Increasing building value with attention to detail From space branding to building management

The Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize of architecture, has had nine winners in Japan alone. South Korea has never had a winner. The Pritzker Prize has been awarded since 1979 to architects who have made a lasting impact on society with their own philosophy. It has been pointed out that it is difficult to find a winner of the Pritzker Prize due to Korea＊s architectural culture of building fast and building a lot, which is stuck in a period of high growth, and the conservative and closed atmosphere of the Korean architectural community. Founded in 2020, Jaram Construction (CEO Kim Sun-ju) is a general contractor that has successfully completed a number of projects in its short history and has been well received by its clients. 

All-in-one service for design, construction, management, and space branding

Jaram Construction provides all-in-one services from planning, design, construction, management, and branding, and creates trend-setting spaces with meticulous construction and attention to detail that reflects the client’s taste and lifestyle. Space branding usually involves the risk of vacancy as the owner builds the building, but the company decides on a concept in advance and designs the building accordingly to attract tenants. Kim said “A brick building has a brand that goes with it. If a building has wooden finishes, there are brands to match. We recruit tenants based on the concept and also provide operations and management after the building is completed.” The Company has established a separate entity, We Make Associates, to provide building operations management services. A good example of the company’s successful spatial branding is the ‘Water Purification Garden Project’. Rather than attracting a popular brand, the company invited a more obscure furniture brand, Jackson Chameleon, to occupy the entire building from the basement to the fourth floor as a showroom, which was a huge success and made the building an attraction in the Gwacheon-Uiwang area.

Young and free-spirited, proactive, and on the move

Since its establishment in 2020, Jaram Construction has successfully executed more than 40 projects, including a variety of single-family homes, office buildings, commercial centers, factories, and neighborhoods, and has been well received by its clients. CEO Kim Sun-ju, who was in charge of big design projects such as Hannam The Hill, Shilla Stay Yeoksam, and Gwangmyeong Station Urban Bricks, started the company in Mapo-gu with a group of architectural design experiences and started the Water Purification Garden Project. Kim said  “The design intentions of architects were often buried by reasons such as construction costs and constructability. I founded the company to answer the question, ‘Why is there not a single Pritzker Prize winner in Korea? We have a lot of young people who work in open environment. I believe in the power of that people. I believe that when you think and express freely, you have the power to be flexible. Our clients are happy to have young employees who actively communicate with them and are proactive. We brainstorm to improve the quality of our workmanship and create meticulous details. The open discussion, communication, and attention to detail is what sets us apart.” Even experienced employees learn the company’s construction methods and details when they join the company, rather than traditional methods, and the company spends a lot of time training its employees. The company’s post-construction management service is for two years, but after that period, the company will still come back and do maintenance if the client wants. Even after construction, they continue to communicate and maintain the relationship. For example, they send images of how to prepare for the rainy season or the cold winter season to their clients every time they need to prepare. 

Increased number of people spending time alone requires architecture accordingly

Kim said “There are details that the architect intends, and we try not to miss them. We try to understand the architect’s design intent and build to it. We want to be the kind of company that can overcome difficulties with skill, like an architect. If you cut corners on construction costs by using Chinese rebar or low-strength concrete, the quality of the building will suffer.” The company is creating a new architectural culture in response to the changing environment. The company is also considering how to respond to the recent population decline. Although the demand for construction will decrease, the number of households will increase and people will invest more in themselves, which will increase their interest in personalized spaces. Kim said “We believe that the trend will shift toward spaces that are enjoyed alone, and we will build to reflect that. We check the trends on social media such as Instagram and try to maintain a fresh sense of style and reflect it in our architecture.”