Yoon Cha

New York, USA and Seoul, South Korea
Bachelor of Architecture, Cornell University

Yoon joins the Center for Real Estate with a vision to enterprise new methods and best practices for sustainable, responsible development in future built environments. As an emerging professional of a field in constant flux, her motto is to “Always be on the cutting edge.” 

As founder and head of Byulcheonji Office of Space, a multidisciplinary design studio operating across USA and South Korea, she recently completed renovation of an outdated office unit in Gangnam district of Seoul into a shared work-from-home residence for the “new-nomadic” generation of young professionals and headed creative direction for OURUS Cosmetics, delivering branding and design solutions for easy-recycle packaging to combat the global logistics network’s reliance on single-use waste.

Prior to her involvement at MIT, Yoon was architectural designer at SsD Architecture + Urbanism where she managed projects across wide scales and programs from high-rise mixed use residentials to cultural centers. In 2021 she organized the “Micro-Urbanism” exhibition at the Venice Biennale of Architecture showcasing how resilient housing typologies can support vibrant communities through periods of radical demographic shifts. At Smusoop Architects, Yoon also realized several design-development projects, including one of the earliest experiments in subsidized “community housing” in South Korea. Yoon is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction and recipient of 2019 Casa Poli Fellowship. 

In addition to her work in architecture, her artwork has been featured in solo exhibition “Manifesto Love Motel (2019)” and group exhibition “Seoulian Light (2022).” During her free time Yoon enjoys rock climbing, kayaking, and taking care of her bonsai plants.