A Momentous Conversation with Kiduck Kim

Photo credit: Kiduck Kim.

Kiduck Kim is a South Korean Award-winning architect and artist.  Kiduck was the First prize winner of the Baku International Architecture Award endorsed by the UIA (International Union of Architects), and a  recipient of the Next Generation Design Leader awarded by the Korean Ministry and Trade Industry and Energy, and exhibitor at the Venice Biennale in 2006. His work has been showcased internationally. Kiduck explores the spectrums between art and architecture, digital fabrication and handcrafted, man-made and natural, virtual and real, through geometric experimentations. Kiduck sees creation as a way of everyday living. Through these mediums, he searches to find the underlying meaning of life by making the invisible visible. He has a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and is a licensed architect. He mastered his skills while working at Zaha Hadid Architects and Eisenman Architects. He was a faculty member at the Master of Architecture II program (formerly called SUPRASTUDIO), where he helped in assisting the architecture and urban design graduate program at UCLA that is led by Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne, and Greg Lynn. I had the honor and pleasure of asking Kiduck about what designers and architects have influenced him, how math plays a part in his designs, and also how can designing aspects in architecture be changed to accommodate persons with disabilities.

UZOMAH: How do you bring the artistic aspects out of architecture?

KIDUCK: Architecture requires many practical constraints that need to be met such as structural, mechanical, plumbing, budget, client relations, user groups, etc. And we get very little freedom to unleash our artistic desire. These parameters force me to try many iterations of ideas to get to the essence of a project.  For example, my Zero Waste wall project had limitations in budget and space. These constraints forced me to come up with a solution to work with affordable materials, in this case, plywood, and the limited budget didn’t allow me to waste any material. The idea of making a puzzle was a great solution to use the entire surface area of the plywood sheets while still finding a cut pattern that worked within the space given. Designing the cut pattern is where my artistic vision had room to play.

U: Can you explain your role with the Architecture program at UCLA, and also what it was like working with Frank Gehry?

K: As a faculty member for the Master of Architecture II program(formerly called SUPRASTUDIO) an interdisciplinary research platform at UCLA Architecture and Urban Design led by Frank Gehry, Thom Mayne, and Greg Lynn, I was assisting curriculum development, organizing lecture series by industry partners, processing admissions of future students, and in charge of teaching the Gehry studio. Frank always amazes me with his sharp mind and deep insights. His curiosity has never stopped; at the age of 92, he still inspires us all.

“Zero waste wall”

U: What are the key concepts you follow to make a design both functional and a work of art?

K: To me, it’s more of a process than a concept. As I explained earlier it is hard to let free yourself completely from purpose or function in architecture. And you can utilize this as a motivation rather than constraint. One way is to practice setting up a question. It takes more rigor and effort to define a relevant problem than solving it. This problem set driven by certain functions can guide your creativity to make architecture a piece of art.

U: Why would you consider architecture the mother of all arts?

K: I never thought architecture is the mother of all arts! I would rather think architecture and arts have a rhizomatic relationship. They exist and grow simultaneously; each influences the other, constantly. The beauty of this relationship is the synergy that supports both, which allows them to constantly evolve.

“Meringue West Hollywood”

U: What has been your most challenging piece or project to complete?

K: I would say my most recent public art project, Meringue in West Hollywood, California. In a way, it was one of the easiest projects because of Weho’s arts manager and staff, who were the most solid and efficient collaborators to get the work accomplished I’ve worked with. But the entire journey of the project was long. I first proposed the idea to the City of West Hollywood in 2013. I was very green back then and the budget (including making the prototype) didn’t work out. However, I didn’t give up and re-applied in 2019 after earning some experience by developing a prototype. Luckily the arts manager remembered my proposal back then as a spectator, and her vision and trust finally gave me the green light after seeing the prototype. Then, there was a pandemic, which delayed the project and increased costs for material and labor. With the increased budget, I wasn’t sure if the project would happen.  However, you eventually find a solution if you don’t give up and remain flexible. Resilience will reward you after all hardship if you persevere.

U: What are your favorite stages of a project?

K: Ground-breaking - that moment when your ideas and drawings come to life in the real world.  Digital space can be deceiving but when the tactility comes in, everything becomes so real. And I literally like to get my hands dirty and immerse myself in the materials.

“Villa Zeus dining room wall”

U: What type of designing software do you use? Do you still draw to scale your pieces? Which do you prefer?

K: During the design phase, I like jumping from one software to the other. For example, I translate my hand sketches into vector lines in Adobe Illustrator. Thanks to the vector information, this can easily be imported into 3D software like Rhino or Revit to build 3D models. During the pandemic, I got VR headgear to exercise indoors but this technology quickly became a game-changer for my work. The incredible app Gravity Sketch allows me to bring in my hand sketch to a virtual space that allows me to draw and build simultaneously in 3D.  Modeling inside of 3D space and not on a 2D flat screen is out of this world. Scaling large-scale buildings with simple arms gestures all the while walking yourself inside of your own building is changing how I design.

U: How does your cultural background play a part in how you include harmony and tranquility in bringing stability to a project? How does Korean Architecture play a role in your designs? 

K: I didn’t know much about architecture until I started studying at Harvard Graduate School of Design. After my studies, my trips back home to Korea with the eyes of an architect, I started to understand and appreciate much of traditional Korean architecture. My thesis at Harvard GSD and teaching with Frank at UCLA shared similar topics of off-the-grid living and sustainability in architecture. Korean architecture has already been practicing passive design in their architecture for thousands of years. For example, Ondol is a floor heating system where heat(hot air) from cooking in the kitchen travels through a maze under the floor to heat up the house. These simple yet effective solutions intrigue me beyond aesthetics. I believe my Korean cultural background is subconsciously embedded in my design.

U: Who are some architects and designers that have influenced you and inspired your work?

K: I remember perusing architecture periodicals before I knew anything about architecture. From a book, the page covering Bilbao Guggenheim was a wake-up call and I decided I wanted to become an architect. Frank Gehry filled me with creative inspiration and energy that motivates me to this day. Zaha Hadid is another mentor I am eternally thankful for. Her vision and aesthetic showed me that there is a path in between art and architecture, a path I am walking today.  When I finally visited Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe, I got chills…I was proud of myself for being an architect. Somewhere amongst the greatness of these masters, I am finding my own voice. Lastly, Eisenman. Peter’s trust in me was a validation that I am in the right industry.

U: How does math and especially geometry play in the designing of your pieces? How big of a role is asymmetrical balance in the making of a piece?

K: I believe in the power of geometry as a problem solver. There are many design solutions that can consume less energy and generate less waste if you understand geometry well and apply it in the right places. Geometry, not as an aesthetic gratification, but as a rational design solving method is what I am interested in. At the end of the day, architecture relies on physics. Gravity, materiality, environment, etc all have major impacts on how we design, and geometry can help to solve many problems we may run into, rather than being purely ornamental.

“En pointe music stand”

U: What do you think of 3d printers?

K: I welcome all technologies that we can harness for the better. I am glad to see that the building industry is adapting 3D printing for home and school construction in remote places, alleviating building costs and reducing waste. From small-scale prototypes made to 1:1 scale in building construction, 3D printing has graduated from an early adoption phase to more advanced applications. 

“Black angel stage design”

U: How can the designing methods used in architecture better address the needs of persons with disabilities?

K: This is the most essential question, definitely not to be left out! Among many other code requirements in architecture, ADA(Americans with Disabilities Act) is one of the fundamental and frequent requirements that architects must follow. I think the parametric design method can play a huge role here by bringing economical and functional benefits.  Parametric design is no longer novel anymore for many architects, and we architects have spent significant time experimenting with the formal potentials of this method in the past decade. Most of its applications have been limited to building parts that garner the most attention, such as interior walls or building skins where budgets are allocated to make a building really “pop.”  Now that we’ve explored this long enough, I think it’s time to apply the method to other building systems, including ADA regulations. Developing algorithms or sets of rules (that automatically alert and assist during the design phase) can save tremendous time for projects where many of the repetitive and basic rules need to be considered. Think of autocorrection for texting, but for design.

For more information about Kiduck’s artwork and future projects please visit his site.