The construction will be completed with CM
A brief description of the page goes here.
Interviewee. Inseok Ahn Managing Director, Junglim CM Technical Business Division
Among various evaluations of Junglim Architecture’s projects, one comment stands out: ‘The perspective drawings at the planning stage closely resemble the completed result.’ This likely attests to the rigorous and consistent process management implemented from design through to completion. The synergy achieved when architecture and CM (Construction Management) converge is clearly illustrated by the experience of Executive Director Inseok Ahn from Junglim CM’s Technology Business Division.
CM Implementation Project
Please provide a brief introduction to the projects that Junglim Architects has undertaken as a construction manager.
The new Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance headquarters building in Bupyeong, completed in 2012, was the first project I handled after joining Junglim Architecture. I had previously worked on a design project for Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance at my former company. Perhaps they recognized my supervision capabilities back then, because they contacted me again after I joined Junglim Architecture. It was my first CM project, successfully completed through excellent collaboration with the architects, and it led to ongoing work with Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance thereafter.
Following the Bupyeong headquarters, we were tasked with constructing a small document storage facility at Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance’s Gonjiam Training Center. This project expanded into the new HiVision Center construction. As the document storage neared completion, the client confided their concerns about improving the existing training center’s environment. The Gwangju area in Gyeonggi Province is a pristine region, making the permitting process notoriously difficult. With the project on the verge of collapse, they discreetly asked me to review it. After thorough examination, I saw potential, and we were able to build the current training center, more than double the original size. It was a project filled with many fun anecdotes, working side by side with the people I collaborated with. We personally crafted site-level models to review design proposals and even lived and worked in a converted abandoned factory beneath the site. It was a project where the client, architects, CM, and construction company all worked as one cohesive unit. Thanks to this effort, it achieved significant external recognition, including winning the Grand Prize at the 2017 Korea Architecture Culture Awards, making it deeply rewarding. This project served as a stepping stone for my growth as a CM.
The remodeling project I was in charge of also won another award.
Building on our previous CM experience, we undertook the remodeling projects for Daegu Bank’s headquarters and the March 1st Building. Both projects won the Grand Prize at the Korea Remodeling Architecture Awards in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The Daegu Bank headquarters held deep significance as it involved remodeling a work designed by Junglim Architecture after 40 years. The 3.1 Building project was an immense honor, as it provided the opportunity to remodel a work by the late Joongup Kim, an architect I had admired since my undergraduate days. Furthermore, the 3.1 Building project involved thoughtful consideration of architectural methods for preserving modern and contemporary architectural heritage, along with its archiving. Given the various activities that accompanied it—publications, contributions, exhibitions, media exposure—I personally consider it my best work to date.
Strengths of Junglim CM
CM work seems to be what enables the ‘total design’ approach, championed by Junglim Architecture since its founding, to be achieved with a high level of perfection. What do you consider to be the strengths of Junglim CM?
Construction Management (CM) is, simply put, managing a project on behalf of the owner or client. It encompasses all aspects necessary for construction, including ensuring schedule compliance and cost savings, achieving the best possible outcome through structural and material management, and overseeing site safety. It’s a highly specialized and challenging field. I also believe part of the job involves ensuring the architectural design intent is properly realized on site and addressing any shortcomings. While everyone on a construction site emphasizes ‘detailed design,’ actually implementing such details on-site is no small challenge. It requires significant cost and time. Moreover, modern buildings are a composite of elements communicated among all architectural stakeholders. That’s why I approach each project as a ‘work of art’. I focus on making the collective achievement—built by everyone from designers to subcontractors—shine even brighter on site. I absolutely refuse to accept a site that turns into a mess because someone took a half-hearted approach.
Junglim CM is a collective of individuals possessing the know-how and expertise accumulated through executing countless projects like these. The projects introduced earlier are all top-tier achievements realized through collaboration with specialized Construction Management Representatives (CMr) for each element. When the results of our hard work, driven by mutual trust and effort, are completed to a high standard, the client naturally becomes satisfied and returns for future projects.
Junglim CM’s differentiation lies in its long-accumulated know-how and expertise. I’m curious about a representative example.
There are several projects, but I’d like to highlight the 3.1 Building renovation. Completed in 1969, this project presented the challenge of replacing aged materials and structurally reinforcing the building while preserving and showcasing its symbolic elements as a modern architectural heritage site. The steel curtain wall, central to its facade, was replaced with a modern version while maintaining its original proportions. Parts of the original steel curtain wall were dismantled and preserved as heritage elements on the first floor, while several columns and beams were left exposed in their raw state. The I-beams of the steel curtain wall originally used Japanese-made Corten rolled steel. However, we determined there was no need to insist on this material and instead sought domestically produced materials with stable supply. With POSCO’s assistance, we produced 6mm-thick PosMac high-corrosion-resistant steel plates. These were laser-welded to match the dimensions of the original I-beams using a built-up method. The process concluded by coating them with the highest abrasion-resistant paint currently available before installation. This detailed design implementation ultimately completed the current facade of Building 3.1.
It seems that genuine on-site management is the key to forming close relationships with clients.
I believe we worked well together precisely because we demonstrated professionalism and sincerity to meet the client’s expectations. I often tell the CM team members and construction company staff the same thing. ‘Shouldn’t I myself be satisfied with this building once it’s completed? If I want to bring my family here and confidently say this is my work, I need to manage it well now.’ If such a good client, an excellent designer, and the CM and construction company all work together with one heart and one mind on a project, there’s nothing they can’t accomplish.