Zone 6-3
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (hereinafter the Ministry) and LH held a groundbreaking ceremony on September 19 for a modular integrated public rental housing complex in Living Zone 6-3 (UR1·UR2) of the Sejong Multifunctional Administrative City (hereinafter Sejong City).
Modular housing is built using Off-Site Construction (OSC), a construction method in which 70–80% of materials and components—such as exterior walls, windows and doors, electrical wiring, piping, bathrooms, and kitchen fixtures—are prefabricated in box form at a factory, transported to the site, and then installed.
It can shorten the construction period by about 30% compared with conventional reinforced concrete methods, reduce carbon and waste emissions during the construction phase, and represents an innovative form of housing that can overcome the construction industry's chronic problems of low productivity, labor shortages, and safety and quality issues.
The modular integrated public rental housing complex in Sejong City Living Zone 6-3 (UR1·UR2) will comprise a total of 416 units across four buildings of seven stories above ground. This complex is the largest of its kind in Korea by number of units among modular-built housing, with the main unit sizes ranging from 21 to 44㎡ of exclusive floor area.
This modular housing is regarded as fully showcasing the characteristics and advantages of modular construction—not only delivering comfortable residential performance equal to or better than that of typical apartment housing, but also excelling in aesthetics and urban landscape—by introducing duplex terrace units to create a stepped façade, thereby securing diverse elevations and ample natural light.
The modular integrated public rental housing complex in Sejong City Living Zone 6-3 is scheduled to be completed and occupied in the second half of 2024.
To promote modular housing, the Ministry is actively pursuing various measures to expand modular housing, incorporating them into key national policies such as the state affairs implementation tasks, the Plan for Achieving Housing Stability for the People (August 16), and the Plan for Promoting Smart Construction Technology (July 19).
To develop the core technologies for modular housing construction, the Ministry has, through national R&D demonstration projects since 2014, completed the Cheonan Dujeong modular housing (40 units, 6 stories) and the Seoul Gayang happy housing (30 units, 6 stories), and is currently building a 13-story modular housing project (106 units) in Yeongdeok, Yongin—the tallest of its kind in Korea.
In addition, to rapidly grow Korea's still-nascent modular housing industry, the Ministry continues to expand public procurement of modular housing, and to encourage voluntary modular housing construction in the private sector, it is also pursuing incentives such as relaxed building standards for modular housing regarding floor area ratio, building coverage ratio, and height limits.
LH, the client for this project, plans to actively work to enhance housing quality and reduce project risks by forming a project review council composed of experts familiar with modular construction—drawing on its accumulated experience in modular housing projects—to regularly monitor the project.
The project review council is composed of eight external experts across construction processes and fields, and was introduced to establish standards for modular housing projects by organizing the overall project process, including the procurement method, in order to apply smart construction technology to housing projects.
▲ Bird's-eye view of the modular housing complex in Sejong City Living Zone 6-3