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Changho Stories

Stories about changho and hanok lattices, told by Workgroup Pyeongmok.

  1. The Changho Glossary · No. 14 · 2026.08.23

    Small Changho | Baraji, Nukkup, Changgyeong

    A changho inside a changho. Sometimes a palm-sized opening is set high on a wall; sometimes a single lattice cell is built to open on its own. These small changho have plenty of names. But the names don't split cleanly from one another.

  2. The Changho Glossary · No. 13 · 2026.08.23

    Changho Built into the Wall | Bongchang, Salchang, Gwangchang, Deulchang

    It's easy to assume a changho is always something joined and hung. But there are changho where the wall is simply built up around a reserved opening — changho a carpenter never lays a hand on.

  3. The Changho Glossary · No. 12 · 2026.08.23

    Changho Hung in Layers | Ssangchang, Yeongchang, Heukchang, Gapchang

    An ondol room's front wall was never fitted with just a single layer of changho. Several layers were hung one behind another, outside to inside. Not one changho — a whole cluster of them.

  4. A Second Look · No. 8 · 2026.08.21

    Jang Gi-in's Changho | Where It Comes Apart

    I noted, in page order, every spot that snagged me while reading. Since this is a book worth keeping close for years, I made this list so you can check it against the book as you read. It's not an essay — it's a tool.

  5. Back at the Bench · No. 5 · 2026.08.17

    Before the Saw's Path Sets

    I cut half-lap notches for semo-sotgeul-sal today. Since the slats run in three directions, the notch is different for every direction. I did nothing else all morning.

  6. Korean and Japanese Changho · No. 6 · 2026.08.16

    Korean Changho and Japanese Shoji | Why Are They Different?

    Korean changho and Japan's shoji (障子) are both made by applying paper over a wooden lattice. The material and the joinery are the same.

  7. A Second Look · No. 7 · 2026.08.16

    Mili Isn't a Water Channel

    I'd been turning this over for a long time. Cutting a mili profile into a slat's face is no small amount of labor. Putting in this much work had to have a reason, and I couldn't find it. The thought came back to me every time I looked at it while joining.

  8. The Changho Glossary · No. 11 · 2026.08.14

    Yongja-sal | A Jeongja-sal Scaled Up

    Yongja-sal is jeongja-sal scaled up. Fewer slats means larger cells. The cells come out as large squares. It's an extremely economical lattice.

  9. The Changho Glossary · No. 10 · 2026.08.14

    Gwigap-sal | Tenon or Notch?

    A changho joined into the pattern of a tortoise shell. Regular hexagons link together like a honeycomb. The tortoise is one of the Ten Longevity Symbols, and being a creature that genuinely lives a long time, a tortoise-like lifespan even had its own name, gwiryeong. Carving a tortoise into a changho meant a wish for long life.

  10. The Changho Glossary · No. 9 · 2026.08.13

    Gyeokja-bit-sal | A Changho Layering Diagonal Lattice Over a Grid

    Gyeokja-bit-sal is a changho built by layering bit-sal over jeongja-sal. Two 45° diagonals cross the horizontal-vertical grid, so that each cell of the grid is further divided into four small triangles. It's a changho where two joineries overlap on a single face.