Studio apartments build by the Pet-house Laboratory, which features 12 stories and accommodates 86 households with companion animals, are designed to keep the entire building pet-friendly. (image: Pet-house Laboratory)
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean pet boom is leading to big changes in living environment for their owners.
These changes are attributed to the growth in popularity of ‘petfam’, a combination of pet and family, in which people consider their dogs and cats as family members.
Petfam shows great interest in the residential environment where people and their pets pursue co-prosperity.
Recently, the focus of pet-raising households is turned to the first pet apartment building in the country, which will open to residents in October 2020 in Dongjak District, Seoul.
Studio apartments build by the Pet-house Laboratory, which features 12 stories and accommodates 86 households with companion animals, are designed to keep the entire building pet-friendly.
(image: Pet-house Laboratory)
The best-known feature of the studio apartments is an entrance door for pets. Using the “pet door” installed at the bottom of the entrance, pets can freely enter and exit on their own even if the door is closed.
In addition, the bathroom will be equipped with a shower exclusively for pets.
Considering the characteristics of companion animals that are sensitive to sound, it is also notable that new building introduced “door lights” that come on when a bell is pressed instead of a doorbell.
Furthermore, the “pet elevator” reflects the will to coexist with neighbors.
If one presses the “pet button” when riding in the elevator with a pet, the person waiting outside will be able to see in advance that there is a pet in the elevator car.
On the first floor of the building, a “toilet handling machine” will be installed for the first time in South Korea, where owners can throw away animal waste collected when they go out.
The sale price will be similar to other studio apartments, but the monthly rent is expected to be about 100,000 won (US$82.34) higher.
However, officials say that the conditions are not unfavorable as the residents are given big discounts if they use animal hospitals or pet care services that will be operated on the first floor of the studio apartment complex.
“One of the factors that reduces stress in pets is the residential environment. A residential environment that takes care of pets, as pets are much vulnerable than human beings, makes it safer and more comfortable for people as well,” explained Park Joon-young, head of the Pet-house Laboratory.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
