College Exhibition: Hongik University Degree Show 2009

This year's Hongik University Degree Show was held at the school's Modern Art Gallery, displaying the works of 16 final year transportation design students. Apart from the previous two years' annual degree shows, which focused on next generation sedan, this year's graduation works showcased a much broader spectrum of creativity.

Under the team guidance of Prof. Joo-Hyun Chung and Tutor Ju-Cheon Cha (former Honda designer), students were allowed to experiment various types of creative design processes during the initial ideation research phase. Key designs were derived from a wide variety of inspirational motives that eventually led to 16 different vehicle segments. Prof. Chung thinks that the struggle to break off from conventional design process and applying new ideation methods is the key to fresh originality.

Nissan JeNNa Concept
Eun-kyung Jo

The Nissan JeNNa Concept is a cross between a scooter and a car; an electric vehicle for the younger generation that features a simple design aesthetic and a lightweight package. Inspired by traditional wooden shoes, the concept's organic exterior shape consists of several pieces. Measuring 3400mm long and 1600mm wide, the JeNNa stands 1300mm high and has a 2800mm long wheelbase. The car's four wheels are mounted far to the corners and the two-seat cockpit is open and exposed to the elements. The cockpit is also subdivided into two parts

Strombus
Hae-ryun Sohn

Sohn's goal was to find formative art in a compact utility vehicle while designing a mode of transport that was in harmony with nature. The Stombus is a one-box asymmetrically-designed vehicle created to maximize the car's utility function while also being synonymous with the natural environment. With its large DLO and organic forms, the Strombus is decorative, but its flowing shape is also pragmatic. Within its exterior ceramic shell the four-seat cabin accommodates four passengers in a cocoon-like ‘spiral' interior that enhances the feeling of space.

BMW Concept ActiveSurface
Ho-young Kihl

Kihn's aim was to take BMW's Gina concept to the next level. By employing a new ‘rubber metal' material that could bend and stretch like rubber and change shape through electrical current - as metal can - the Concept ActiveSurface can alter the shape of its surfaces to overcome drag and resistance, just as birds change the shape of their wings and bodies in order fly better in varying conditions. By constantly altering surface curvatures, the car actively optimizes the flow of the air, enhancing performance. Moreover, the driver can enjoy a whole new driving experience by actually being able to sense the shapes of the surfaces change in response to the his/her input.

Aston Martin Supreme edition
Hyo-sung Lee

The Aston Martin Supreme edition is a luxury crossover vehicle. The four door body style blends the attributes of a coupe and a sedan with four individual seats. Lee contends that as design trends rotate, the style of classic muscle cars of the 1950s and 60s will inform a new line of vehicles in the future. Starting with a simple capsule shape rather than an existing three-box silhouette, the concept features an extremely low roofline adding to its sense of dynamism, while its muscular haunches and large 22-inch wheels effectively underline its sporty proportions. It is propelled by a front midship-mounted engine sending power to the rear wheels.

HEXA
Hyung-mo Park

The HEXA is a three seat urban off-roader that can reduce and expand its footprint based on the environment it sits in. When in the narrow, congested roads of the city, the Hexa becomes narrower to facilitate maneuverability and improve efficiency. But when the car is out in nature, the width of the car expands to make it more surefooted and stable. The vehicle can be made to adapt to its environment in and out of the city, and can change depending on whether one person or many people are in the car.

Hyundai Sfida GT concept
Junyoung Kim

The Hyundai Sfida is coined the 'next-generation' GT by its maker. A monocoque-bodied race car the Sfida also doubles as a GT concept with a long and sleek profile. The concept contains three frames, informing its design aesthetic, but these three frames are covered by a transparent skin. Inside the asymmetrically-designed cockpit are two-seats, with the passenger seat set further back than the driver seat. With exposed rear wheels and a tapering body, the Sfida is a suitably dynamic form.

With his project, Bae's aim was to design the F1 car of the future. The concept's design is made up of symmetric and geometric shapes, with the exposed surfaces improving the vehicle's aerodynamic attributes. The exposed surfaces, which consist of four wings at the body's edge, create downforce and decrease wind resistance. Bae asserts that the vehicle's improvements in these areas will find their way into mass-produced vehicles, as other F1 innovations have.

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By Eric Gallina