What is a Korean officetel? Case study on Bundang New Town

Bundang is a satellite new town of Seoul, and its development coincides with that of the officetel. With this town as a case study, we clarify the concept of the officetel and analyze the different architectural forms it has generated. We use 12 representative cases to analyze the internal structure of the officetel and its relation to the city. We demonstrate that the officetel is a unique housing type, and its peculiar characteristics are related to its origin in office buildings. Such characteristics as high density, compactness, urban compatibility, and versatility should be valorized in the search for new urban housing forms in Korea.