Several years ago Naiduangta Pathumsut and Rungroj Kraibut began building their farmhouse with meager savings. That of course didn’t produce the kind of home we see today, but it was enough for the concrete structure and the roof. Before long their enthusiasm, determination and a lot of hard work resulted in a beautiful home amid lush green fields. There is the pride and glory in it, no doubt.
They first started with a single-story home and named it “Ton Tarn”, which is Thai for the point of origin from which a stream or river flows. Naiduangta’s parents settled down and raised a family here a long time ago when the trees were still young and had only just begun to emerge from seeds.
They bequeathed a parcel of land to her and Rungroj to build this new house connecting to the original family home.
Folding doors of old wood open wide, giving the house an old-fashioned atmosphere.
By way of introduction, Naiduangta was born here in Suphan Buri, but moved when in kindergarten. Eventually completing Thai Language Studies at the Faculty of Education in Chiang Mai, she worked in Bangkok for a period of time before returning to Suphan Buri to help her father with his work promoting child literacy in this western province of Thailand.
Rungroj, a native of nearby Uthai Thani, studied environmental geography and has worked for the Seub Nakhasathien and Sarnsaeng-arun Foundations to promote learning about living with nature. After the great flood of 2011, the couple decided to put in a two-story home – connecting to the original single-story house – as a means to escape future flooding.
A multi-use spot opens on a wide view, with steel “cage doors” for security.Rungroj’s bicycle collection and workshop supports his hobby: cycling into Chiang Mai with friends, doing a solo trek to Uthai Thani, etc.
Rungroj can still recall how it all started: “If we’d waited to get all the money, we wouldn’t have been ready. We wouldn’t have started or done anything.”
With the help of local craftsmen, the basic structure was built in two years, but by then the money had run out and the work had to depend on just the two hands of “Craftsman Rung” for the wood walls, doors, windows, and some furniture.
“I used timber from Neem trees or Indian lilac (a tree in the mahogany family) and Burmese rosewood trees grown and harvested on our property. Plus, we had some old wood, doors, and windows set aside. After another two years the exterior looked finished, but there was still a lot of work to do.”
The kitchen wall has painted green shutters, “tank-shaped” chairs, and a simple shelf above the doorway.
The 9-acre property includes the parents’ house, the main house, and a rice granary. There’s a natural well with a planted bamboo border. Umbrella bamboo is grown for its edible shoots, and giant thorny bamboo for fencing. The bamboo orchard is in one area, rice paddies in another, and big, harvestable trees remain from the time of Rungroj’s grandfather.
“November to March is the perfect season for growing leafy vegetables we use ourselves, but we switch crops sometimes. Vine veggies like string beans, loofah, and squash are perennials. They provide a natural way to prevent disease and insects that often spread when growing just a single crop,” said Rungroj.
“The image of our house in the middle of the fields looks great. We can’t do anything about how farming in the area has changed: use of chemicals, burning sugarcane fields,” he continued.
“We can only adapt to it and build on our own natural world. Our joy is in the pride of doing things with our own hands. There’s nothing perfect in nature: it’s all a learning experience, like life as a married couple, gradually adapting. Where we can’t adapt, we create understanding so we can live together.”
Next to the house is a woodworking shop Rungroj also uses to store wood. Scaffolding used to build the house was converted to storage racks.
/ Story: Patsiri Chot / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Anupong Chaisukkasem /
On the bank of the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi we stand beneath tall trees, their canopy of robust branches and green leaves filtering sunlight into shade as a cool, comfortable breeze riffles the water. The sight of the Erawan National Park forest fills us with awe. This enchanted spot is where Dr. Suwin Kraibhubes, CEO of Beauty Community, PLC decided to build his home on the riverfront.
“In the old days there was a resort here, but abandoned, it fell apart.” Dr. Suwin said.
“Coming here on a visit I found myself getting excited about this panoramic mountain view, the forest preserve and the peaceful river. I hadn’t known Kanchanaburi had such a quiet, pleasant riverside woodland as this.”
Dr. Suwin had always had a deep feeling for good design and home decoration. He followed this up with a lot of reading from many sources, and bought furniture and house accessories to add to his own collection and deck out this home in a style suiting this great location on the River Kwai.
“I had a lot of ideas, including building on the original resort’s foundations, and found an architect to help,” further explained the owner. “With modern-style gable roofs, the shapes are reminiscent of a tobacco-curing plant.
“I didn’t want to make the house too eye-catching, but more low-key, in tune with nature, so we used strong, dark colors with natural materials such as wood, stone, and steel, materials with beautiful colors and textures of their own, that also are easy to maintain.
“The result is a relaxed retreat where we don’t stay every day, but that fits in beautifully with the natural environment.”
Dr. Suwin’s personal living space is a compact riverside home on a hill directly above the water. The full residence extends across the property: another three steel-frame buildings are set in a quiet corner.
There is a separate structure in the center for use as a reception area and common dining room near a two-story house built to accommodate more family members and friends.
He also added, “I live on the river bank for comfort. It’s a little like a greenhouse: the walls are glass and face out on the river, giving both a beautiful view and privacy.
“Mornings I really enjoy looking out from the porch. I can see everything from there, it feels like we’re in the middle of everything!”
Dr. Suwin gets a lot of outdoor time here, playing in the water with the kids, kayaking, jet skiing, enjoying nature by the Tha Thung Na Dam. Sometimes in the cool evening air he sits out on a raft, socializing with his friends.
“I really love that this house has both the mountains and the river. Outside we get the full benefits of being close to nature: almost no landscaping needed,” he summarized beautifully.
“I love the big trees the most. They give this riverside home the refreshing, shady frame.”
/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
Starting with the idea of building a temporary residence from commercial containers, Charnwit Ananwattanakul of Wish Architect Design Studio had to analyze the different characters of the family members who would live there. In the end, this temporary project became a permanent home made from 15 containers where all family members reside happily together.
The container house has two wings, one used for the living area. The master bedroom is on the second floor. An open wood-floored multipurpose space runs longitudinally through the house as a sort of inner courtyard, enabling family interaction and serving as a channel for heat release and air circulation from front to back.
Similar decks in front and back follow the width of the house that’s set back a distance to reduce heat entering the container elements of the home. Trees planted in front add another level of protection from the western sun.
A partition at the far end creates a wind channel for air circulation, reducing any late-morning heat gain from the east side of the house.
To minimize heat and humidity, bathrooms are placed on the south side, some containing plants suggestive of old-time country houses where bathing was done outside, pouring from water jars. Another important feature is the sprayed-in roof insulation.
The living room is done in a spacious “open plan” style, connecting to the large food preparation area/pantry with facilities such as a coffee brewer, an island with a gas range, and storage shelves for kitchenware with a large protective screen to keep the space more orderly.
The second-floor verandah has a gap cut where netting is placed for people to sit, lie back, and chill; this also helps release heat and brings natural light into the central area, as well as giving it depth.
To avoid a fussy look, white was chosen as the primary color for interior décor of this container house.
Due to limitations on utility system installation, some metal posts had to be added to container walls and ceilings to accommodate electrical systems without further lowering the already rather low container ceilings.
Where appropriate, a framework of steel was constructed to meet the proportions of container walls. At the same time, wood paneling in shades of earth-toned brown was added to give the interior living space a warm feeling.
In front of the house, real stone is used in the staircase area to give the atmosphere of a modern-design garden, playing off the boxlike shape of the container house.
The fence also features a play of vertical and horizontal lines, using the language of design to simultaneously create a look of transparency and a sense of privacy. Each area is designed to suit the behavior of the family members living there, and this links the family and strengthens relationships all the more.
/ Story: Patsiri Chot / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
This attractive, old-fashioned country home stands in the middle of huge swaths of paddies in Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim District. The upper floor, all bedrooms, is built of wood. Downstairs the many open walls convey a great deal about the traditional Thai house with a “tai thun” (the open underfloor space) that’s spacious, bright and airy. It holds a living room, dining room, and coffee nook with a natural breeze providing cool comfort all day long.
The rural house built of reclaimed timber looks the epitome of a local tradition. Its design is the brainchild of Prakij Kanha of the Bangkok-based atelier Studio Miti Co., Ltd.
Overall, the building is impressive in its austere simplicity. But at the same time, the external envelope made of weather-beaten wood adds rustic charm to the home. The recycled building materials used in the project were taken from five old houses at various locations around Chiang Mai.
The house has a small courtyard along its length, a channel for natural breezes to blow that adds to an overall sense of relaxed informality.
There is a small courtyard enclosed by the walls of the house, creating a channel for natural breezes that go to work making the simple interior cozy and comfortable. Limitations on the amount of wood meant that a few downstairs walls had to be mortared in place. Where cladding boards were too short, sheet metal was used to cover the unfilled spaces.
The house was roofed over with Onduline, a kind of eco-friendly corrugated roofing sheets made of strong natural fibers. They are lightweight and suitable as insulation materials, and hence no need to install a ceiling.
For roof decking installations, oriented strand boards, or OSB, are used. OSB is a type of engineered wood similar to plywood. To keep the sun baked rooms cool during the day, gypsum boards are used to add a layer of built-in insulation.
There is a mix of tall windows and glass walls, and a central corridor connecting to every room in the house. It also doubles as air circulation channel.
Even the bathroom looks out on nature. The master bedroom has views of both Doi Saket, a mountain in the eastern part of Chiang Mai, and morning mists over the Ping River. On the opposite side, night after night you can watch the moon wax and wane.
The country house’s easy and chic interior décor is a mix of furniture and antiques almost entirely taken from the homeowner’s old place of abode.
A small mezzanine made of steel mesh flooring is home to objects of interest to collectors, including a post-World War II vintage bicycle, while photos on the wall give the air of a private gallery.On one side of the hall is a staircase made attractive by a mix of unfinished surfaces of wood, brick, cement, steel and glass.This is a homestay for nature lovers: the four guest rooms all have wooden furniture, stressing simplicity and panoramic views of the landscape.
Public electricity doesn’t reach out this far, so solar cells are used, and per-day energy use has to be carefully figured. There is no air conditioning, but the natural breezes here are deeply cooling.
On the whole, it’s a beautiful wood house set amid rice fields, a perfect place to get the peace and quiet. The sky can’t be clearer. The night is totally dark and tranquil. What could be better than that?
/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
It’s everyone’s dreams to have a beautiful home. And it takes a special kind of knowledge, skills and wisdom on the part of the architect to create one that’s both gorgeous and great to live in. This box-shaped house in cool-toned whites belonging to Thanaphong and Thinan Nakaprasit has what is needed for comfortable living.
Initially, construction was delayed for a period of time for Dr. Tonkao Panin, a professor at Silpakorn University, and Tanakarn Mokkhasmita, of the Research Studio Panin to properly develop a plan to build the house around a tree.
“Our old house had a high “tai thun” (the lower open space at ground level) and a tree that’s the focal point on the property,” explained Thanaphong. “We loved this place, but we wanted to change a few things. To put in a carport in the tai thun, the house had to be raised a bit higher to create more headroom. Our first house plan had a half courtyard with the tree only partially surrounded.”
Thanaphong and Thinan had seen the results of Dr. Tonkao’s design work in the past. They grew familiar with her lines of thought that stressed using simple geometric shapes to bring out hidden character and warmth. Especially for Thanaphong, it gave him further insights into the concept of utilizing proportions, a code to unlock the geometric secrets in classic designs, and a sense of security that’s a design challenge in architecture.
Having lived in a house with glass walls, privacy and security were important to Thanaphong and Thinan: they wanted more containment. Creating secure viewpoints for looking both out of and into the house posed a challenge for the architects. Solutions began with placement of a large tree as the focal point of the house plan. The rooms are disposed around the tree in the center courtyard and have views for monitoring the exterior of the house. People inside can hardly be seen from outside, while the addition of steel panels adds more security.
The security steel panels were originally designed to be of Exmet (expanded metal), but Thanaphong consulted with the architects and decided instead on perforated steel, adding a charming polka dot pattern to the latticework blocking off the long walkway behind the house by the canal.
“Environmentally, this is a great location: water and mountains are behind us, so we need practically no gardening of our own,” explained Thanaphong. Instead of being near the road, the house is set deep in the back of the .4-acre property. Besides the tree between buildings, the living room has a beautiful view of the natural forest on the other bank of the canal.
For easy maintenance, the property is landscaped primarily with grass lawn or paved with stones and large rocks, which are used especially for the shady, peaceful “tai thun” space (the lower open space), which gets no direct sunlight.
For movable furniture, Thanaphong especially wanted to bring some Modernform “black Iceland” items from their old house, which required some expansion of the kitchen. Other furniture is mostly from IKEA, with light color tones and light, simple shapes.
“The longer we’ve lived here, the more charm we’ve found in this house, its great functionality, and the open areas, the deck and the tai thun. This is a very special design. Completely separate from other benefits, just the view as we drive in lets us see past the buildings to the mountains, water, a panorama of nature. I love it,” the owner wrapped up beautifully.
Following our report on 10 must-see highlights of the Architect ’19 “Living Green”, an expo of architectural technologies, building materials, smart innovations and home decorations, it’s time for a deeper glimpse into the world of sustainable developments to show why living a green lifestyle is so important to us and our future generations. The 33rd edition of the architectural expo is doing exactly that. It’s the ASEAN’s major confluence of interesting ideas, news and information on how to live sustainably with a focus on innovative products, advances in construction, repairs and decorations. There are even more exciting discoveries that we want to share with you. Take a look.
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Graphenstone Stuki Premium: Innovative ideas to make your house work like a tree with awesome design and colors
(See real products at Jorakay’s exhibit, Booth S211)
Do you know that using 15 liters of paint (roughly 3 buckets) can sequester as much as 10 kilograms of carbon-dioxide in the air; thereby helping to reduce the overall concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. That’s pretty much the amount work a tree does in one year. Introducing G Color Stuki Premium. The new paint product line represents a major breakthrough in research and development by the Jorakay Corporation Co, Ltd, a leader in the manufacture and distribution of products for construction, repairs and decorations. Its products are certified to international safety standards.
Jorakay’s G Color Stuki Premium is a colored cement for decorative concrete surfaces. It’s made of a mixture of high-quality limestone that’s sourced directly from nature. Stuki Premium is the result of Graphen technology that’s eco-friendly and capable of producing a family of colored cements that’s durable and suitable for both indoor and outdoor situations. Beautiful design patterns can be easily made using a small handheld plaster trowel. Three are 322 color shades to choose from.
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dECOLeather® Recycled Leather Veneer, 5650 Shagreen: Reuse of leather shreds to minimize the killing of animals
(Get the feel of real products at Formica Thailand Booth F507)
The dECOLeather® brand of recycled leather veneer is a composite of shredded leather scraps collected from leather goods manufacturers. An alternative product from the Formica Group, the durable laminate is beautifully crafted for decorative coverings, interior design and other surfaces. Ensuring that nothing goes to waste, dECOLeather® works by making good use of every small piece of leather destined to be discarded or destroyed as rubbish. In the recycling process, leather scraps from garment cuttings and other manufacturing activities are reduced to fine particles and then mixed with synthetic resin to form a hard, flat and flexible material for decorative coverings. After that, a variety of design patterns are printed on the composite material. For this exhibit, four design collections are on public display. They include whiptail stingray, buffalo hide, sea lion, and crocodile decorative patterns. You will love the stingray design. See it at the Formica booth.
dECOLeather® is a line of alternative products designed to be perceived as similar or comparable to genuine materials for which it is intended to substitute. The most important point at issue is about saving the environment. It comes in handy for the consumer who has a taste for leather goods but dislikes the killing or hunting of animals for their skins. Advances in the manufacturing process ensure that recycled leather veneer is more durable than leather in general, making it a material of choice for interior decoration, table top, and other surfaces to name a few. It’s water impermeable, easy to install, flexible and available in many colors.
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XPOSH Series: Luxury water-saving faucets and winners of the Red Dot Design Award 2019
(Get the feel of real products at COTTO Booth S308)
If you prefer a touch of luxury and save energy at the same time, look no further than an impressive line of water faucets for the bathroom sink from COTTO. The XPOSH Series features a single handle with one-hole mixer tap design that lets you use just the right amount of warm water when needed. It comes in a variety of colors and finishes that please and pleasure your senses, among them Starlight Silver, Matte Onyx, Midnight Silver and Starlight Gold. Each model features eye-catching design that has won the Red Dot Design Award for 2019.
Nicknamed “a jewel in the bathroom”, the XPOSH Series is considered not only a luxury, but also a perfect example of advances in technological innovations. That’s what COTTO is about; save the energy needed to make hot water. It’s easy to use simply by pushing the handle slightly to the side. The XPOSH Series has a smart mechanism hidden inside the cartridge that turns on and starts heating water after only 4 liters has passed instead of 6 liters that’s normally the case. In the process, this mechanism helps save both water and electricity at the same time. It’s an interesting development compared to the standard instant hot water faucet that consumes more energy.
Reverie Rethinking FormRivulet Rethinking Flow
For design aficionados, the COTTO exhibit also features showerheads in a variety of styles and finishes, among them the “Rivulet Rethinking Flow”, a three-dimensional abstract form designed to let you enjoy the delightful spray of water as if you were bathing in a stream. There’s also the “Reverie Rethinking Form” showerhead, which is a mix of metal casing and crystal parts. The design mimics a mass of small soap bubbles kissed by the morning sun, immediately appealing to say the least.
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DOS WaterPac Pro: A space saving water tank rich in functions; it’s more than a storage
(See the real product at DOS Life Booth S104)
DOS WaterPac Pro is a technological innovation under the brand name DOS Life. The water tank with pump has become an instant success story. It won a 2018 DEmark Award, an official accolade for design excellence in the Industrial Goods Category, and the Good Design Award, or Gmark for short, in 2018. The underlying logic and reasoning for the design is about saving space and maximizing the utilization of vertical space.
Designer Vichit Choopho obviously tries to make a connection between the lifestyle of the new generation and modern conveniences that contribute to an easy way of living. A water tank that’s rich in functions turns out to be one of the four must-haves in every home. For this reason, DOS WaterPac Pro is designed to be more than just a water storage. It’s a source, means and process of supplying water for the entire household, and in a succinct way reflects the taste of the homeowners.
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STOCK HOME BROWN: Wood-look porcelain tiles designed to reduce waste
(See the real product at Duragres Booth S305)
Stock Home Brown is a line of wood-look porcelain tiles that’s part of the Recycled Tiles series manufactured by Duragres. A metamorphosis of purpose, it’s made by converting waste into useable raw materials, including tiles that have been damaged in the manufacturing process. The result is an impressive array of 20×20 inch tiles for covering floors and other surfaces. In the end, the main concept is about ensuring nothing goes to waste and that every piece is made to the highest international standards.
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KENZAI x JUNSEKINO Architect + Design: Bricks designed to break the traditional rules
(See the real product at KENZAI Booth S212-1)
“I want a building material that allows light to pass through and provides protection from rain.” Jun Sekino of the architectural firm JUNSEKINO Architect + Design has carried out a thorough search for the ideal material. The answer is a line of translucent bricks made of various raw materials binding together to form a perfect building block.
The new kind of brick is made of a mixture of clay and polycarbonate, a synthetic resin that’s the strongest of all plastics. The part that’s translucent is only five millimeters thick. Because it’s so strong, the brick can be used to build a wall up to three meters tall with no need for a lintel across the top. It’s water impermeable and allows light to pass through the part that is polycarbonate. There is practically no limit when it comes to controlling the amounts of light shining through. In so doing, the architect can use any brick laying patterns to add a new dimension to the interior living space. More importantly, it translates into a big saving on electricity use.
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MO31 (ECO PLUS): One-piece toilet sanitary ware with washbasin and a water recycling system
(See the real product at MOGEN Booth S305-1)
Wouldn’t it be nice if wastewater from the washbasin can turn around and be used again to flush the toilet? That’s actually the case with M031 (Eco Plus), a revolutionary one-piece toilet sanitary ware that comes with a washbasin and a recycling system designed to cut down on water use.
MO31(ECO PLUS) from MOGEN is the first water-saving sanitary ware system that uses Siphon Wash in coordination with Flush. Made using solid ceramic technology, the toilet bowl requires only 3 to 6 liters to flush. Innovative design ensures the toilet bowl and water reservoir is built tough, its surface smooth to the touch, and the toilet seat stable and easy to operate.
Every model in the MO31(ECO PLUS) series comes complete with an installation kit that includes hoses, clean water supply line, stop valve and rubber gasket that seals the junction between two surfaces.
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The above-mentioned technological innovations, products and services are on view at the Architect ’19 Expo that’s happening from April 30 to May 5 at Challenger Halls 1-3, Impact Exhibition Center, Muang Thong Thani. There isn’t much time left, and we don’t want you to miss out on it.
The renovation of this hundred-plus-year-old rowhouse in Charoen Krung Soi 44 is more than a home improvement: for Mou Lumwatananont, it’s a homecoming she’d never imagined.
“My mother was born here, but we moved out before I was two. After building it up from 2 storeys to 2½ storeys, my aunt continued to use it as an office,” the owner began to tell the house’s story.
“However, that business ended many years ago, and it has been only two years since we began making plans for renovation and conversion to fulfill our long-time dream of a guest house and a café.”
This area’s former prosperity is apparent in traces of European colonial-style architecture and bustling alleys that now welcome international tourists and backpackers to the charm of its storied history.
Mou and architect Pok (Wachirasak Maneewatanaperk) from sea.monkey.coconut share views on the value of preserving history through architecture.
The architect explained, “Renovating this great old building, I didn’t want to change a lot. But I discovered it had already changed.”
“An upper floor had been added, and it had been expanded outback as far as it could go. The entire second-storey wooden floor had been covered with another material.”
In line with building preservation guidelines, the architect decided to make clear distinctions between old and new.
They kept intact the front wall and brick walls all around, chiseling off interior mortar to show weight-bearing structures, including wood wall beams fitted into brick arches, and keeping the charming mortared patterns of the original roof.
The lower floor is chic travelers’ café, a wooden stairway stretching up to guest rooms above. Visitors might wonder about the functionality of the steel poles they see set at intervals throughout. It is the by-product of the makeover process, as the architect told:
“This area is a walled-in rectangle, and without changing outer walls and structure at all, we’ve created a new house within the frame of the old one, sinking micro pilings into the root foundation and installing all new support pillars.
“It was important to keep the new structure separate. Concrete flooring was poured on the ground level and separated by a foam at the joints where it meets the original walls.
“These “expansion joints” keep outer and inner structures from being attached, so if the floor subsides, it won’t pull a wall down with it. On the second level, we’d intended to keep the original wood flooring, but found irreparable termite damage, so we had to replace it.”
Explaining the challenges of the construction process, the architect added, “At the back of the house, we changed to steel and drywall construction to install walls and latticework.
“Building here was difficult because of the limited space. Fronting on a narrow street made delivery difficult. There was nowhere to stack and store materials, so all work had to begin inside.
“When the inside was done, we brought in the materials stored outside and switched to working on the front. There was a lot of planning involved to make it possible for the craftsmen to be able to work at all.”
Row houses lasting more than a hundred years naturally tell stories with marks from sun and wind, just as with marks left on our lives by travel.
Leaving to study and live in England for more than twenty years, Mou could never have expected the winds would slowly blow her back to her origins with a new feeling, one born of love and dreams.
The word “Chez” is French, meaning “at,” or “at the home of,” hence the name: Mou has opened her home to welcome friends at “Chez Mou,” where stories are told by marks on bricks and sweet smiles.
Here is a place full of feeling of release from travel, and full of a bittersweet, gentle fragrance.
/ Story: Ajchara Jeen / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
You don’t have to live in the middle of a forest to bring the outdoors inside. This beautiful house belongs to Bhalangtham Klomthongsuk, a well-known drama series organizer and television personality. The single-level urban residence takes up most of the 200-square-wah land space with modern living amenities and a private retreat amidst nature. The peaceful natural setting fits the lifestyle of the homeowner whose name translates as the power of dharma.
A sand colored sofa makes an attractive presence in the cozy outdoor room between Bhalangtham’s bedroom and a nearby compact garden.
Showing us around the home, Bhalangtham said: “On first seeing, I liked the way it differed from the style typical of modern-day housing developments where everything looked very similar. Besides, I’ve always preferred a single-level floor plan.
“Initially, I didn’t plan on doing any remodeling for five years, kind of waiting for my son to grow big enough to have his own room. But, I didn’t want my elderly Mom to climb up and down the stairs any more.
“So, here we are! This house offers many advantages. It’s fully functional for an old home. There wasn’t much damage to repair to begin with, except a few updates here and there to make home life easier. That was pretty much it.”
The courtyard connecting residential and functional wings of the house is bright, airy, and suitable for multiple purposes.
From the main entrance, a hallway provides access to the left and right wings of the house. The right wing contains a kitchen and dining room, while the left has a bedroom with private bath that has since been renovated as a multi-use space.
The clearly noticeable part of the home is a small courtyard garden at the center of the house plan where Bhalangtham’s bedroom is located. The open space offers a refreshing environment in the middle of lush foliage. There’s an outdoor sitting area with a private garden view.
The house’s main entrance lined with friendly indoor plants feels warm and inviting. Creative ideas paired with floor-standing greenery add a relaxing tropical feel to the entryway.The hallway leading to the living room is illuminated by natural daylight streaming in from one side of the building. Everywhere indoor plants re-humidify the room preventing the interior from feeling too dry.
The furnishing and decoration are left in the good hands of interior designer and close friend Suranart Lerdkunakorn. Knowing the homeowner’s taste, Suranart creates a mix-and-match interior combining chic vintage ornamentation with newer furniture and decorations from different eras and styles.
On the whole, home décor and accents give a hint of Eastern culture that makes the interior warm and welcoming. Strong, deep colors make the interior room visually interesting.
Commenting on furnishing and decoration, Suranart said: “Bhalangtham likes the metallic duck-head green and navy blue; hence much of the interior is pained dark shades of color. Together, they bring renewal and nature to the indoor living spaces.
“As for furniture, a chinoiserie dining table that’s a gift from the previous homeowner comes in handy to reduce the stiffness of modern home design. Elsewhere, vintage décor ideas imported from Bhalantham’s old house complement a look that’s stylish and relaxing.”
An ethnic design carpet adds curious excitement to the room.
The duck-head green of the wall and the cream and beige of living room furniture provide an agreeable contrast. Green leaves freshen the atmosphere and make the room feel warmer and more inviting. The living room is part of the functional wing that’s designed to serve multiple purposes.
The small dining space adjoining the living room is flexible and party ready, thanks to a chinorserie table that was a gift from the previous homeowner.The metallic duck-head green dominates a corner where young Arty practices music. Like the homeowner intended, the green room serves to connect indoor spaces with the lush courtyard outside while the sound of music rejuvenates the atmosphere.The dark shade of blue in Bhalangtham’s bedroom contrasts with the beige of leather upholstery on the furniture and the floor in natural wood stain. An area carpet in lighter shades brightens the room.
A perfect amalgam of chinoiserie, vintage, modern, and classic styles is a distinctive feature that gives the house meaning and character. Combine that with a courtyard filled with the lush foliage of container gardens, and the benefits are amazing. Despite its small size, the patch of greenery serves as the lungs of the house, a condition ensuring that every day is a breath of fresh air.
For the homeowner, nothing compares to his favorite hangout with a private garden view.Besides the lone tree that’s the focal point of the yard, the outdoor room is adorned with potted houseplants, mostly tropical species. Plant containers in various shapes and sizes offer plenty of seats that make the area party ready.
/ Story: Patsiri Chot / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /
Building a sustainable home involves a great deal of knowledge of the surroundings and relationships with nature. In the hot and humid climate of Thailand, it’s useful to have a good grasp of the sun, the wind, and seasonal thundershowers in designing a home that’s livable and aesthetically pleasing. This modern house is built around that concept – one that promotes well-being and the comfort of the indoor environment.
The architect uses metal folding or forming techniques to make informed design decisions. The angle of the bend in the roof and the exterior walls is determined by the need to protect the interior living spaces from the elements.
In this particular case, architect Nantapon Junngurn used the folding process common in metalworking to translate multiple planes into three-dimensional interior living spaces. Then, vertical surfaces were incorporated in the plan and appropriate wall openings installed to enable the home to effectively connect and interact with its natural surroundings.
Obviously, he took the most sensible course of action by positioning the building in relation to seasonal variations. By this is meant that all aspects of the sun, the wind, and weather patterns were taken into account.
The far end of the sitting room is built of concrete that runs the entire length of the wall. It’s slanted to diverge from the vertical line designed to get rid of rainwater fast. As a byproduct, extra floor space is achieved by simply doing away with bulky support poles.
The architect then put the idea to the test to determine what architectural form and space would best fit in with the environment.
The result is a modern house plan where all the rooms are disposed around a center courtyard to create indoor thermal comfort. To bring eye soothing nature inside, large openings in the external envelope are added, further enhancing the relationships between the home and surrounding lush green landscapes.
The living room is elegantly decorated with dining area at the far end and a small library on the mezzanine. It is bordered by glass walls on two sides; one overlooking lush lawns upfront, the other connecting to the inner courtyard that serves as engine driving air circulation.Large glass walls on both sides of the room are there for obvious reason — bring the outdoors in.
As the architect puts it, “The U-shaped home plan is preferred over other styles. The front entrance sits facing north, which is good since it is considered to be less sun-intrusive.
“The rear of the house faces due south and stays shut most of the time because it’s located close to neighboring houses. The west side is reserved for service areas with a music room and kitchenette, which confirms that home cooking is not a big part of the family lifestyle.
“For indoor thermal comfort, double brick construction is chosen to reduce heat transmission and protect the interior living spaces from hot sun. Well-thought-out planning ensures the back area is in shade for much of the day, thanks to the canopy of a mature tree courtesy of next door neighbors.”
The living room and dining area feels bright and airy, thanks to the glass wall overlooking the center courtyard on one side. In the opposite direction, the big open sky can be seen in full view from inside the modern house.Located at the center of a U-shaped house plan, the dining room takes in the view of the courtyard garden and spacious sitting room on the right edge of the field.
The U-shaped floor plan has a small body of low ground that transforms into an inner courtyard with lush lawns and greenery. There is an Indian oak, or freshwater mangrove tree (scientific name: Barringtonia acutangula) that is now in top form providing a continuous layer of beautiful foliage.
Nearby a Spanish cherry, or bullet wood tree (scientific name: Mimusops elengi Linn) grows into a full crown. It was a house-warming present from Dad. At the center, a small pond adds a touch of nature to the courtyard garden. It’s the natural focal point that connects to practically every part of this modern house.
The living room and dining area is enlivened by tall glass walls and sliding doors designed to promote natural air circulation in the home. Plus, they create visual continuity that makes the idyllic inner courtyard very much a part of the interior living spaces.
Sharing his little slice of paradise, homeowner Kongyot Kunjak said: “I like to spend more time in the courtyard. In the morning, I would sit down for coffee at the table here looking out the window enjoying the garden view.
“The courtyard with a water pond surrounded by trees and shrubbery provides a place to relax and unwind. It’s refreshing to reconnect with nature and be able to bring the outdoors into the home. In the evening, the very pleasant garden ambience can be seen from inside the living room.
“Whether for work or for social gatherings, it’s wonderful to be here and experience nature every day, albeit from an indoor perspective.”
A flight of stairs leading to the upper floor is cantilevered out from the wall. With one end anchored securely in the stone wall, the steel treads appear to hover in midair. For strength and durability, each support plate is 20 millimeters thick. Nearby, glass walls standing tall from floor to ceiling ensure a good view of the garden.
As might be expected, the house plan best suited for the hot and humid climate is one that’s spacious, well-lit and well-ventilated. In this particular case, indoor thermal comfort is achieved by shielding all the areas exposed to danger of too much sun.
In the meantime, it’s a good idea to open up the part that connects to the natural surroundings. In essence, it’s about creating design capable of interacting with nature. In the fewest words possible, when the home breathes easily, every day is a breath of fresh air for the house occupants. Innit?
An Indian oak, or freshwater mangrove tree (Scientific name: Barringtonia acutangula) develops well to keep the inner courtyard in shade for much of the day. Its lush green crown adds rejuvenating effects to the garden landscape.
/ Story: Patsiri Chot / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
Because the house was left unoccupied for some time, naturally there were parts that had fallen into disrepair. Remaining intact were dull and uninteresting room dividers typical of housing developments that were built in times past. On their return after having been away, the homeowner couple made an exciting new discovery. Their neighborhood was also home to a school where they planned on sending their children. That was a big plus in terms of a good quality of life.
The courtyard of this white house consists of a garden and a swimming pool that lies at the far end to protect family privacy. Invisible from the street, it offers a pleasant outdoor space that connects the whole house with its natural surroundings.
To give this old house a complete makeover, Vasu Thongmeepetch and Panompon Ratanaprayook wasted no time to consult a team of experts in architecture, interior design, and landscaping.
Architect Praepailin Jantanachotiwong can still recall the day they met: “Besides replacing the old and worn-out doors and windows with new ones, the highest priority was to pick a design that would best fit the homeowner lifestyle needs and be adequate for the family size.
“Going through the house, I was attracted to the idea of tearing down the walls separating the interior and the swimming pool outside. That would translate into enlarging the interior space big time, kind of like bringing the outdoors into the living room.
“It was a perfect spot for a playroom, where the children remained visible in close proximity to a sitting parlor made for rest and relaxation. Eventually the whole area turned into a rendezvous point connecting people to people in a warm and welcoming family atmosphere.”
Double-height glass walls make the playroom for kids bright and airy. It’s a TV room and toy room in one. Bean bag furniture in lively colors fits in well with the fun atmosphere of the interior and adjoining outdoor playground.
She calls it “the life of gravity” concept, a whole new approach that gets its inspiration from an open space that attracts everyone in the family toward the center of the home, especially the dining area overlooking the courtyard.
“The new design comes complete with an array of folding doors that open to connect with the garden, the swimming pool, and other outdoor facilities. There’s something for everyone, and that’s what makes people gravitate to an interconnected lifestyle,” said the architect.
The dining room is bordered by folding glass doors that stack flush against one another as they open to connect with the garden outside. The lush courtyard can be seen in full view from inside the room, while a well-placed swimming pool provides passive cooling that reduces internal and external heat gains and brings in fresh air.
Interior designer Thaipan Nopladdarom also responded with a new home plan that subtly divided into three zones in accordance with family needs. He created a beautiful combination of reception room, playroom for kids and dining space set contiguously on one open floor plan. Clever screen ideas control natural light shining into the interior.
There is latticework design on the stairway wall that brings just enough light into the white house, thereby eliminating the need for electric light in the daytime. Elsewhere, open windows can benefit the indoor environment. They let fresh air in and improve the air quality in indoor spaces.
He said, “As for the furnishing and decoration of the room, the emphasis is on the minimalist style. Only a few pieces of furniture are there because they are needed. Where appropriate, built-in furniture is installed as permanent part of a larger construction.
“Lighting setups vary according to the specific needs of each location. To avoid illumination bouncing throughout the room, accent lights are installed to create interest at night.”
Good design judgements result in thermal comfort that transforms the dining area into the heart of family life.
The overall effect is very pleasant. For the children, it’s the playroom that has become their favorite hangout. For the mom and dad, the dining area has been an oasis of calm and relaxation. They can rest by the pool, or go for a quiet saunter around the yard, and wherever they may be, the family is never out of sight of one another.
Subtle, soft shades of colors that speak to the minimalist style keep the sitting parlor calm and spacious like the homeowners intended.
To make the courtyard lush and functional, landscape architect Tawatchai Sakdikul was instrumental in planting shade trees to avoid some of the heating effects and keep the home cool. Apart from being pleasant to look at, the yard is easy to keep clean with all features functioning as intended.
As for the highlights, he said: “We put in a waterfall that became a focal point in the swimming pool area. Then a walkway was built around the yard.
“For the outdoor playroom, we added an oversized rabbit head sculpture to arouse interest and curiosity, and a blackboard to scribble something on as they played. As for the plants, we avoided the dense thorny undergrowth that was the most common cause of injury. Rather, we focused on growing a variety of herbs that promoted learning about the natural world.”
A level platform along the outside of the building is ready for al fresco dining when the weather is nice.
An open floor plan for this white house offers many benefits. In this particular case, it answers the lifestyle needs of the homeowners whose business has to do with manufacturing and selling items of clothing online.
The floor plan that minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms means they can sit and work anywhere and still be visible. Here, happiness is being home with the children and getting work done at the same time.
A rabbit head sculpture adds interest to an outdoor playroom by the pool, while lush green lawns make it a nice place for kids to run around.
As the couple puts it: “We are thankful that the architect designs it in this way instead of separating adults and children occupants into different zones. The interconnected floor plan answers the borderless lifestyle that combines work life and family life in one.
“It’s designed for easy updates based on needs. That’s what makes living here fun. It’s easy to get why we love this white house so much.”
Seen from across the swimming pool, the newly remodeled white house is peaceful, warm and welcoming.
Owner: Vasu Thongmeepetch and Panompon Ratanaprayook
Architect: Praepailin Jantanachotiwong
Interior Designer: Thaipan Nopladdarom
Landscape: Ginggaanbai Co., Ltd. by Tawatchai Sakdikul (www.ginggaanbai.com)
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