Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Department of Housing and Residential Environment (Chair Professor Bae Chi-hye) has completed space-improvement construction at two senior housing units serving housing-vulnerable groups in the local community and will hold a move-in ceremony on September 18.

JBNU's Department of Housing and Residential Environment, through the "Space Improvement Demonstration Project" carried out as part of the National University Development Project, identifies spaces that require housing-environment improvements due to aging and facility defects. Faculty and students directly participate in the entire process, from on-site investigation and design to material selection and construction. In particular, the project focused on reducing fall risks and improving mobility and daily-life safety by carefully reflecting residents' physical characteristics, lifestyles, and the structural conditions of each house.

Since 2023, JBNU's Department of Housing and Residential Environment has continued improvement activities targeting living spaces of vulnerable groups in the region, including homes of elderly households and households with children with disabilities, youth group homes, and senior centers. Including the two senior houses in this project, the department has improved a total of 12 spaces to date, building a practice-based educational model that links the university's major education with local housing welfare.

The first house presented a high fall risk for the elderly resident due to large step heights at the entry stairs, slippery finishes, and inconvenient safety handrails. The project refurbished the existing stairs, installed a steel substructure, resurfaced them with wooden decking, and added additional safety handrails along the movement path.

At the second house, the team broadly improved circulation routes between the bathroom, main living area, and yard so that an elderly resident with limited mobility could live more safely and conveniently. They reduced level differences in the existing yard and leveled the floor. The aging bathroom had its ceiling removed and was refitted with new equipment and finishes. Safety handrails were installed inside the bathroom to enhance safety and ease of use.

Worn walls and ceilings were also repaired using wood. Students participated in actual construction tasks such as fabricating and leveling lower wall structures, ceiling installation, and molding installation, applying their coursework on spatial planning, building materials, and construction to real housing-environment improvements. Beyond simple repairs, this project represented practice-based education in which students understood elderly daily life and needs and used their professional knowledge to address community issues.

The project involved JBNU Department of Housing and Residential Environment faculty and undergraduates, as well as Jeonju City Hall, the Jeonju City Housing Welfare Center, the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Volunteer Center, the Department of Interior Architecture at Yonsei University, local companies GaonWood Co., Ltd. and Garun, and department alumni. Each organization and participant contributed their expertise, technical skills, and field experience to the project. During construction, domestically produced wood developed through the Korea Forest Service-supported "Eureka Technology Development Project Based on Forest Intellectual Property" was also used. This collaboration realized a public–private–academic–industrial cooperative housing-welfare model that links the capacities of the university, local government, housing-welfare organizations, companies, and experts, which is significant in itself.

Professor Jang Mi-sun, who oversaw the project for JBNU's Department of Housing and Residential Environment, said, "This space-improvement demonstration project is not merely about repairing old homes. It is a process of understanding residents' lifestyles and physical characteristics and creating a suitable living environment. For students, it provides a living classroom to practice their major knowledge in the community, and for the community, it becomes a meaningful housing-welfare model that returns the university's expertise."

Chair Professor Bae Chi-hye added, "The successful completion of construction at the two senior houses this year was possible thanks to the support of Jeonju City, housing-welfare organizations, partner universities, local companies, experts, and the active participation of students. Going forward, JBNU's Department of Housing and Residential Environment will continue to develop the Space Improvement Demonstration Project so it can solve housing problems for vulnerable groups together with the local community."