by Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 04/98) - A Yellowknife architectural firm is exporting its expertise to Korea.

Architect Chong Park, principal with Park Sanders Adam Vikse, said the Yellowknife firm is promoting design and technology for North American-style wood frame houses.

The firm is currently working with South Korean developer You Wha Canadian Houses, which is building eight wood-frame houses in Ki Heung, about 25 kilometres south of the capital city of Seoul.

Since October, about $750,000 worth of materials have been shipped to the site from North America.

The homes, to be completed in May, are about 160 square metres and will cost the consumer about $325,000 US.

But costs should come down, by at least 10 per cent, once the domestic market gains experience in building wood frame houses, Park said.

The houses are high- end because materials have to be imported and labor currently has to be flown in to build the houses.

Also driving up costs is a falling Korean currency. The won has lost about half its value against the U.S. dollar since October.

Park said wood-frame houses are gaining popularity in Korea because they are more energy efficient than commonly-built concrete houses.

Korea imports about 16 per cent of its energy, Park said.

After the U.S., Canada is the second-largest exporter of wood-frame housing materials to Korea.

"Phase 1 is to compete with the domestic (Korean) market. Phase 2 is compete with other countries. That's where we are now," Park said.

"The next phase is to have Canadian companies compete with Canadian companies."

On benefits to Park Sanders Adam Vikse, Park said working on 20 houses a year would employ three people on the design side.

Park recently returned from Korea, where he had been invited to speak at the Canadian Housing Technology Seminar, part of Canada Week in Korea.

Born in Korea, Park has lived in Yellowknife since 1979.