LIVING / Living ASEAN - Inspiring Tropical Lifestyle

Twin Houses, Modern Thai Style

By livingasean
July 15, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

These “modern stilt houses” built twin-style for siblings share a natural common space, a surrounding garden, and are in no danger from flooding.

/// Thailand ///
Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun /// Photography: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /// Design: Office AT Co, Ltd.by Surachai Akekapobyotin and Juthathip Techachumreon

These identical homes belonging to brothers in the Changprasert family are built on a trapezoidal lot with the wide side in front. “The original 30-year-old houses were seriously deteriorating, so the question was whether to renovate, or completely rebuild. In the end, demolition and rebuilding won out. This gave us all the functionality and the appearance and décor that we were looking for,” said Win (Totsawin Changprasert), the young IT professional showing us his house.

“From my reading I already liked the modern minimal style, and so looked online for architects who do this. Office AT seemed to be a perfect choice, so we invited them to design our new houses.”

With identical façades, the houses each have 350 square meters of usable space. Considering property size limitations, the architects set the houses next to each other in back, on the narrow side of the trapezoid. The wide front is dominated by a lush green garden, and a walkway connects Win’s and his younger brother’s house before extending out to the fence.

Since there had been serious flooding here, the architects created a modern adaptation of the traditional Thai house, raised above a lower space (known as a tai thun). This helps with air circulation while also providing a utility area and a room for the housekeeper.

Even though it’s very private, the 3rd floor of Win’s house has no dividing wall, just a continuous flow of space.

“These two houses are similar, but differences reflect the owners’ personalities. Win’s “double-volume” ceiling makes his living room feel really spacious. His brother has a wide private balcony on the third floor giving a “void” spatial effect for viewing the surrounding greenery through wide-panel glass windows,” says the Office AT architect.

Although their staircases are on opposite sides, the houses have the same functional setup. The second floor holds living room, dining room, and kitchen. “A unique feature of Win’s living room is the wall framing the flat screen TV: it blocks the view from outside, with high glass walls to the right and left letting in light and offering great views. There’s also a skylight for natural illumination of the indoor staircase. Rooms on the third floor are directly connected, no separating walls, which makes for a natural flow of space and a relaxing feeling.”

The staircase up to the third floor in Win’s younger brother’s house is enclosed in clear glass panels, dispersing natural light all throughout the house, relaxing to the eyes.

“Before, when there was such a clear separation of house and garden, it felt dark and dull inside. For a taste of nature we had to walk out from the house into the garden. Now, with glass walls opening wide on the greenery in front, we can hang out here, watch TV, work, whatever, it’s just more relaxed,” Win adds with a smile.

The younger brother’s staircase, enclosed in clear glass.

Link : http://www.officeat.com/

A Modern Breeze Blocks Home in Ho Chi Minh City

By livingasean
July 11, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Tanakitt Khum-on /

The architecture of this Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City is perfectly suited to the hot, humid climate, with an imaginative counterpoint of plants, greenery, and airy openings keeping it shady and pleasant inside and out.

Shunri Nishizawa, architect and owner of this 5-story row house, designed the Nishizawa Architects office into the basement. Floors 1-3 are rented to a Vietnamese family with a bedroom and dining room on the first floor, living room on the second, and more bedrooms on the third. The Nishizawa family itself has its living room on the fourth floor and bedrooms on the fifth.

Levels from the basement up to the fifth floor alternate between open and closed design, according to their use. Catching sunshine and natural breezes, the second- and fourth-story balconies are edged with small gardens.

This makes the tall building less constricted while allowing for easy air circulation from the front through to the back. Alternating levels extend out from the building’s frame, with the floors above shading the ones below.

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City — Sun diversion screens: the design comes from the hollow brick concept, but uses larger units, so the breeze enters more deeply and freely while keeping intense sun and rain from indoor areas.

The small gardens not only make residents feel relaxed, but also filter out intense light and cool the breezes blowing through. The second and fourth floors feature concrete ceilings sculpted with curves rather than the harsh lines found inside most buildings. This makes the light more diffuse in the interior, creating the relaxing perception of being in a natural stone cave.

Shunri says, “This house shows a true combination of ‘tropical’ and ‘modern’ architectural design coming from understanding traditional living patterns in this hot, humid Vietnamese climate as well as how to set things up perfectly for contemporary life.

“It’s safe and secure living with modern comforts such as air conditioning, yet still answers our need to be close to nature, with sunlight, breezes, and open spaces connecting to garden and plants right here in the house.”

The overall design can be adapted to many different functions. Shunri draws on his experience growing up with multipurpose spaces common in Japanese homes. Areas such as the living room are strategically partitioned to block direct light and view, simultaneously giving privacy and an open feeling.

Hollow blocks, a popular Vietnamese building material, inspired the design. They provide shade, aid circulation and effectively protect against sun and rainstorm.

More than just comfortable living, this house offers a charming blend of nature and architecture ensconced in an oasis of calm right in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City.

This breeze blocks Tropical house is actually much better described as a “house and garden” than simply a “building.”

Architect: Nishizawa Architects

Rainy Season Forest Garden for Tropical Areas

By livingasean
July 3, 2017
GARDEN,LIVING

Rainforest ecology is the design concept here, the verdant lushness associated with tropical jungle. Use high-tolerance plants that adapt themselves to the natural environment and don’t require a lot of long-term care.

/// Thailand ///
Landscape Architect: Warawut Kaewsuk, Supong Haewpet /// Photography: Tanakitt Khum-on

– Image of Garden and House –

Here emphasis is on the garden: the designer has removed the house from the diagram to focus on the surroundings, revising and reapportioning them to bring back the feeling of the rainforest that was once there; the house will be added later. The owner’s first concern is creating a waterfall, pond, and gazebo for relaxation; only then will the concept be enlarged to include a house in a supporting role for the garden, enabling the owner to fully enjoy this creation.

– Building a Forest-Like Atmosphere –

Garden design deals with three primary levels: low, medium, and high. A forest atmosphere is created visually through using the natural lines of the plants. Trees are the highest, rising up above, but freshwater mango can be a slightly lower exception with curves leaning together, arbor-like and welcoming, above the house entryway. Plants of middle height running along the fence can add privacy. For ground cover use plants with wavy and sinuous lines set at natural-looking intervals, closer to the water source perhaps ferns, and further downstream plants requiring less moisture.

– Waterfall Format –

Think of the stages of a natural waterfall: first is seepage, small drops descending along crevices in the rock; these eventually join and flow into a larger falling stream. The waterfall should not be so high that it could get the house wet, and it should give off a soft, restful sound. Because of space limitations, trees should be put in before the waterfall framework is built, otherwise there won’t be space for any large roots. Ponds should be designed about 0.8 to 1 meter deep. Waterfalls are usually built using 2 types of stone: granite and porous volcanic rock.

– Creating an Ecosystem –

In general the garden should be based around medium-sized and small plants. Plan sections with plants that grow naturally by themselves: vegetable fern, various kinds of glochidon, forest lilies, roselle, Malay ginger, rhododendron, etc. Combine these with plants available in the general landscaping market: monkey grass, Siam tulip, turmeric, elephant ear, and so on. Use as few imported varieties as possible and organize them so they can adapt symbiotically, offering natural benefits to each other; this will make for easier maintenance.

– A Standout Point : Easy Maintenance –

This type of garden requires little maintenance and doesn’t use ordinary grass, although surrogates such as monkey grass can offer a similar atmosphere. Where it’s shady, pebbles or fine gravel can be used as ground cover: this gives the garden a tidy look, and can be used to create a walkway around the house, protecting against the entry of poisonous animals. Maintenance of a rainforest garden mostly involves only pruning, and with minimal exception, pesticides or poisonous substances aren’t needed.

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9 Best Ideas for Gorgeous Internal Courtyards

By livingasean
June 24, 2017
IDEA,LIVING

Internal courtyards allow nature to participate in creating comfortable living spaces. They brighten things up, bring fresh air in, and give indoor room a warm, inviting appeal. The inner courtyard can be beautifully integrated into the house plan. Here are some of the best ideas for gorgeous interior courtyards. Check this out.

/// ASEAN ///

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/open-plan-urban-home-home-renovation/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/concrete-house-enchanting-surprise/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/box-shaped-concrete-house-vietnam/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/house-around-tree/

7 Enchanting Brick Houses

By livingasean
June 16, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

Brick has existed as a building product for thousands of years. Genuine clay brick is durable, affordable, and easy to maintain. Why choose brick? Find the answer in these enchanting brick houses.

/// ASEAN ///

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/brick-house-for-a-tropical-climate/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/box-shaped-house-texture-memory/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/beautifully-designed-brick-house/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/classy-studio-home/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/brick-house-cherished-two-generations/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/vacation-home-out-in-nature/

Link : http://livingasean.com/house/energy-saving-home-simple-house/

A Snug Steel Home Built between Old Houses

By livingasean
June 1, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Phrae, Thailand /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Tanakitt Khum-on /

This newly built snug steel home comes with “tai thun,” the lower open space, that allows cool air to pass through. Woodwork and a contemporary steel frame add remarkable touches to what now includes a coffee shop, clothing store, and family homestay.

Originally there were two old homes on the property before the new steel structure was built in the in-between space: one belonged to the grandmother, the other to her son, Kriangkrai Phithayapreechakul. It was a small house built on a raised foundation in 1986.

The plan was to connect the old homes to the new steel structure that contains a coffee shop, a clothing store, and a homestay.

“We had already moved out, and were living in the central business district of Phrae,” said Kriangkrai.

“At that time,” added his wife Sasithon Chai-uphatham, “we were planning to live and do business there. But Mom (the grandmother) got sick, so we decided to come back.

“Our daughter, Kik or Kansiri Phithayapreechakul, was about to graduate, so we figured we could do our batik work right here at home. And we would be happier living together.”

A shade tree in the yard keeps the front porch cool during the daytime hours.

Sasithon’s batik brand, “Thai Thaw”, is akin to “Roketsuzome”, a traditional Japanese wax-resist textile dyeing technique. Coming back to set up the family business is one reason her daughter Kik decided to go study fabric design. That’s the reason for building this intimate steel home in the middle.

“We started the building five years ago,” said Kik. “It took a year to finish it, and then we added a coffee shop and clothing store fronting the street, connecting into the old houses.”

With a clothing store on one side, they created a homestay on the other. The homeowners also adapted downstairs space for use as family room.

“At first we didn’t plan on opening a homestay. But we had some friends coming over to visit a lot, and they liked being around this area,” added Kik.

“Later, when we decided to give lessons in batik making, the house became a guesthouse to accommodate workshop participants.”

The living room of the homestay is on the ground floor.

The new building features a mix of concrete, steel structure and reclaimed timber. Upstairs, the floor is made of recycled tongue-in-groove hardwood boards. It reaches all the way to connect with the grandmother’s house.

The “tai thun” or lower open space inside Grandma’s house now serves a new purpose as the homestay living room. The homeowners kept the space as it was because they wanted to preserve the character of the old house and, at the same time, made certain that it blended with the new steel home.

Outside, a large mango tree was preserved for shade, relating to the space left between the three structures for good airflow. Décors are mostly from family collections.

“We worked slowly, concentrating on details, for beauty and best use of space,” said Kriangkrai.

“I let the builders work in the ways they were best at, and they brought out the charm of the original materials, blending them into a whole. In some places the steel was allowed to rust, complementing marks on the old wood as well as bare concrete and brick surfaces.”

The imprints of time work indeed with the new design making this steel home something really chic and special.

Owner/Designer: Kriangkrai Pitayapreechakul

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Minimal-style Boxlike House

By livingasean
June 1, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

Box-shaped, minimalist, skillfully utilitarian, the interior is open and spacious: everywhere is visible from everywhere else.

/// Thailand ///
Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun /// Photography: Tanakitt Khum-on /// Design: Mr.Somphon Sangkerd

This very cool-looking cubic house design really stands out in this more than thirty-year-old subdivision. Quiet, simple lines, authentic surfaces. Minimal decoration, just the few furniture pieces necessary.

“Since Mom is in the house more than anyone else, things are designed mainly for her walking around, in and out of the kitchen, dining room, and bedroom – which is on the ground floor for her convenience. Maintenance is easy: no cracks and crevices, simpler for an older person to work with,” Suphot Saengkeut, her youngest son, tells us.

To make the concept a reality, the Saengkeut family demolished and completely did away with the old house to build something entirely new on the 300-square-meter property. They made the kitchen spacious and, Thai-style, open to natural light and air flow, with primarily tile surfaces. In the front are storage cabinets with easy-to-clean surfaces of frosted glass, and vertically set boxes for electrical and water systems, accessible from the outside for maintenance and repair.

“Here, form follows function: whatever use the space lends itself to, that’s how it’s used,” says Somphon, the middle son. The architect adds, “Starting from the car park area out front and lining up the ground floor rooms with the upstairs bedrooms, the necessary simplicity of the form became obvious, with no functional need to change. The rectangular shape opens out towards the entrance, for people to better enjoy the natural world outside.”

The house faces east, with a latticework metal fence and a carport, keeping the sun from reaching into the indoor living space. The kitchen is separated off by an opaque wall. The dining room opens out with a glass wall set in a metal lattice frame, and outside is a fence of synthetic wood that blocks the sun and adds privacy. To the north is an open courtyard in the center of the house with tree jasmine, a place to relax or exercise, and a spiral stair which leads up to the bedroom of Somphop, the oldest son, without going back into the house.

Somphon installed solar slab panels with a gap between them and the concrete roof for good ventilation, also helped by air channels with metal caps releasing hot air from within. The panels shade the roof, which also has foam heat insulation beneath it.

Suphot leaves us with some final thoughts: “The house is really well set up for individual privacy. The living room is used the least, but a lot of mornings, evenings, and holidays we hang out together in the dining room. And if I’m upstairs working, there’s an open wall, and I can keep an eye on Mom downstairs. It’s a good feeling to know she’s safe, and we’re right there for her.”

10 Patio Designs for Tropical Climates

By livingasean
May 26, 2017
IDEA,LIVING

Whether it’s a porch, pool or patio, you can turn your outdoor space into a relaxing tropical retreat. There are passive cooling techniques you can use to create thermal comfort. They include skills in building orientation, shading, and choice of materials that don’t store much heat but dissipate heat quickly. Here are some useful design ideas compiled by Living ASEAN.

/// ASEAN ///

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/wooden-thai-house-in-the-lanna-tradition/

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/waterside-home/

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/vacation-home-out-in-nature/

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Link: http://livingasean.com/house/modern-tropical-way/

Link: http://livingasean.com/house/living-in-symbiosis/

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House in Trees: Well-made Home on a Narrow Lot

By livingasean
May 24, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bac Ninh, Vietnam /

/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Trieu Chien /

Having to build on a narrow piece of land, an architect creates an urban home ingeniously designed to utilize the space in imaginative ways. Relevantly called “House in Trees,” the slim plan makes the best of circumstances by letting nature permeate.

The so-called “House in Trees” sits on a narrow lot measuring 5 by 15 meters in Tu Son, a county town in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam.

The area is fast becoming industrialized as the city grows. Putting it mildly, the impacts of urban growth are already being felt, from noise to traffic fumes and other negative effects that come with industrialization.

On top of that, the location dictates that the house be built facing west.

Be that as it may, the design team at Nguyen Khac Phuoc Architects succeeds in creating an uncluttered, incredibly relaxed home for a family with two teenage children.

Where the land is so narrow, the only way to go is up. The slim floor plans afford three bedrooms with baths, living room, kitchen, carport and storage, as well as an entertainment center, worship room, laundry.

The five-story home makes good use of two void spaces, one in front, the other in the center court.

Because the front façade is facing west, the architects fill the front void space with a leafy tree to protect the interior living spaces from hot afternoon sun and traffic fumes.

The second void space at the center is filled with greenery while lush shade keeps the homeowners naturally cool all year round. The idea is to let nature permeate as much as can be.

Tall bamboo and leafy trees diffuse natural light during daytime hours and protect the interior from gusty winds and rain.

The greenery-filled center court not only evokes a walk in the park, but also provides privacy for all the rooms that are set at tree-top levels.

A patch of greenery lines the corridor connecting the living room, kitchen and dining room.

One of the unexpected ways to decorate with plants. Greenery brings good energy, textures, and character into every space.

“The design is done within the context of the home’s unique surroundings,” explained the architects.

“We incorporate nature in the floor plan to promote better living condition for people living in it. Urban growth and industrialization are fast happening and they no doubt have impacts on the environment.”

Architect: Nguyen Khac Phuoc Architects

A Rectangular Brick Home For a Tropical Climate

By livingasean
May 23, 2017
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Suthiapa / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Tanakitt Khum-on /

This rectangular brick home in Ho Chi Minh City is designed for a “hot and humid” climate. It’s open to natural light with cool air currents constantly streaming in and out through the brick walls. The homeowners Mr. Tung Do and Mrs. Lien Dinh are newlyweds who wanted a small house with straightforward design for pleasant living. They have found the home of their dreams.

Brick doesn’t retain heat, but insulates against it, and its porosity helps retain early morning moisture which evaporates to cool at midday.

Work corner next to the food preparation section is screened off for privacy.

The owner had seen Tropical Space’s “Termitary House,” which won, among others, a 2016 Brick Award, and admired its form and design so much that – even with their limited budget – they engaged the Company to design and build their own home.

Ms. Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Mr. Nguyen Hai Long of Tropical Space said:

“We want to build living spaces that connect people with nature, natural spaces that are easy to understand. The beauty of nature can reach deep into a person’s spirit to improve life in ways they would not have imagined before.”

Mr. Nguyen tells us he grew up in a house of brick and never forgot his childhood vision of sunbeams flowing through open spaces between bricks to throw patterns of light and shadow on the light dust in the air, and how beautiful it was.

Little phenomena such as this connect people with their surroundings, and support the choice of brick as a building material.

The brick wall both gives privacy and provides channels for air and light to pass through.

Stair frame of rebar saves space and adds structural definition.

Most of Tropical Space’s design work makes use of brick, partly because the form has a certain beauty, but deeper than that, brick is an inherently Vietnamese material, indigenous to the area.

The designer pays attention to its true characteristics and searches out new ways of using and arranging it, creating channels for wind and light and taking advantage of its moisture-retaining quality.

Seen from outside, the home is a rectangular block that itself resembles one humongous brick. It faces north because of sun, wind, and rain directions, and without being too hot it gets good light all day long.

The ground floor living room features a wall of bricks alternating with open spaces, lighting and cooling at the same time during the day.

Outside, a little distance from the house to the east and west are walls that keep sunlight from directly hitting it, instead reflecting light through the perforated brick wall and into every inside area.

These outside walls also create channels that guide the wind in and out. Trees are planted there, too, which cool the house with their shade.

The house may look a bit severe, but in this tropical climate its architecture aligns beautifully with nature to provide an amazingly comfortable residence built on a moderate budget.

Openings above and on the sides for natural light to enter during the day.

Architect: Tropical Space by Ms.Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Mr.Nguyen Hai Long

Blog : LIVING

Twin Houses, Modern Thai Style

These “modern stilt houses” built twin-style for siblings share a natural common space, a surrounding garden, and are in no danger from flooding.

You may also like…

A Modern Breeze Blocks Home in Ho Chi Minh City

The architecture of this Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City is perfectly suited to the hot, humid climate, with an imaginative counterpoint of plants, greenery, and airy openings keeping it shady and pleasant inside and out.

You may also like…

Rainy Season Forest Garden for Tropical Areas

Rainforest ecology is the design concept here, the verdant lushness associated with tropical jungle. Use high-tolerance plants that adapt themselves to the natural environment and don’t require a lot of long-term care.

– Image of Garden and House –

– Building a Forest-Like Atmosphere –

– Waterfall Format –

– Creating an Ecosystem –

– A Standout Point : Easy Maintenance –

9 Best Ideas for Gorgeous Internal Courtyards

7 Enchanting Brick Houses

Brick has existed as a building product for thousands of years. Genuine clay brick is durable, affordable, and easy to maintain. Why choose brick? Find the answer in these enchanting brick houses.

A Snug Steel Home Built between Old Houses

This newly built snug steel home comes with “tai thun,” the lower open space, that allows cool air to pass through. Woodwork and a contemporary steel frame add remarkable touches to what now includes a coffee shop, clothing store, and family homestay.

Minimal-style Boxlike House

Box-shaped, minimalist, skillfully utilitarian, the interior is open and spacious: everywhere is visible from everywhere else.

10 Patio Designs for Tropical Climates

House in Trees: Well-made Home on a Narrow Lot

Having to build on a narrow piece of land, an architect creates an urban home ingeniously designed to utilize the space in imaginative ways. Relevantly called “House in Trees,” the slim plan makes the best of circumstances by letting nature permeate.

A Rectangular Brick Home For a Tropical Climate

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