ABOUT ME

ABOUT ME

I try to make an architectural culture that excentuates every good things in life


MY PHILOSOPY

As an architect who wants to make good choices for the world via architecture, I am interested in making our society a better place through space, form and sustainability. As space sculpts our mood and state of well-being, I believe our characteristics can be represented in forms.

Nature is always in my design process. For me, architecture is about being harmonious with your surroundings. It includes nature, neighbourhood and people.

My architectural style is bold, balanced, imaginative and yet sensitive. I am always inspired by nature and try to embrace it in my work


MY STORY

Kyeongmin Lee (aka. Erin Lee) M.Arch is an Architect new in Helsinki with five and a half years of experience, four and a half in Korea and one in Helsinki.

Strong at pattern recognition, working on abstract ideas and analyzing causality. Believes in better communication and teamwork for better results. Capable of seeing things on a grand scale, revealing the underlying causes and understanding metaphysical ideas. Driven by curiosity with keen observations. As a result, developed a sensitive taste in beauty and aesthetics.

Perform as an architect, concept designer, 3D designer, landscape designer and design consultant.

Experiences

10. 2021 ~ 10. 2022

Helsinki Zürich Office Oy

Intern

04. 2017 ~ 10. 2021

Sumock
Architects & Associates

Associate Architect

04. 2013 ~ 09. 2013

SPACE Magazine

Student Journalist

My Expertise

  • In the initial stages of a project, I absorb all the information regarding the project. I analyse all the factors and merge them into a web of relations. By examining those relations, I extract a concept that would become a core design principle.

    I worked on concept designs for many design competitions at architecture firms.

  • I can design, draw construction drawings and ensure the construction goes as intended. In Korea, I handled the permit process on my own as well.

    My design style is balanced, layered and stated using nuanced, yet bold colours and shapes. I am meticulous with proportions and harmony.

    I have usually worked on residential projects. Large and small and most of them were public housing. I also have experience with office buildings, community centres, libraries and various other projects. I can work as an architectural designer and give support to different projects. In addition, I can work as a consultant in sharing my thoughts about architecture with other people with different perspectives. I believe I can bring a unique new perspective to your office's design process.

  • I design small-scale gardens to large-scale landscapes of a complex. I designed many gardens and rooftop gardens of housing projects as well as the landscape design of big housing apartment complexes.

    I value nature and always try to intertwine architecture with the surrounding nature.

  • I have some experience in interior design. I worked on many single-family houses’ interior designs, one apartment complex and one office.

    I found interior design fascinating because depending on audiences, the design can completely change. I found my style to be bold, colourful and cosy.

  • I am able to draw detailed drawings that require for construction on my own. I made detailed drawings of every project I worked on that has been built. I usually work on AutoCAD but I am learning to draw detailed drawings in ArchiCAD as well.

    I think tiny details are the determining factor in the building’s finished quality. I am constantly researching new ways or technology to improve little details in buildings.

  • 3D modeling and rendering are one of my main areas of expertise. I can build an accurate 3D model from 2D drawings and render them into images and videos. I can also produce VR visualisation for the project.

    As I build 3D models, I can quickly come up with exterior, interior and landscape designs if the project has not been designed in the areas at the time of production or presentation.

    I try to accumulate the atmosphere of the design principle into harmonious scenes.

  • I participated in many Korean domestic design competitions and six international competitions during my five and a half years of career.

    I truly believe in great team dynamics to bring out the best results. I worked with wonderful people who brought out the best in me and I like to believe I can contribute the same to others.

    During the competitions, I usually take on the role of concept designer, computer modeling designer and editor for panels and descriptions. I have never missed a deadline and I can handle time-sensitive and high-pressure situations well.

    I try to keep my and my team’s morale up during trying times and encourage the team to express their creativity.

  • I was in charge of a green energy building design and permits in Korea. I would give our clients various ways to make the building more sustainable and energy conscious so they can not only benefit from it economically but also contributes to our societies and to the planet. Also, I handled permits regarding sustainability and energy efficiency that requires cross-field collaboration amongst architect, structural engineer, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and civil engineer.

    I am very interested in making our buildings more energy efficient and sustainable. I would love to learn more about how the Finnish architectural scene approaches and handles this issue.

  • I often performed as a PM in many projects. I kept track of the timeline of the project, delegated work materials to other teammates according to their strengths and ability, and handled communications both within the firm and with other collaborating companies. I also made sure the building construction is being done as the client and the architect intended and made sure everything is compliant with the building code.

    During some international design competitions, I was also in charge of all the communications between Korean architects and New York-based Spanish architect and made sure everyone’s opinions are heard and made sure the design would reflect those.

    I love motivating my teammates to freely express their opinions and creativity. I truly believe good communication is a way to achieve the finest results. I welcome constructive criticism and I always look for ways to improve myself and the team. I value respect and love between teammates and I try to create an office environment where everyone can work happily.


ABILITIES

I am capable of most software and comfortable working with my hands. Also, I am constantly trying to improve my skillsets.


CAD drawing programs

AutoCAD ArchiCAD


Rendering programs

SketchUp Archi CAD Rhino 3D Max


3D Modeling programs

Lumion Enscape Twinmotion


Design/Editorial programs

Photoshop Illustrator InDesign Lightroom


etc

MS Office (Blender Unreal Engine _in training)


Languages

Korean, English, Finnish (A2.1)


Achievements

2021

Received a grant from the Korean government agency KAIA for young architects

Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement

2019 ~ 2020

Featured work in publication
<Photographs of Korea in the William Elliot Griffis Collection>

ISBN 9788974093099

2015 ~ 2017

Master’s Degree thesis <A Study on Rehabilitation Methods in Deteriorated Residential Area through Architectural Mixing>

2015 ~ 2017

Published academic paper <A Study on Photographs of Modern Incheon and Hansung in Griffis Collection>

2011 ~ 2014

Published architectural critique <Planted Architecture> and received Achievement Award

2011 ~ 2014

Teaching architecture to high school students in Korean Architecture Association's summer class

Education

03. 2015 ~ 08. 2017

Master of Architecture

Soonchunhyang University

03. 2011 ~ 02. 2015

Bachelor of Engineering

Soonchunhyang University

"Proportion, balance and harmony is my main design principle."

"Proportion, balance and harmony is my main design principle."

“I like to encourage free communication and creativity to my teammates.”

“I like to encourage free communication and creativity to my teammates.”

Don’t just take my word
Hear what people say

  • “She is motivated, intelligent, diligent, imaginative and generally talented in architectural design.”

    Antti Ahlava, architect at Helsinki Zürich Office Oy and a professor at Aalto Univerity in Architecture department

  • “She always makes her move thoughtfully and works on it tenaciously.”

    Sungyun Maeng, architect at Sumock Architects and Associates

Let's create together

Let's create together