Ceremony held Friday; GS Engineering & Construction takes grand prize
15 companies recognized for advancing housing market, residential culture
Fifteen housing construction companies that have contributed to improving residential environments in South Korea were honored at the Herald Business "Home of the Year 2026" awards. GS Engineering & Construction's "Dalseo Xi Zenique" took the grand prize, which carries the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport minister's commendation.
The ceremony was held Friday at The Plaza hotel on Sogong-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul. Now in its 26th year, the annual event recognizes companies that have led residential culture by introducing new and creative living spaces. Winners are selected each year through a comprehensive evaluation that goes beyond traditional criteria such as brand, design, landscaping and residential welfare to also assess urban regeneration, advanced technology and platform innovation. Judging was conducted by a panel of experts formed in conjunction with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Federation of Construction Associations, the Korea Housing Association and the Korea Housing Builders Association.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport First Vice Minister Kim I-tak attended in place of Minister Kim Yun-deok and presented awards at the ceremony. "If eco-friendliness, energy, design and community drew attention in the housing market back in 2008, smart technology and AI are now evolving apartment spaces," Kim said. He described the Herald Business "Home of the Year" as "a record that shows the evolution of our residential culture." He added that quality as experienced by the public is what matters most in housing policy, and pledged to address everyday inconveniences such as noise between floors.
Lee Byeong-cheol, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's housing policy director, attended in place of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. "A home where citizens can feel secure and envision a better future is exactly what 'a home worth living in' should mean," Lee said. He said the city would support private housing supply through its long-term jeonse housing program, its evolved form known as Mirinaezip, the Youth Safe Housing program for young residents, and redevelopment and reconstruction projects that have been a recent focus.
GS Engineering & Construction's "Dalseo Xi Zenique" was recognized for delivering a residential complex that represents the Dalseo-gu area of Daegu by combining the product competitiveness and differentiated design of the company's Xi residential brand. Last year, marking the brand's 22nd anniversary, GS Engineering & Construction shifted Xi's direction from a supply-oriented to a customer-oriented approach. "Dalseo Xi Zenique" scored highly for its strong location, transportation links and lifestyle infrastructure, as well as for enabling quick move-in for end-users through a post-construction pre-sale model.
Yang Mun-seok, GS Engineering & Construction's public relations team managing director, said in his acceptance remarks that the company has put great effort into differentiated design and quality in pursuit of building "a home worth living in," and pledged to continue creating residential products that satisfy customers.
The Seoul Residential Culture Grand Prize, awarded by the Seoul mayor and given to a company that has contributed to residential culture in Seoul, went to Lotte Engineering & Construction's "Ichon Le'El." The project was praised for introducing top-tier residential amenities befitting the reputation of the Le'El brand, which is being developed at key Seoul locations including Ichon, Cheongdam and Jamsil.
Every unit type at "Ichon Le'El" is mid-to-large in size. The complex features a sky lounge with panoramic views of the Han River, an indoor swimming pool with three 25-meter lanes, a sauna, a fitness club and a private movie theater for residents. Kang U-yeong, site manager for Lotte Engineering & Construction's Ichon Le'El project, said in his acceptance remarks that the company had successfully completed several projects, including "Daechi Le'El," since launching the high-end Le'El brand, and that it recently completed "Cheongdam Le'El" and "Jamsil Le'El" while continuing to strive to provide residents with lasting satisfaction.
The divisional grand prizes, carrying the Herald Business president's commendation, went to the following: best design to Hyundai E&C's "Hillstate Dowon Central"; best high-end residential brand to Posco E&C's "Ottiere Banpo"; best mixed-use residential to Daewoo Engineering's "Sihwa MTV Prugio The Ocean"; best lifestyle innovation brand to DL E&C's "e-Pyeonhansesang Dongtan Station Urbanone" and Kukdong Engineering & Construction's "Housestory"; best landscape design to Hanwha's construction division's "Hanwha Forena Jeju Edu City"; best residential value brand to Kumho Engineering & Construction's "Godeok New Town Atera" and BS Hanyang's "Miryang Sujain The First complexes 1 and 2"; best residential culture service to Jungheung Construction's "Gwangju Songjeong Jungheung S-Class Park View" and Ipark Hyundai Development's "Iksan Busong Ipark"; best residential welfare service to Booyoung Group; best urban regeneration innovation to Hoban Construction's "Gyeongsan Sangbang Park Hoban Summit complex 1"; and best proptech to Korea Asset Purchase's "Hedgehajji."
hss@heraldcorp.com
