By Jessica Johnson
Introduction
South Korea has harsh winters, similar to Minnesota in the United States. While in the United States most home and commercial heating comes through gas or electricity, in Korea they heat their houses and condominiums through water. In order to understand the reasons why they have adapted their practices to what it is today we must look towards the past. Please enjoy learning a bit of the knowledge that was imparted to me on my travels.
An illustration of the ondol system By Dzihi
Past heating methods
Koreans used to heat their dwellings with traditional ondols, which included a furnace, stones, and pipes that went underneath the floors. They used the smoke as a heat source underneath the tiles to create heated floors. It is important to note that traditional Korean beds were often on the floor, so it would provide extra warmth as one slept. Ondols have been dated back to the Joseon dynasty (Ondol, N.D).
Current heating methods
Korea has replaced the thermal energy from a furnace to utilizing water based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s design.
Jacobs House, Frank Lloyd Wright, 1937
After he experienced the warmth of an Ondol he saw the potential to modernize it and applied it to the Jacobs house in Wisconsin (Kim, N.D.).
This approach was then utilized many Koreans and is currently on the rise in some newer European homes (Ondol, N.D).
What this means for the environment
While I believe that we can all agree that it is important to save water, this alternative heating method is fairly sustainable as the water that is being used to heat the floors is the same water that is used in the buildings for showering and other water faucets. This heating system uses less energy emissions than other alternatives and should be taken into consideration for future building ventures.
Conclusion
If given the option, would you like to try this alternative heating method in your home? I personally love the idea and would like to experience this the next time I visit! If you have any ideas for alternative heating options or would like someone on our team to research it please let us know @American-Sustainability on Instagram. Thank you for reading and make sure to stay green and stay sustainable!
Resources
Kim, H.-S. (n.d.). The first adoption of the Korean ondol principle in Usonian Houses: Jacobs House I, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. SPACE. https://vmspace.com/eng/report/report_view.html?base_seq=MTA3Nw%3D%3D&utm_medium=website&utm_source=archdaily.pe
Ondol: The world’s first underfloor heating system. Knowing Korea. (n.d.). https://www.knowingkorea.org/contents/view/135/Ondol-the-world-s-first-underfloor-heating-system
Ondol (photo). By Dzihi, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8746117
