STUDIO
M.R.D.O
무.릉.도.원
武.陵.桃.源
The foundation of our work lies in the belief in the synergetic power of architecture, landscape, and urbanism. Through multidisciplinary design practice, we strive to create not only beautiful physical spaces but also innovative perspectives toward the complexity of the built environment.
The name MRDO derives from Mu-Reung-Do-Won (무릉도원, 武陵桃源), a representative utopian space in East Asian cultural imagination and an enduring inspiration for our design philosophy. In the traditional myth, it is not a palace adorned with gold nor a place of supernatural marvels, but an ordinary setting where common people feel a sense of warmth and belonging. It embodies a landscape that everyone can dream of—a poetic vision of peach blossoms and hidden caves. Infused with Taoist concepts, it carries a mystical aura while remaining grounded in reality. This balance between the real and the ideal is the central value that Studio MRDO pursues.
Studio MRDO was founded to explore and reconcile the balances within dualities: ideals and reality, city and nature, concept and materialization, architecture and landscape, East and West, past and present.
Minkyung Song
Partner
Minkyung is an accomplished architect, urban designer, and researcher specializing in large-scale urban design solutions. With a diverse portfolio spanning from interior design to expansive urban masterplans, she brings a comprehensive and strategic approach to the built environment. Her expertise lies in developing urban regeneration strategies that integrate landscape-driven solutions, fostering sustainable and resilient cities.
Currently, Minkyung serves as an Adjunct Professor at Kyung Hee University, where she shares her knowledge and passion for urban design with the next generation of architects and planners.
Minkyung holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Yonsei University in Seoul. She honed her skills at renowned international firms such as Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in New York and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in San Francisco. Following her time at Harvard, she played a key role as a lead urban designer at Studio of Urban Analysis (SURBA) and CAZA Architects, where she spearheaded major projects, including the design of a 90-hectare waterfront development in Ningbo, China, and the interior renovation of the SMX Convention Center in the Philippines.
Jinhyun Jun
Design director
Educated in both fine art and landscape architecture, Jinhyun brings exceptional attention to the perception of users in three-dimensional experiences. He believes there are vast possibilities beyond people’s routines, systems, and conventional ideas. By employing diverse media from both fine art and design, he seeks to create transformative devices that renew and expand people’s perspectives.
He is currently a Professor at Kyung Hee University. Before joining Kyung Hee, he worked on projects of varying scales at Field Operations in New York and at Synwha Consulting in Seoul. Jinhyun received his Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard University and holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Seoul National University.
