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Il Hwan Kim (B.ARCH. ’17) sees the role of an architect as anything but cast in concrete. 

In fact, his frustration with those who think that architects should limit themselves to materials such as precast concrete—or whatever is simplest for suppliers—now drives his philosophy regarding the true potential of his profession. 

Kim, who joined the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture faculty in August 2025 and has taught first- and third-year studios and seminars, believes architects should also design new tools, create new methods, and derive new materials in their builds.  

He believes that they should be inventors who are integral to the build process, not just its design. “I’m trying to tie those all together.”  

Consider Thomas Edison, Kim suggests. The inventor credited with an early version of the light bulb also established a concrete company but didn’t limit himself toproducing concrete. Edison also invented new construction methods, including a mold that could build a single house. Kim compares that to his time working as an architect, when financial concerns and industrial protocols led him and his colleagues to use a limited set of materials within rigid guidelines. 

“I questioned [why] architects, as part of the industry…only have a selection of materials provided by a manufacturing company,” Kim says. “I think you should explore design opportunities and get architects involved in that process, rather than passively accepting what’s given by industry.” 

Kim’s firm, Naive Practice, displays several tools and methods he has either helped to design or experimented with. Noting the high cost of concrete forming—typically priced higher than the concrete itself—Kim co-designed a self-inflating plastic mold: a series of large, inflatable bubbles that fit around setting concrete at a fraction of the cost. Realizing that plywood can warp easily, Kim also co-designed a curved “sown plywood” product that stitches the edges of plywood sheets together in a curve. “It celebrates the failure of the material,” he notes, “and actually gives it more structural integrity.” 

Kim’s thesis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology involved testing “geomorphic concrete,” or the process of injecting secondary materials such as gypsum or sand into concrete before it dries. Since it is extremely difficult to shape the inside of concrete as opposed to the outside, the process allows builders to create an internal cast, which is revealed when the secondary material eventually disintegrates. 

At the College of Architecture, Kim hopes to guide students to consider new inventions, materials, and methods in their builds—as he has. 

“I have huge faith in the young generation,” Kim says. “What we once thought was very progressive, such as decarbonization and labor issues, [now] come naturally. They pick up topics immediately, so I’m not worried about bringing [new] topics while focusing on core skills.” 

Born in South Korea, Kim traveled to the College of Architecture for his bachelor’s degree. After graduation, he worked at Bjarke Ingels Group in New York for a year, before joining Kjellander Sjoberg in Sweden and later LINK Arkitektur in Norway. He graduated from MIT with a Master of Science in Architecture Studies in 2023 and went on to receive a Cornell Design Teaching Fellowship and to teach at Syracuse University before returning to the College of Architecture. Kim is currently involved in multiple projects—including single-family homes and small commercial properties—in both South Korea and Vietnam, where he grew up.