kangsadank, Author at LIVING ASEAN - Inspiring Tropical Lifestyle //

A Home on the Noi River Basking in Nature’s Grace

By kangsadank
June 29, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Thailand /

/ Story: Natthawat Klaysuban / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nantiya June /

Located on the bank of the Noi River in Bang Sai, a district of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, “Pra San House” serves dual purposes as a retirement home and a restaurant featuring home-cooked meals. It keeps firmly to the concept of a calm, restorative space for physical and metal well-being away from the noise and stress of urban life.

The entryway creates an inviting first impression with warm artful styling. A framework of wood beams fastened together with diamond-shaped spaces left between bears some resemblance to the handwoven palm leaf mobile that gives a sense of local history and heritage.

The two-story wooden house on the Noi River with a gable roof get its inspiration from decorative fish pendants. The ground floor is mostly enclosed by interwoven strips of reclaimed wood that shield it from direct sunlight; meantime providing support for climbing plant.

Viewed from a different angle, interlocking strips of wood create a diagonal, diamond-shaped grid that gets its inspiration from the handwoven palm leaf carp mobile. The framework is designed to support climbing plants that will grow to form a lush barrier around the home.

The overall design is reminiscent of a house on stilts with a folding system well-positioned to take in views of orchard landscapes and an old river flowing by. Passive ventilation strategies move air through it, keeping the interior cool without relying heavily on air conditioning. In the meantime, the restaurant acts as a social hub, promoting well-being and avoiding loneliness after retirement.

Here’s a two-story, gable-front house cocooned in tropical greenery blending living spaces with nature. Stunning reclaimed wood walls seamlessly integrate architecture with the natural landscape. Combining comfort and the unblemished charm of rural life, it serves as an occasional holiday escape and a destination home for retirement.

“A dual-purpose design,” as the homeowner puts it. The building’s lower level contains a restaurant serving home cooked type meals, while the upper level is used for bedrooms and private living quarters. It’s the design concept that shapes the overall visual outcome, culminating in the serenity of a home nestled in lush agricultural fields.

The house named “Baan Pra San” is located on the bank of the Noi River in Bang Sai District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. It’s a tributary of the Chao Phraya that flows south through Thailand’s fertile Central Plains. Large boats generally avoid the Noi River due to some constraints. The absence of roaring engines naturally preserves the river’s peace and quiet. Only small watercraft can be seen from time to time. Here, a simple rural lifestyle, low population density and wide-open spaces combine to create a restorative atmosphere. It’s a place to escape the urban grind, reduce stress and soak in the fresh air.

The entryway at the center of the framework gives access to a restaurant serving hearty, home-style food. The river bank at the rear of the property offers scenic views.

Prior to this, an owner had run a business of her own in Bangkok for more than 30 years. In her leisure time, she planted trees. They were a source of personal joy and fulfillment. One day, she decided that she wanted a larger piece of land to plant more trees and build a home for life after retirement. The search for gardening spaces took her to Ayutthaya that was her family roots. And the rest is history. She spent the next four years adding trees to her property and preparing land for a new house.

noi river — A dining room with a garden view blends indoor comfort with the beauty of nature. It’s enclosed by retractable glass walls that slide open to improve ventilation, creating an atmosphere just like eating at home.

Backyard Architect was entrusted with the task of designing a new home. The architect drew his inspiration from the richness of cultural heritage in the area, culminating in a riverside home that bears some resemblance to the handwoven palm leaf carp that exists as part of local traditions. Here, craft making has long been a side hustle, an income-generating activity for locals.

And that’s how the place got its name. “Baan Pra San” is Thai for the house of fish crafts. It’s framed by an expanse of weathered strips of wood crossed and fastened together resembling “Pla Ta Pien”, a deep-bodied freshwater fish. The structure encloses porches and patios while allowing light and air to pass through. It’s a façade design technique that adds dynamic visual effects on the house’s exterior as time passes. Aesthetically, the framework of wooden bars provides support for climbing plants to thrive, creating a fluid indoor-outdoor living space that fosters a direct connection with the environment.

The house sits on a rectangular plot with the shorter side abutting the street at the front. A river at the back of the property offers unparalleled natural views. Positioning the house closer to the street creates an ample backyard that slopes toward the river. By design, the building consists of two intersecting I-shaped layouts, a clever hack to create efficient cross-ventilation keeping the interior cool and comfortable year-round.

The lower level holds a restaurant with its elongated side overlooking the river. It’s bright and airy thanks to open floor plans that enhance natural light and bi-fold doors sliding and folding accordion-style connecting indoor and outdoor spaces. The upper level has private living quarters and, beyond, a bedroom with a river view.

Wood is the ultimate material for the bedroom due to its timeless aesthetic, especially on the floor and the ceiling. Warm browns, paired with shades of gray on the furniture, create a sense of comfort making the home feel welcoming and pleasant to look at.

The upstairs living quarters are well-proportioned, creating a space that’s easy to keep clean. It’s a typical one-bedroom, one-bathroom layout with an expansive wood deck for entertaining groups of friends. The elevated outdoor platform is perfectly positioned to enjoy a vibrant, thriving garden under a mature tree canopy. The overall effect is impressive. Real wood adds organic warmth to every corner of the home. Needless to say, it conveys a great deal about a lifestyle that’s intimately tied to nature.

In a word, it’s a home devised to foster physical and mental wellbeing by harnessing natural airflow and a wealth of surrounding green spaces. It’s a frugal way to cool and refresh the living space without mechanical air conditioning.

Speaking of mental well-being, it’s clear that exposure to natural landscape views offers profound psychological benefits, among them, relieving stress and reducing anxiety. It’s linked to improved attention and strong social connections. Here, a restaurant is integrated into the house plan for good reason.

As a community gathering space, it celebrates heritage by offering home cooked type meals and a place to soak up stunning garden and river views. The homeowner didn’t just want a destination home for retirement. She wanted a vibrant location that would foster community bonds and shape a distinct cultural identity.

Architects: Backyard Architect

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Shark TurboBlade A bladeless fan design blends beauty and functionality

By kangsadank
June 12, 2026
CULTURE,DESIGN

Thoughtful design elevates the aesthetic of a living space. Every piece of furniture counts. Every single household item matters. Introducing the Shark TurboBlade—a cooling fan thoughtfully designed to maximize comfort and style, featuring 360° airflow with customisable angles and vents.

Shark TurboBlade seamlessly combines form and function, delivering a bladeless tower fan designed to keep you cool even in extreme heat and humidity. Engineered to complement your home décor, it offers the perfect balance of style, comfort, and everyday practicality.

Advances in bladeless design have redefined how we harness moving air. By eliminating traditional rotating blades, visual clutter and unwanted distractions are greatly reduced.The result is a sleek, elegant design that complements any tone, mood, or décor transforming midtown condos and homes into personal sanctuaries. Thoughtfully engineered, Shark TurboBlade tower fans can tilt, rotate and regulate the breeze by utilizing built-in oscillation mechanisms, creating even thermal comfort throughout the home.

Simple yet powerful

Here’s a perfect example of a simple yet impactful design approach. It reflects an appreciation for thoughtful design that combines aesthetics with practicality. Blending visual appeal with everyday functionality, the Shark Turbo Blade tower fan is available in two colors – lustrous white that evokes feelings of cleanliness and mental clarity, and true black that’s linked to elegance and sophistication. Both colors add depth and character, influencing how a living space looks, feels, and functions.

Bladeless fans make a living space feel light and airy, creating a modern and comfortable environment. They are ideal for condos and homes that prioritize design, ease of movement, and safety, especially those with young children and family pets. Bladeless fans are safe because there are no exposed spinning parts that could catch fingers, paws, or loose clothing.

Efficiency designed for tropical living

Using a bladeless fan alongside an air conditioner is a highly effective way to cool a room faster. By circulating cool air evenly throughout the space, the Shark TurboBlade helps maximize the performance of your AC. This can reduce the need to lower the thermostat, helping to save energy while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment.

Shark TurboBlade utilizes a Dynamic Airflow system capable of projecting airflow up to 20 meters. A concealed propeller at the base of the tower fan pushes air through dual wings at the top, spreading cool air 360 degrees. Select Boost Mode to extend airflow up to 20 meters, helping keep the entire room cool and comfortable.

A design that relies on an understanding of life

Flexibility stands out as arguably the single most important characteristic. For optimal results, the two identical wings pivot around the axis of a virtually static tower. Whether positioned vertically or horizontally, they work together to direct a focused stream of air to a specific area. Alternatively, they can create a wide blanket of airflow to cool an entire room quickly and evenly.

If so desired, the two wings can work independently of one another, directing airflow in different directions to cool two separate areas at the same time.

That’s not all. Because working from home requires intense concentration, it makes perfect sense to prioritize peace and quiet in the workspace. For this reason, Shark TurboBlade offers ten discrete airflow levels, allowing users to focus on the task at hand or conduct online meetings without distracting background noise.

Clean air is vital for overall comfort

Shark TurboBlade does much more than simply cool a room. It features a washable air filtration system designed to capture dust, allergens and odors. After all, a clean home is an investment in the health and well-being of everyone who lives in it.

For ease of use, Shark TurboBlade comes with a remote control featuring a magnetic backing that attaches directly to the tower fan’s body. It operates at the touch of a finger, streamlining how you select different modes and use the system. To put it simply, Shark TurboBlade is designed to combine functionality and style, creating a sense of calm and comfort while helping protect personal well-being in hot and humid weather.

Shark TurboBlade is available in store at Central, and Power Buy

And online at:

Shopee (SharkNinja Official Store): https://s.shopee.co.th/9pasoTFt6R

Lazada (SharkNinja Official Store): https://s.lazada.co.th/s.ZToKDJ

TikTok (SharkNinja Thailand Shop): https://www.tiktok.com/@sharkninjathailand?_r=1&_t=ZS-964ccj3BDCq

#LivingASEAN #SharkTurboBlade #พัดลมไร้ใบพัด #TowerFan #DesignLedAppliance #bladelessfan

A Home-Office Combo Lets Nature Permeate, Simply Salubrious!

By kangsadank
June 4, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Khon Kaen, Thailand /

/ Story: Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Kranchanok Boonbamrung, Apinine Thassanopas /

“1011 House” in KhonKaen, Thailand performs dual functions as a place of residence and the home office of S Pace Studio. Thoughtfully devised to take care of the owner’s mother in need of medical attention, it’s built in the shape of the letter L surrounding a center courtyard dominated by an old tree. By design, it’s an architectural masterpiece where every room has a garden view.

What makes it stand out is a strong first impression of house walls built of concrete blocks stacked up to create an upright structure. The walls double function as a building envelope and a fence enclosing an area of land. Gaps in brickwork allow air and light to pass through.

The house plan prioritizes convenience incorporating thoughtful features, such as a gentle ramp for wheelchair access to the interior living space. There is attention to detail for the health and well-being of both working-age people and seniors in need of medical care, a perfect example of good work-life balance.

A carport is built separately from the main entryway that gives access to the private living space and the home office zone.

Here’s a house with a dedicated workspace, a stunning industrial exterior home offering an escape from the outside world. It blends the raw texture of a concrete breeze block façade with cool, clean lines and neutral colors. The pleasantly simple sanctuary adorned with lush greenery evokes timeless charm while the canopy of overhanging trees provides a refreshing retreat from the sun. It’s a welcoming streetscape offering a beautiful moment for passersby to pause and appreciate nature. Step inside, and you come to the heart of a home embracing health and wellness.

home office — The long tall hallway enclosed by a breeze block wall provides light-filled transitions giving access to other parts of the home.

Called “10 11”, the house with a numeric name is nestled in a peaceful residential neighborhood in Muang District, Khon Kaen Province. Needless to say, it allows easy access to the city center. Prior to this, the homeowners and architect duo at S Place Studio, had lived in a townhome in Khon Kaen for the past 15 years. After their elderly mother had fallen ill, it was time to rethink the size and design of their home. As to be expected, they were looking for the kind of living space with plenty of room for a home-based care environment. The result is a right-sized, single-detached home with seamless indoor-outdoor transitions for comfortable, sustainable living. That’s the most fundamental part of the concept.

The new house sits on 100 square wa, a traditional Thai unit of land measurement equal to 400 square meters, which is enough for a full-time architecture office and private living environments. It connects with nature by integrating views, using natural materials and decorating with greenery, ultimately improving health and well-being. It was pure serendipity that they found this piece of land with an old tree standing in the middle.

They wasted no time turning it into a focal point of the landscape. The heritage tree acts as a natural air conditioner regulating temperatures and shielding the home from the sun. It’s a brilliant design where the house’s rooms wrap around a center courtyard, thereby maximizing natural light and ventilation.

The courtyard mostly enclosed by the walls of the L-shaped home organically separates the private residential wing from the home office zone. From the street, the house’s front façade made of cement breeze blocks doubles as a physical barrier protecting privacy and a modern exterior adding decorative accents to the home. Holes in concrete blocks are specially designed to permit natural light and airflow, culminating in good working and living environments.

With respect to spatial design, the house’s floor plan is sectioned into clearly defined, recognizable spaces. The home office zone is located up front by the entry area. Nearby, a hallway behind perforated brick walls creates light-filled transitions separating work areas from private living spaces. Along the passageway, a wheelchair ramp with gradual incline ensures the safety of the elderly mother. It gives access to a vibrant center courtyard adorned with lush vegetation.

The residential wing is a standard two-floor building that serves as a private sanctuary for quiet zones. The ground floor has a living room with double-height ceilings, a dining area nearby and, beyond, Mom’s bedroom. The homeowners’ cozy bedroom retreat is upstairs. A courtyard view from the two bedrooms seamlessly merges the home’s interior with its outdoor environment.

Taken as a whole, the interior feels surprisingly open thanks to a free-flowing layout that maximizes space and enhances natural light. The downstairs is enclosed by a sliding glass door system that doubles as the building’s exterior wall. All furniture is placed lengthwise rather than across leaving the center space open for easy traffic flow. The upstairs is a little more private and connects with the outdoors via a balcony on the outside of the building.

The house named “10 11” symbolizes creative ideas and a commitment to achieving a specific goal. In this particular instance, it’s about creating a healthy environment that best answers the homeowners’ work and personal lifestyle needs as well as supporting an elderly mother’s medical needs. The result is a right-sized home that wraps around a center courtyard, blending residential and professional areas into a single entity and creating a strong support system that ensures family members never face difficulties alone.

Architects: S Pace Studio

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A Cozy, Eco-Friendly Steel Frame Home in Khao Yai

By kangsadank
May 21, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand /

/ Story: BRL / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

“O+O House” is a single-level steel-frame country retreat created by Junsekino Architect and Design. Tucked away in a peaceful rural setting at KhaoYai, Nakhon Ratchasima, it belongs to a homeowner planning for life after retirement. It’s built using a framework of steel to achieve a lightweight look that merges into a beautiful hillside. From a distance, the house appears as if it were floating or lightly tapping the ground. To create the least impact on the environment, it involves no landfill or alteration of any kind. The building itself gets its inspiration from a wildlife observatory. For relaxation, there is a center courtyard that brings in natural light and fresh air.

From a distance, the house’s entrance appears to sit at road level. Opaque facades provide privacy by blocking direct lines of sight from the outside.

As we all know, the areas surrounding Khao Yai National Park in Thailand top the list of destinations for building a home that offers the tranquility of the countryside. Plus, they lie within easy reach of Bangkok. For precisely that reason, owners decided to purchase a parcel of land within a development project called “Pirom At Vineyard”. And the rest was left in the good hands of the architectural firm Junsekino Architect and Design. Their quiet, secluded mountain retreat in Nakhon Ratchasima is aptly called “O+O House”, derived from their cute nicknames.

Balancing present lifestyles with long-term investment value, the couple wanted a house that serves as a weekend getaway with the intention of making it a full-time retirement single-story home. The architect responded with a single-story living space with open floor plans and easy accessibility that’s perfect for a family with dogs. Being situated on a corner lot ensures that panoramic vistas of nearby mountains can be seen from anywhere.

steel frame — The house’s rear facade is elevated on a sloped landscape with a panoramic deck overlooking rolling hills below. The foundation that distributes the weight evenly onto the soil contains three distinctive parts working alongside each other to support the superstructure, the service area, and opposite ends of the building.

High ground that opens to views of rolling hills below provides the architect with invaluable inspiration, culminating in a home that looks like a wildlife watchtower hovering over the landscape. The overall effect is impressive thanks in part to significant underfloor spaces, a sight that evokes the image of traditional Thai houses reimagined to blend cultural aesthetics with modern practicality.

To nurture a connection with nature, the architect chose a box-shaped massing to create the perception of the house’s shape, form and size focusing on geometric simplicity, clean lines and open spaces. As is expected, the house exterior is surrounded by a system of verandas that bridges the gap between indoor and outdoor living. Large glass openings in the walls enhance the home by taking in stunning mountain views, while all the rooms give access to the roofed platforms along the outside of the house.

And wait, there’s more. A courtyard in the middle of the home offers a tranquil oasis boosting physical and mental health. All of these features are designed to bring more natural light and fresh air into the home, while open floor plans maximize social interaction and visibility to ensure care and safety.

A welcoming foyer features a bench for removing shoes upon entering. It serves as a transitional space between the outside world and the home’s private living areas.

The house plan is simple yet clearly defined focusing on comfort and functionality. An attached garage gives access to a hallway leading to a welcoming guest bedroom on the right side and other functions on the left including a kitchen, pantry, living room and the main bedroom at the farthest end of the first floor.

Underfloor rooms serve as versatile storage space with dedicated areas for household equipment. From a distance, the building looks like a piece of paper resting over undulating countryside, securely supported by pillars at the center. As the architect intended, it merges into the mountain landscape, rather than sitting on top of it. According to Jun Sekino, of Junsekino Architect and Design:

“I want to create a house that blends into the environment. Not black. Not white. But a gray-toned house characteristic of homes in the countryside. It’s the kind that grows faint and disappears into the background. This is achieved by maximizing horizontal lines while keeping vertical structures out of sight and using cantilevers that span 4 meters from end to end. The result is a building that appears lighter than normal.”

The architect chose structural steel framing for its superior strength and durability. At the same time, all key elements are carefully thought out to appear lightweight, including the fascia covering the ends of rafters. The platforms along the outside of the house are roofed over with acrylic panels, creating bright, weather-resistant outdoor rooms. The same applies to gutters beneath the roof edge designed to carry off rainwater. Together they create calming visual effects during rains. By design, the verandas act as an extension of living space, providing a place to enjoy coffee on a rainy day and the breathtaking panoramas you won’t find in the city.

Aside from being low-maintenance and highly durable, steel frames are clearly the right choice for projects located in the provinces and remote areas. They can be manufactured to meet precise specifications and demanding work environments. Steel frames are easier to check for correctness than concrete construction. And by lessening the environmental footprint of the building, they create a mesmerizing floating effect, not to mention being totally recyclable at the end of their useful lives.

A few words succinctly describe this place. Here’s a home that gives a practical exhibition of how structural steel can merge into the environment through sustainable design, one that blends with the sky, thanks to an elevated structure that creates a floating effect. Enhanced by natural light flow, rains and mountains that appear to stretch farther than the eye can see, it’s a piece of architecture designed to answer present and future lifestyle needs, meanwhile creating the least environmental impact.

Architect: Junsekino Architect and Design

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An Urban Townhouse Renovated for the Comfort of an Aging Parent

A Townhouse with a Stand-Alone Appearance That Blurs the Lines between Indoors and Outdoors

By kangsadank
May 5, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia /

/ Story: Baralee P. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Apinine Thassanopas /

Here is a 30+ year old townhouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that has been renovated to provide a healthy environment ideally suited to consistent warm weather year-round. It’s the story of a tropical style house being updated to enhance comfort and enjoyment, ultimately resulting in an open plan layout where different areas flow into each other and connect with outdoor spaces nearby. Thanks to proper ventilation and the presence of natural illumination, the home feels more uplifting with greater overall satisfaction.

This is achieved by taking down dividing walls to create large, unified spaces in the interior. Plus, being an end-of-block unit makes it possible to install large openings in walls to bring in cool air and drive out heat. Where appropriate, old roofing materials are replaced by corrugated transparent sheets creating a skylight system equipped with blower fans to expel hot and humid air from the building. In the meantime, more plants are put in strategically to create natural façades in all directions. The vertical green spaces provide protection from sun’s heat making the home comfortable without relying on air conditioning.

This vibrant townhouse is in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia which is located just north of the equator. The region is known for being hot and humid year-round, not to mention heavy rainfall brought on by two monsoon seasons. Who would have thought? A simple but clever idea can make such a difference in creating a comfortable living environment. Thanks to meticulous planning, there is almost no need for air conditioning. The AC is turned on only twice a year, max.

Here the journey begins. A townhouse that’s over 30 years old in Peninsular Malaysia has been tastefully renovated as a German expat’s dream home providing ample space for his adorable pet dogs. OTCQ Architects undertook the remodeling project, successfully transforming it into a house with a peaceful yard. Precisely, it’s about redefining tropical design along more practical lines by integrating the home into its natural surroundings to maximize comfort and functionality.

Architecturally speaking, end-unit townhouses offer many benefits typically associated with detached homes. In this specific case, the team of architects at OTCQ think it wise to move the main entryway from under the triangular gable façade and position it on the wide side of the rectangular house plan.

By embracing the concept of adaptive reuse, they make certain that all essential structural components, including pillars, beams and the entire roofing system, remain intact. Where appropriate, non-load-bearing walls are removed to create a fluid, open-concept space that maximizes natural light, improves ventilation and fosters social interaction. Meanwhile, large windows provide an unobstructed view of the outdoors, blurring the boundaries between living spaces and the surroundings ultimately creating healthier, more pleasant living.

The new façade not only defines the home’s character through a wide horizontal presence but also allows for an open floor plan that makes indoor and outdoor rooms feel spacious, well lit, and well ventilated. As the architects intended, generous exterior wall openings, such as wide sliding doors and floor-to-ceiling windows, bring in natural light and fresh air to make the home feel cozy and inviting. Proper ventilation is highly effective in dissipating heat quickly, while strategically placed clear polycarbonate roof panels keep the interior dry by preventing condensation and moisture buildup. They work alongside the exhaust fans installed in the rooftop to create indoor thermal comfort.

The open-plan ground floor gives the townhouse a more spacious and airy atmosphere creating a visual flow where all areas feel connected from the living room to dining room and kitchen. A long dining table with a cast-in-place concrete countertop nearby is immediately visible upon entering. It acts as the heart of a home functioning as a vital space for bonding and sharing meals with friends and loved ones. There is a kitchen counter nearby for preparing and cooking food. As to be expected of well-designed tropical homes, brick flooring provides a warm, textured aesthetic creating a seamless indoor-outdoor living space.

Open plan design combines the living area, dining room and kitchen into one cohesive space, a clever hack to make the home feel more spacious, well lit, and well ventilated.

The second floor feels like a mezzanine, rather than a completely enclosed, separate level. It has a sitting room with a productive home work area nearby. At the far end lies an open-concept bedroom with an open bathroom en suite offering an airy, expansive feel. An S-shaped privacy wall separates wet and dry areas, while the wash basin is slightly elevated to a comfort height. At the same time, brick flooring creates a vintage, rustic feel that goes hand in hand with the floor below.

A large window floods the upstairs work area with natural light. It opens to improve ventilation as the need arises.

With regard to interior decoration, the overall effect is impressive yet simple keeping only necessary furniture to reduce clutter. Natural, imperfect elements speak volumes for the homeowner’s passion for a raw feel in interior decoration. The same is true of the townhouse exterior that’s adorned with healthy trees and climbing vines offering aesthetic, environmental and practical benefits.

Together they serve as natural privacy screens while providing year-round noise reduction and protecting the townhouse from heavy rain, wind, harsh sun and extreme temperatures. In short, all of these factors combine to establish the character of tropical design that relies on passive cooling, proper ventilation and blurring indoor-outdoor boundaries to create healthier, more pleasant living.

Architects: OTCQ Architects

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A Cube-Shaped Glass Block House Brings Joy to Aging Loved Ones

By kangsadank
April 21, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Prachinburi, Thailand /

/ Story: Sundaynightsofast / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Anupong Chaisukkasem, Soopakorn Srisakul /

This cube-shaped house in Prachinburi, Thailand features a wide façade designed to improve its aesthetic appeal. Thanks to its small footprints and efficient rectangular layout, it prioritizes health and well-being for a life after retirement. There is an ample patio with a gentle ramp for easy wheelchair access in the future. Glass block walls and skylights above a double height room nearby bring natural light into the interior.

glass block — The front yard is hemmed in by white wooden fencing. Slender-leaved willows lined along the fence foster an atmosphere of calm away from the hubbub of the city. Together they create a dense, living privacy wall reducing noise and filtering out dust and smoke from passing cars.

Open floor plans work in tandem with sliding glass doors to create a bright and airy feel; meanwhile, connecting rooms within the building. It’s a nice way to avoid loneliness in old age. There’s a small courtyard enclosed by a privacy hedge that filters air pollution from streets. The ground floor has a multipurpose room that can convert into a sleeping chamber with an en suite accessible to wheelchairs. In all parts, it’s conducive to safety, comfort as well as physical and mental health.

A single-detached house located on Prachinburi’s main thoroughfare originates from a desire to create a sanctuary of well-being for aging loved ones. Planned for life after retirement, it’s out of the way, cozy and intimate, where time well spent is time spent with their children and grandchildren.

It’s the direct result of hard work overcoming the challenges of a roadside location and limited land size. By design, the new house respects city planning laws adhering to general plans and building standards, ultimately creating an improvement in living conditions after retirement.

The house is built on a small, 60 tarang-wa plot of land (about 240 square meters) that’s common for residential use in Thailand. There’s a problem with the frontage of the land abutting a main thoroughfare. In this manner, the building is required by law to be situated at a distance of 12 meters from the center line of a primary public road.

Such restrictions leave only a 5 to 6 meters wide area of ground that can be designated for house building. The architect overcomes the challenges by creating a wide shallow-lot cube house positioned tightly against the rear property line. The result is a rectangular house plan with an ample multi-use terrace overlooking the front yard. Plus, there’s a wheelchair accessible ramp up front providing critical benefits for the elderly with mobility challenges.

The two-story house offers 130 square meters of living and usable space. It’s rich in features designed to make small spaces feel bigger, especially the front façade built of glass blocks that enhance privacy while maximizing natural light all day every day.

As is the case with wide shallow-lot floor plans, house pillars act as structural dividers that partition spaces into three distinct functional zones. They fit perfectly into one large, open concept house plan promoting natural light and improving traffic flow.

The first zone to the left has a living area with dining space and functional tasks including the kitchen, powder room, and laundry area. There’s a multipurpose room on the second floor that visually connects upstairs to downstairs via a sliding wall system. The room that provides storage spaces can convert to a bedroom for visiting houseguests, or workspace if need be.

The second zone or mid-section contains a stairwell and a double-height entrance foyer that makes the home feel airy and bright. Its surrounding walls are made of glass blocks while an openable skylight enhances natural lighting and dissipates indoor heat by utilizing the chimney effect.

At the same time, decorating with plants blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living, providing significant health and aesthetic benefits. In essence, it’s about making use of fresh air, sunshine and the greenery of the landscape to boost overall well-being.

The middle section serves as the functional heart designed to bring the outdoors in to enhance well-being in the home. Like so, the stairwell is adorned with a mini interior courtyard that benefits from natural light and seasonal southerly winds.

The third zone is on the right-hand side containing a multi-use room on the first floor and the owner’s bedroom on the second. The downstairs room is a versatile space by design, capable of being adapted to many functions including a bedroom in the future when climbing stairs become more difficult. When the time comes, built-in storage spaces in the room can convert to wardrobes in which clothes may be hung or stored. Plus, it has a wheelchair accessible bathroom en-suite while the doorway without a threshold provides a seamless transition for the safety of aging loved ones.

What’s more. Thoughtful landscaping plays a central role in improving well-being despite being a small house. Adding greenery to the front yard landscape provides many environmental benefits, including reducing noise and filtering dust and smoke from passing cars. In this particular instance, thriving willow trees with lance-shaped leaves create a dense, living privacy wall. From an architectural point of view, the strategically placed trees soften the sharpness of geometric cube-shaped architecture resulting in a welcoming and balanced aesthetic.

All things considered, it’s a cohesive, multifunctional home that flows, creating visual continuity thanks to bi-fold doors and sliding glass walls that maximize natural light making the interior feel airy and bright. The well-thought-out floor plan ensures smooth and safe movement from indoor rooms to the terrace overlooking the front yard.

There isn’t a small, poorly designed room that increases isolation for older adults. Quite the opposite, it’s a home that feels like a shared communal, social environment when children and grandchildren visit — a private sanctuary that promotes the physical and mental well-being of aging loved ones.

Architects: S Pace Studio

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An Urban Townhouse Renovated for the Comfort of an Aging Parent

A Country Style Home Office Set amid an Urban Environment

An Urban Townhouse Renovated for the Comfort of an Aging Parent

By kangsadank
April 8, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nantiya June /

A three-story townhouse nestled in the heart of Bangkok’s downtown tells the story of a family in the good old days. Photographs from 40 years back show Mom and her two daughters, documenting an account of past events in their lives amid change driven by city growth. When it came time to update and make it comfortable and safe for everyone, the homeowner decided to leave it in the good hands of a team of architects to bring it to a good state of repair.

It’s a restoration townhouse project that came at the right time as Mom was getting older. Among others, a lift was installed to make moving easy from one floor to another. The opportune use of the elevator also saved floor space, making the whole house interior feel large, warm and cozy despite being in the middle of a big city.

A drawing illustrates space utilization on the first floor. / Courtesy of WOS Architects

A drawing of the second floor plan. / Courtesy of WOS Architects

A drawing of the third floor plan. / Courtesy of WOS Architects

A diagram of the covered rooftop deck. / Courtesy of WOS Architects

To maintain structural integrity, the renovators make certain that the framework of the split-level townhouse remains intact. The townhouse consists two parts, the front and the rear accessed via an oblique stairwell set at a 45-degree angle in the middle of the house plan. A skylight system built into the rooftop deck lets natural daylight shine through from the uppermost point all the way to the first floor.

The overall strong, well-designed house makes it easy for the architects to make slight adjustments to achieve a perfect fit. The result is a bright and airy interior with spatial arrangements tailored to specific family lifestyle needs. In essence, it’s a design that takes the precaution of safety and comfort for the aging parent.

First things first, the architects searched out the best spot to install the elevator to make sure there is no negative impact on the existing structure of the house. For a more wheelchair-friendly interior, the first floor entrance hall in front of the lift boasts an open plan that’s conveniently connected to the living room and dining room nearby.

Where appropriate, a gently inclined ramp is put in to join two different levels while the room at the rear of the house transforms into a kitchen with a bathroom close by. A few steps away, a wash area feels open and airy, thanks to a volume of space overhead that rises three stories high all the way to the upper covering of the building.

The second floor holds two bedrooms. Mom’s bedroom occupies the front wing of the house while that of the firstborn is tucked away at the rear. The younger daughter’s bedroom is on the third floor directly above that of her sister. All three rooms give a feeling of comfort and relaxation with furniture doubling as room dividers. Mom’s room is more special, thanks to a semi-outdoor gallery protected by a façade of louvered panels.

Together they keep the sitting room cool, well-lit and well-ventilated. By and large, it’s the picture of faux wood slats filling up the angled face of the building. Meanwhile, the two bedrooms at the rear create a sense of connection to nature, as a result of generous openings in the wall letting fresh outdoor air into the home.

A work of outstanding design is evidenced by the storage cabinets built flush with the walls in many parts of the townhouse. The interior living space is light and airy, while warm paint colors paired with vintage wooden furniture make it feel warm and inviting. In a few words, it’s a home characterized by the power of storytelling about strong family bonds. Here, a relationship made in heaven is expressed in a rich, subtle and happy way.

Architects: WOS Architects

This house appears in the special Baan Lae Suan issue on the theme of “Cozy Living in Urban Homes” is out now. Design lovers, this one is for you. It’s the latest in the ongoing “ASEAN Tropical House Series”.

The exciting new bilingual edition (Thai-English) is a nice little collab between the Baan Lae Suan Press and its English language media arm Living ASEAN. It’s the coming together of ideas for dealing with the problem of limited space, turning site constraints into solutions. Precisely, it looks at problem solving techniques, ultimately creating small urban homes that are right within the context of Southeast Asia. In this issue, ten houses are chosen for their exemplary designs that inspire. It’s meant for architects, designers, and homeowners searching out new ideas for creating a living space that’s cozy and comfortable plus it blends in beautifully with the environment.

Available at bookstores nationwide. Or go online. Order now at https://www.naiin.com/product/detail/621643

For bulk international orders, contact livingasean.bkk@gmail.com

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A Narrow, Multigenerational Home Lets Nature Permeate

A Single-Story Home That Grows in Company with Trees

A White Home on a Narrow Street with Full Functionality

By kangsadank
March 24, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nantiya June /

The cacophony of narrow shop front styles and crowded roads lined with street food stalls has attracted a young architect to a quaint old town on the bank of the Chao Phraya River. He found what he’s been looking for.

A shophouse exuding old world charm in Bangkok’s Talad Noi neighborhood had the potential to be renovated as a new home. In a short time, it transformed into a three-story living space with all features and options despite its small size. The old opaque façade was removed and replaced by a new exterior that’s light and airy. It’s thoughtfully devised to merge perfectly into the narratives of the area known for its richness in history and the ambience pleasantly reminiscent of an early time.

Courtesy of Ekkachan Eiamananwattana, Phuwasit Buakhao

From a tired old place, the building made a thorough change in the form, resulting in a beautiful white home on a narrow lane that stands out from the crowd. There’s a lush garden bed in the front yard and trailing plants thriving among white slats that from the house façade. Together they harmonize in color and texture with original features of the house. It’s a great way to add instant curb appeal and welcome family and friends to the home. Past the steel panel fence painted white, the atmosphere is cozy and comfortable despite the house being located at the end of a narrow lane. Like the architect intended, the home is well-ventilated and well-lit by natural light, qualities that help banish stuffy rooms.

Take a look at the first floor. The waiting room up front is simple and practical with only a few pieces of furniture. It’s made colorful by peeling paint on old plaster walls left behind by the passage of time. On the whole, spatial arrangements are proportional to the narrow house plan, with the stairs and a kitchen sharing space designed to create an airflow pattern that eliminates odors through an opening at the rear.

On the second floor, the plain hallway gives access to a cozy nook tucked away at the far end. It’s lined with functional storage spaces and a bathroom with a vessel sink countertop built flush against the wall to save floor space. The quiet corner provides an oasis of calm with upholstered seats and wooden furniture handcrafted by local artisans.

The third floor that previously was a rooftop deck has since been renovated as a bedroom that’s the right size for the compact house plan. It’s cozy and comfortable, thanks to a large glass wall and a balcony filled with green plants. The balcony is in turn enclosed by slatted wall panels that regulate the amounts of sunlight shining into the interior painted a cool-toned white.

Albeit restored for living at the present time, the home still retains the original support structure, intricate shapes and features exactly where they’ve always been. In essence, it’s about preserving the memorabilia in place because of their historical interest. They include peeling paint on old plaster walls that time forgot, wooden furniture handcrafted the old-fashioned way, even old plant containers scattered on every floor.

Together they bring back warm childhood memories plus it’s design that admits natural light and promotes good air circulation keeping the house cool and comfortable in summer. It’s the very picture of a house renovation done right, one that perfectly fits into the small space, yet it has the feel and functionality of a happier home.

Architects: Ekkachan Eiamananwattana, Phuwasit Buakhao

This house appears in the special Baan Lae Suan issue on the theme of “Cozy Living in Urban Homes” is out now. Design lovers, this one is for you. It’s the latest in the ongoing “ASEAN Tropical House Series”.

The exciting new bilingual edition (Thai-English) is a nice little collab between the Baan Lae Suan Press and its English language media arm Living ASEAN. It’s the coming together of ideas for dealing with the problem of limited space, turning site constraints into solutions. Precisely, it looks at problem solving techniques, ultimately creating small urban homes that are right within the context of Southeast Asia. In this issue, ten houses are chosen for their exemplary designs that inspire. It’s meant for architects, designers, and homeowners searching out new ideas for creating a living space that’s cozy and comfortable plus it blends in beautifully with the environment.

Available at bookstores nationwide. Or go online. Order now at https://www.naiin.com/product/detail/621643

For bulk international orders, contact livingasean.bkk@gmail.com

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Tan Phu House: From a Stuffy, Narrow Shophouse to a Multi-Floor Home with Rooftop Garden

A Colonial Row House Renovated as Home-cum-Restaurant Exuding Vintage Charm

A Single-Story Home That Grows in Company with Trees

By kangsadank
March 19, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Natthawat Klaysuban, Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nantiya June /

A house that’s right for the size of the land is just what this homeowner has been looking for, one that can satisfy his passion for living in close touch with nature in Bangkok.

trees — Lush foliage and overhanging tree branches welcome visitors to nature’s warm embrace.

The homeowner’s passion for plants is evidenced by an abundance of green spaces in the house plan. / Courtesy of Studio Bewell

A drawing of the front elevation view of the house in cross section. / Courtesy of Studio Bewell

Wind back the clock. The existing family home where he had previously lived was decorated mostly with potted plants. And when it came time to put in another house on the premises, he thought it wise to leave it in the good hands of professionals, at the same time working closely with them to create a home that would reveal his true self and his love for gardening.

Open plan design gets rid of stuffy room, a way to overcome the problem of limited space.

A skylight on top of a vaulted ceiling creates a volume of space overhead, making the living room feel bright and airy, at the same time allowing plants to capture the energy of the sun.

The result is a home among trees that boasts the beauty of living spaces cocooned by the warmth of luxuriant foliage. He started planting trees while construction was underway, content to watch them grow from the very first day the new house rose from the ground in a designated area.

From a distance, the perimeter fence merges into lush vegetation, conveying a great deal about design thinking that integrates natural elements into design in ways that arouse intrigue and interest. It’s a layout that speaks volumes for a relationship between the homeowner and various plant species in the yard. The trees and understory plants take prominent positions in and around the well-planned single-story home.

From inside every room, a bright interior courtyard filled with greenery and garden pathways can be seen in full view, effectively blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. The center courtyard performs a dual role. It creates visual continuity between the home and the landscape.

At the same time, moisture in the atmosphere transforms the entire premises into a peaceful, refreshing garden oasis. By design, the green courtyard splits the house into two separate wings. A corridor adjacent to the living room and dining room gives access to private living spaces tucked away in quiet corners. Along the way, a bare brick wall in grayish hues keeps the two wings apart, simultaneously serving as part of interior decoration.

The laundry room located at the far end is fully equipped to perform everyday functions.

The concept is clear. When the trees are regarded as part of family, design must ensure that they are treated right like house occupants behave toward one another. This is evidenced by the way skylights are installed at the top of vaulted ceilings to allow indoor plants to capture the energy from the sun.

At the same time, the living room floor is set lower than ground level creating a volume of space overhead. Nearby, the trees and plants thriving in the courtyard get full sun that enables them to grow vigorously, providing a nice cool place to relax and unwind. In terms of the feel and functionality, the house boasts modern conveniences that fit together well with the layout forming a cohesive whole.

The materials and finishes are mostly wood, white walls and concrete blocks in shades of gray that merge with the color of the real wood floor. More than anything else, it’s sunlight working in tandem with texture on the walls that adds dimension and much-needed depth to the room, a perfect integration of nature in living space design and people’s lifestyle.

In a nutshell, the homeowner’s passion for nature is translated into a single-story house appropriate for the size of the landscape. Surrounded by an expanse of trees big and small, it feels calm and peaceful, thanks to passive design making space available for all things to go to work as nature intended. The result is a well-lit, well-ventilated place made for a healthy lifestyle and desire to be eco-friendly taking it one step at a time.

Architect: Studio Bewell

This house appears in the special Baan Lae Suan issue on the theme of “Cozy Living in Urban Homes” is out now. Design lovers, this one is for you. It’s the latest in the ongoing “ASEAN Tropical House Series”.

The exciting new bilingual edition (Thai-English) is a nice little collab between the Baan Lae Suan Press and its English language media arm Living ASEAN. It’s the coming together of ideas for dealing with the problem of limited space, turning site constraints into solutions. Precisely, it looks at problem solving techniques, ultimately creating small urban homes that are right within the context of Southeast Asia. In this issue, ten houses are chosen for their exemplary designs that inspire. It’s meant for architects, designers, and homeowners searching out new ideas for creating a living space that’s cozy and comfortable plus it blends in beautifully with the environment.

Available at bookstores nationwide. Or go online. Order now at https://www.naiin.com/product/detail/621643

For bulk international orders, contact livingasean.bkk@gmail.com

You may also like…

A Country Style Home Office Set amid an Urban Environment

1+1=1 House: A Modern Home Beautifully Designed for Multigenerational Living

A Colonial Row House Renovated as Home-cum-Restaurant Exuding Vintage Charm

By kangsadank
March 5, 2026
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Kampot, Cambodia /

/ English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Antoine Raab, Nataly Lee, Bloom Architecture /

A colonial terraced house stands the test of time in a quaint riverside neighborhood in Kampot, a city in southern Cambodia. The house that had previously fallen into disrepair and kept closed for years was recently restored to all its former glory. Beautifully renovated, it transforms into a home-cum-restaurant exuding good vibes. The dining room is downstairs, while the family home is tucked away in a quiet place upstairs. It’s the story of architectural preservation in an area rich in history. Things have changed, people’s lifestyles included.

Like a journey through time, the downstairs dining room boasts a beautiful mix of old-fashioned porcelain tiles on the floor, uncovered brick walls and wooden furniture.

To make the old house fit for modern living, the design team focused on conserving all distinctive attributes in their existing state. They included, among others, the building façade with large arched openings on the second floor balcony, elaborate ornamentation, and weather-beaten looks on the walls left behind by the passage of time.

SECOND FLOOR PLAN (above) and FIRST FLOOR PLAN (below) / Courtesy of Bloom Architecture

ROOFTOP PLAN / Courtesy of Bloom Architecture

Together they chronicled events on a long journey through time. Where suitable, old timber recycled from the old house found a new purpose as part of furniture, while all the windows were built fresh, combining the old with the new.

Despite the appearance of a colonial style commercial building, things have changed inside in a way that’s right for modern lifestyle needs. The downstairs dining room is light and airy with plenty of seating available. Wooden tables and chairs come in various shapes and sizes, while exposed wood beam ceilings make the room feel more spacious. Underneath it all, uncovered brick leave textures on walls, whereas the floor is of porcelain tiles showcasing the patterns unique to colonial times.

Viewed from a high angle, the center courtyard with a spiral staircase painted white brings sunlight and fresh outdoor air into the home.

Taking everything into account, the interior is impressive and well-lit thanks to a center courtyard with a steel spiral staircase giving access to the family home upstairs. As the most important feature of the house, it brings in natural daylight and increases ventilation, keeping the house cool in summer.

The upstairs family living room is spacious thanks to double height ceilings. Furniture is made of reclaimed wood left over from the renovation project.

Plus, it creates a calm living space to relax and recharge after a busy day at work. Simply step out on the balcony to get some fresh air. From here, the spiral staircase continues on to the rooftop deck affording a wonderful panorama of Kampot. In a few words, it’s a renovation done right, one that breathes new life into a tired old home in an interesting way.

Architect: Bloom Architecture

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A house that’s right for the size of the land is just what this homeowner has been looking for, one that can satisfy his passion for living in close touch with nature in Bangkok.

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