Photo Gallery

Gailsugok Gotaek House - 가일수곡고택 (佳日 樹谷古宅) (built 1792 onward)

On the 16th year of King Jeongjo (1792), Gwon Jo constructed this house in celebration of the virtue of his grandfather, Gwon Bo. It is the head house of the Gwon families. It is located in a small village with about 50 houses, against a hill in the north. Gwon Bo led a very simple and frugal life, which is reflected through the simplicity of the gabled-roof of this house, not a more splendid hipped-and-gabled roof.

The small building out front is called a new sarangchae (outer quarters) or Iljijae, which was used as a study hall for sons and local students.

During our visit the owners demonstrated the house's hypocaust ondol heating system. Since it was summer, it was difficult to tell whether it would have worked well in the winter, but she assured us it would. However, the system generated enormous amounts of smoke that flooded the house, with only a fraction exiting through the back chimney. The system contains a design flaw: much smoke exits through vents in the central courtyard, where it becomes trapped.

(Designated important folklore material #176).

Plan views

Close-up plan of Gailsugok house. Click on an arrow for a specific view. Orange arrows indicate attic spaces.
Plan copyright 2002 ATA Laboratory, Daejeon, Korea. Measured and drawn in August, 2002 by the ATA team (including Timothy M. Ciccone).

Site plan of Gailsugok house. Click on an arrow for a specific view.
Plan copyright 2002 ATA Laboratory, Daejeon, Korea. Measured and drawn in August, 2002 by the ATA team (including Timothy M. Ciccone).

Location

The approximate location of the house is 36.573972' N, 128.526321' E (WGS 84 map datum). Address: 경북 안동시 풍천면 가곡리 419.