Flexx Stone – Flexible Stone Veneer // Light, Thin and Flexible to apply
A project in Thailand, designed by Studio BFlexx Stone at the counter
Flexx stone is a veneer with layers of natural stone and polymer composite. This innovation makes it thin, light and yet strong. It is used for both interior and exterior and especially where bending to a curved surface is required. Flexx Stone can be applied on any surface: concrete, masonry, wallboard, metal, plywood and drywall. It can be glued by PU adhesive, silicone and epoxy. Its surface can be treated like natural stone, glossy or matt.
More than 15 color variation of Flexible Stone Veneer
Benefit of Flexx Stone:
Very light – 0.3 kg per square metre
Very Thin – 0.1-0.3 mm
Easy to cut and work with
Flexible to install on wall, ceiling, door, cabinet, furniture and decorative item
Cost effective
Water proof material
High Strength and durable
Every stale is unique
Columns which was covered by Flexx Stone at PLATO X Mobella Showroom Ekamai, SukhumvitThe project in Canada
Left: ceiling application, Right: Translucent serie
Nowadays, Flexible stone veneer was installed in many countries in Europe, America and Asia. Flexx Stone in Thailand was distributed by Plan X Co.,Ltd.
/ Story: Ekkarach Laksanasamrith / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Soopakon Srisakul /
This residence in Ho Chi Minh City has an interesting form and exterior that has drawn us to see with our own eyes. Named “Stacking Green”, this row house design received an award for outstanding design and architectural works at the 2012 World Architecture Festival in Singapore. It’s not surprising that it received a citation for architectural excellence in the residential building category. The way that it dealt with complex urban problems in a simple way yielded an array of fascinating outcomes.
The stairway reaches the top floor of the house that holds a guest bedroom with a sundeck.
The four-story townhouse offers a total of 250 square meters of usable space. The frontage abutting on the street is 4 meters wide with a whopping 20-meter depth. The interior is especially designed for the three people who live here, one of whom is an old person. Hence, one bedroom is placed on the lowest floor, so there’s no need to climb the stairs.
Since the house plan is long and narrow, bringing sunlight into the interior living space is a very good idea.
The second floor consists of a dining room, kitchen and living room, while the third holds the master bedroom with an open floor plan bathroom. The guest bedroom is located on the fourth floor.
It’s a well-known fact that people’s homes in Vietnam are often compactly built in townhouse form to use as little property space as possible, often resulting in cramped residences and unattractive-looking building fronts.
Here, the architects have incorporated privacy in the design so that no one can look in from outside. At the same time, it gives the homeowners a sense of peace and contentment. Overall, it’s a design thoughtfully devised to reduce pollution from the street.
This row house may not have any eye-catching features from the outside, yet its half-open, half-opaque design allows natural light to enter through the rooftop, creating a cozy home ambience within.As the leafy plants reach their full size, the level of privacy correspondingly increases.
Additionally, both the front and the back of the house feature rows of containers stacked one on top of the others with open air spaces at intervals. In all of them, lush green plants thrive luxuriantly screening the view inwards and creating attractive façades.
The house also has open ports which run up and down through all the floors. This kind of stack ventilation effect allows for hot air from below to rise and vent out through the rooftop. And by the same token, fresh cooler air is drawn inside keeping the heat down even at high noon.
Sunlight through a glass skylight in the roof shines down into the dining room on the second floor.
In the front yard, a leafy shade tree improves air quality, while vertical gardening on the front and back facades has spaces between stacking containers that allow plants to grow. The open spaces between planter boxes are determined by the types of vegetation planted. The full height of a plant is used to fix the spacing between planters on each floor.
Step inside, and you find there are hardly any walls separating the home into different rooms, except for bathrooms. This creates efficient ventilation throughout the home, at the same time giving it an open, uncluttered feel.
Besides giving privacy and cooling shade to the house, the planter boxes and leafy vegetation also act as a safety feature.
In this way, when container plants reach their full heights, they become the outer envelope of the building. Together they go to work all day and every day filtering out harsh UV rays from the sun, at the same time letting the cool breezes flow through.
The architects picked only the trees and plants with fine and delicate foliage so as not to block the wind, and for ease of use, they installed pipes for an automatic watering system.
Concrete planter boxes holding plants on the front and back facades have the added convenience of an automatic watering system.
Despite the building being long and narrow, a team of architects at Studiomake managed to turn it into a perfect home office integration that would inspire productivity. The Bangkok-based team of designers, architects and educators is known for its specialized skills and experience in various types of architecture.
When it came to designing their own home office, Orapan Sarasalin Schafer and David Schafer opted for an architectural steel design for its lightweight look that’s right for the prevailing climate in Thailand. It’s a layout that emphasizes an open, uncluttered living space with plenty of wall openings, windows and doors for good ventilation and heat dissipation.
Furniture in the workspace is movable. It can be easily arranged to avoid visual clutter and improve traffic flow, lighting and air quality.
By design, the building performs a dual role. The first floor holds a fully equipped office space, while the second floor is used as a residence. Overall, it’s thoughtfully devised planning made easily adjustable for future updates. The crossbeams resting across the tops of columns support weigh over an extra long span, five meters to be exact.
Home office design offers many benefits, among them the freedom to create the ideal work space like the owners intended, plus the peace and quiet that suits their lifestyle needs.
[Left] The work space is well lighted thanks to generous wall openings that let natural daylight stream into the interior. / [Right] A floor standing wall-mounted bookcase made of steel is designed by the homeowners. For practical purposes, the bookends are adjustable.
The workshop boasts high ceilings for better ventilation, plus it has ample space for equipment and tools needed to perform various tasks.
There is attention to detail in all parts, especially the integration of natural elements like plants and light into the built environment, making the interior work space feel light, airy and conducive to creativity. And they don’t come by accident. Rather, every building strategy and material is tested first to see if it’s suitable for a particular application.
This helps to understand whether a specific material is right for the task, plus it narrows down the choices to the best selection. And the same careful consideration applies to both upstairs and downstairs. Examples of this include high ceilings and a wall of bookshelves designed to maximize work space utilization.
Taken as a whole, the lower floor contains a fully functional work space and offices, while the upper floor in and of itself is a complete home, consisting of two bedrooms with a bathroom en suite, a relaxing living room, kitchen and dining room.
The headboard in subdued bluish gray color separates the main bedroom area from the dressing room. High ceiling design creates a sense of space making the room feel light and airy.Rooms on the second floor are accessed via a wide corridor with room for a small dining space and a nook beside the wall offering peace and seclusion.The translucent sheet seen here is of polycarbonate, which allows light to pass through, but not exposed to the outside.
With respect to the office area, the floor plan is simple and straightforward. Electrical wiring is neatly installed and piped to various locations hidden from view. The pillars supporting the tall vertical structure of steel are evenly spaced for proper load bearing, while the building façades are made attractive by crisp clean lines.
For indoor thermal comfort, important aspects such as heat insulation, soundproofing, and ventilation are carefully thought out and incorporated in the design. In the fewest possible words, it’s all about attention to detail that makes this modern home office a perfect place to be. Brilliant!
The steel building looks lightweight. It’s made strong and durable using semi-industrial materials, an interesting way to refresh the home’s curb appeal.
/ Story: Ekkarach Laksanasamrith / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /
With the creative use of design elements, this Minimalist house in Kuala Lumpur feels bright, airy and comfortable, albeit having only a small number of windows. The open concept urban home with a stylish flair was designed and built by Tony Heneberry of 2’s Company, formerly JTJ Design, under the concept of a great place to live in.
Growing trees add some freshness and makes the house more of a great place to live in.
As simple as that, here’s the story of a metamorphosis of purpose, in which a duo of unexciting shophouses transformed into an incredibly warm and roomy living space in the heart of town. After he had bought the two units attached to each other, Heneberry gave them a complete makeover, tearing down the dividing walls and combining them into one coherent whole with increased usable spaces inside.
Green foliage adds joy to cooking, making it feel like living out in nature.
The result is a 7-meter-wide façade looking much better than when Henebery found it. He removed the existing solid walls between them and assigned new functions to the interior spaces. The living room with dining area on the second floor is spacious, with a lot of open areas in accordance with the “open plan” concept.
Trees chosen for the center courtyard have medium-sized leaves to keep the house airy and not too dense.Using an “open plan” design means the interior is all connected, which avoids a cluttered look.The new set of stairs illuminated by a rooftop skylight is one of the spots everyone likes the most.
For practical reasons, the old staircases were torn down and replaced by new ones built in a better, more convenient location. The new sets of stairs crafted of steel sit in a hallway next to the center courtyard, leading the way to the second floor.
The courtyard is filled with trees, as a main relaxation area of the house, where a glimpse of outdoor experience is brought inside in harmony. The trees also create visual continuity by naturally drawing the eyes towards the interior.
The stair to the third floor is set in another location. It sits against the outer wall, to preserve the space inside, which is an area for work and rest.
[Above] The wooden roof truss painted all white makes the overhead space look taller and more spacious. / [Below] The new metal staircase is aesthetically pleasing, thanks to the absence of solid risers between the treads. For good ventilation, expanded metal grating is used instead.Natural light turns second-floor living and work spaces into a well-lighted place, plus high ceilings add an airy feel to it. The disadvantage that comes with having only a few windows is nicely compensated for by the creative use of design elements, rooftop skylights among them.
As for the ventilation system, hot air is able to float up through the hallway and then flows out through window louvers and vents on the rooftop.
Another plus is, this Minimalist urban home faces south. So, by putting planter boxes on window frames, a simple vertical garden is added to filter sunlight and enhance privacy for the people living inside. The bottom line. This newly renovated home is truly a breath of fresh air.
[Left] The hallway wall surface is covered with crushed concrete recycled from the old shophouses. / [Right] Lush green vertical gardening adds a refreshing change to the front façade rising above the carport.
A place to relax among nature among beautiful plants that grow quickly and don’t take a lot of maintenance. These are the main components of this tropical garden.
/// Thailand ///
Story : Apasri Meemana /// English Version : Peter Montalbano /// Photos : Sitthisak Namkham
Garden gazebo for work and relaxation surrounded by the joys of natureThe large staghorn fern on the freshwater mangrove gets minerals from decaying leaves and helps preserve moistureThe slender leaves of a regal-looking dragon tree blow gracefully in the wind
Hapsoh, Surachai and Tassanai, the owners of this house are self-taught, but starting with a rough plan she created real beauty with a natural stone garden path, a small wooden bridge, imaginative use of railroad ties and old wood to create a relaxing spot, a stone table and bench set, and a brook that cascades merrily down a waterfall. The family hired craftsmen to build the hardscape, move a portable gazebo to the front of the house, and plant large trees among heavy natural boulders.
Porous (volcanic) rock around the base of a tree is a boundary for plants so they won’t grow out and overrun the walkway.
They decided to install some of their favorite species: tree fern, spike moss, staghorn fern, maidenhair fern, birds-nest fern, brake fern, etc. along with evergreen shade trees such as mangos from the old garden, areca palm, and freshwater mango, using soft, easy-to-maintain moss for ground cover. Asked about the difficulty of maintenance, the owner’s son adds,
“We have an older gardener who comes in to trim plants, dispose of old leaves, and do pest control. There’s a sprinkler system on an automatic schedule to make sure the plants get enough water. Sometimes we go with Mom to Bang Yai to buy plants and ornaments. Big plants and special orders we get from Khlong 15, which provides a lot of services.”
Large natural stones placed decoratively on top of each other in garden spots, with plants growing among them for a natural look.Plants climbing a tree fern trunk fill out the natural forest settingPink rain lily blossoms emerge from crevices in volcanic rocksLong cement banks create a small brook flowing over rocks and river stones and past a decaying log
Hapsoh leaves us with some thoughts:
“I love living with plants and the sound of water. Looking out from the bedroom or kitchen the garden view is beautiful. This all started long ago as I was relaxing at the Lo Su waterfall in Umphang District, Tak Province, and felt overcome with happiness and peace. I loved the sound of the flowing water. Nature spoke to me, and I decided then and there to go back and build a small waterfall for our own house. And since then, this garden has become indispensable to our family.”
The differences of form, shape, color and style was combined in this beautiful bizarre garden restaurant. ‘ Garden as art ’ is the definition of this creation.
/// Thailand ///
Story : Warapsorn Akkhaneeyut /// English Version : Peter Montalbano /// Photos : Chaiyapruk Podang /// Landscape : Suriya Bunyawetchiwin
Curved gothic windows form a beautiful garden backdropA domed Indian-style cupola from the former shop has a unique characterPlants and sculptures out front among plants big and small
Suriya Bunyawetchiwin was so charmed by Chiang Mai that he settled here more than 17 years ago. It’s now three years since he moved the Suriyan chandra art and home decorations store to a commercial property on Siri Mangkalajarn Rd. Remodeling here, he converted some of the space into a restaurant with the French name L’éléphant Bistro Gourmet.
The outward appearance of the old building was almost completely changed. On the ground floor he extended a wall outwards, giving it an elephant form, and added another building with a connecting roof and eye-catching garden in front.
“The arbor that we brought from the old shop was too big to carry out back. It didn’t go with the original building façade, so we tore out a wall, put in metal-framed glass windows, made that wall into an elephant sculpture, matched by a pink baby elephant below it.
Green shrubs and trees growing at different heightsThe window with the cat painted in gives the impression this is a real cottageSmall court in back surrounded by a wide variety of plants, bamboo tallest of all
Inside the shop, half is like the old Suriyanchandra store, stocked with lifestyle accoutrements, and the other half is the restaurant, with some dining spots outside by the rear garden.
“The love of art and food comes from my French father, so this is 80 percent a French restaurant, combining the freshest possible ingredients with authentic cooking and the concept of “make yourself at home.”
This little court between the building and a stair turns an ordinary commercial building into a palace with mysterious chambers and secret cornersOutdoor seating on checkerboard tiling gives a foreign flavor at a spot where guests can dine and enjoy the garden
The shop and restaurant is furnished with elegant things Suriya has collected on his travels: a big elegant French-style table, antique chairs created by fine craftsmen. The outdoor garden mood gives the feeling of dining in a foreign land.
Artistic touches are everywhere, especially painted designs by the artist Sutthi Prasertkhaothong: Cement borders sculpted with birds, painted ferns and dragonflies on walls, a cat staring out a window.
“What I liked about this place was how well it fit my slow lifestyle. I used to sit in back and daydream about where to put statues or other features. I love the feeling of a courtyard or garden in the middle of a house, very private, it’s like falling into another world. It wasn’t easy creating things like Gothic-style curved garden windows. The alterations weren’t like normal carpentry. But isn’t this kitchen pretty?” (laughter)
If you come to visit this world of Suriyan chandra limitless imagination, you will experience the love and dedication he has put into this uniquely entertaining garden establishment, which is above all his own production.
Single-color wall hung with bird houses painted in detailed patterns, no two alike
Behind the short white fence here, perched on a small hill, is a vacation cottage with a colorful garden all in the English country style.
/// Thailand ///
Story : Panchat Changchan /// English Version : Peter Montalbano/// Photos : Chaiyapruk Podang /// Landscape : Suanleela Raiyanongplerm
Vacation cottage on a hill, relaxing waterside gazebo, plants with spiky leaves: iris, feverroot, screwpine and willow
“This kind of retreat suggests maybe we shouldn’t go back to living in the harsh square frames of the urban life. Gentle, fresh, spontaneous, the garden captures the essence of the countryside,” remarks the garden designer, Sak Rueangphrom.
The owner, Kiatchai Phonpharote adds, “The house all by itself on this secluded property felt a little somber, which is why I wanted to put in a country-style English garden, with its easy, relaxed lines.”
Vintage-style mailbox attached to a railroad tie, hung with an old-style bell. Neons line the entryway to the houseThe English-style country well represents a connection between water and garden flower bedsA red bench stands in bright contrast to greenery and flowering plants like trumpetflower, neon hibiscus, and Mexican grass
From the house a garden path of fine river gravel descends step wise to a waterside gazebo where Himalayan juniper, silver pine, Chinese thuja, and oriental juniper among clumps of Mexican fountain grass are planted in contrasting height, creating dimension and giving this spot an unique character.
“We had to make some serious adaptations,” said the designer. “The ground here is red clay, not much good for planting. We brought in topsoil, dug a pond, and built up the hill, finally spreading local cow dung fertilizer over it all before planting.”
As in Europe, Norfolk pine is planted where it will shade the house and add to a mountain forest atmosphere
Off the path, I walked along the grass lawn covering the hill, which gave a good view of various spots in the garden. The area isn’t all that big, but there are elegant touches: the bright red and sky blue of the benches contrast with green vegetation and flowers effervescent in morning sun, and there’s an entertaining narrative with animal sculptures set here and there in a natural-looking way. There are few large trees, leaving the garden open and relaxing to the eye.
Behind the house is a vegetable and herb garden with papaya, water morning glory, lemon grass, kaffir lime and basil
How do you blend artificial grass within a tropical design gardening? This garden will help you the imagine new ideas on how to use this low maintenance material to your garden.
/// Thailand ///
Story : Warapsorn Akkhaneeyut /// English Version : Peter Montalbano /// Photos : Chaiyapruk Podang, Sitthisak Namkham /// Landscape : Pergolar
Open space between the two houses for garden parties and socializingGround cover plants with softening textures and lines: screwpine, spider plant, oyster lily, Spanish shawl, and Malabar chestnutThe unique form of ajambolan plum near the wooden deck leans out to the pathA trellised pavilion behind the house matches the front. Railroad ties converted into a stair, typical for a tropical garden, but fitting the modern style, tooThe beautiful calabash tree in a prominent spot with a play of river stones and the artificial grass
The Khlong Bang Ramat area in Thonburi is still full of plantations, and people get around by water: farmers paddle boats with crops to sell, tourist boats regularly ply the canals. This is one reason Chaiyote Yanyongwayrote moved back here to create a beautiful home and garden.
The owner bought this property many years ago. He tells us, “The old house was on Ratchada-Tha Phra Road. At one time that was all gardens, too, but eventually, we were surrounded by buildings and had no privacy, and so we built here, where it still has that garden feeling. Travel is convenient, too. Not far behind this relaxing canal is an expressway interchange.”
It took 6 years to build the garden and two contemporary-style houses (one for his daughter, the other for Chaiyote and his wife), but the long wait allowed trees and plants to grow to maturity. Each room in the houses – designed by Sathan Wijitsanguan–opens on three sides for panoramic garden views.
Matching trelliswork encloses deck and waterfall pond.Wooden deck in front boards set in an interesting pattern
Beautifully shaped evergreens and perennials fill the garden, with a gravel pathway and brightly colored plant beds neatly interspersed. The more formal area between the houses is used for receptions and social events. Behind, near the canal, the garden is lush with shade trees and plants with varied colors and shapes. The landscaper here is Panat Sumalroj, of Pergolar. Chaiyote says,
“I like an open look. The garden gives a beautiful vitality: without it the house looks too austere. The designer had already created some of the outdoor spaces, like the pavilion, wooden deck, and pond. The landscaper followed up with connecting and surrounding areas and positioned the big trees. There are many unusual plants, but the grasses in some areas are artificial. The landscaper explains, “The owner didn’t want to cut grass often, so I steered him this way. It reduces maintenance a lot . . . .”
The garden behind the house has a natural stone walkway through it and has a lot of shady trees A courtyard between houses with contemporary-style granite benches Path from the rear of the house opens into a small courtyard
The house is modern contemporary with some Asian flavor, sothe garden keeps a proportionally orderly look.
“The owner likes trimmed plants like Siamese rough bush and bonsai,” says Panat.“I start with the traditional Thai garden,trying to keep a tropical flavor. The water banyan and white merantitrees are sculptures unto themselves. If there’s no animation then it’s just an ordinary garden. I put a gravel path connecting the 2 houses, going by the grass in a playful curve, makes the square house look softer.”
This orderly garden is wide and open. The hardscape and the artificial grass fits in well and has practical benefits, trimmed plants tucked away in appropriate spots. All in all, this is a highly pleasing mixture of the tropical and modern garden.
/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /
Who would have thought a pair of shophouses lacking interest and imagination could turn into a pleasant family co-living home? Only recently the shophouse duo located on Surawong Road in the heart of Bangkok’s downtown was tastefully renovated as a shared residential community model. The result is a co-living space and place of business integration that’s well designed, full of life and energy.
The place of residence aptly named “Siri House” is the brainchild of the Bangkok-based architectural firm IDIN Architects Co., Ltd. Architect Jeravej Hongsakul is the driving force behind the design and renovation project. He attributed the firm’s success to its ability to reinterpret co-living spaces from entirely different perspectives.
The building’s diamond-shape façade bears the distinctive hallmarks of the family’s jewelry business. Plus, it highlights the three design considerations that create an effective and attractive composition – the qualities of being direct, clean and outstanding.Flashback. The early stage before the renovation project takes physical form.
“There’s a solution to every challenge,” said Jiravej. When horizontal living is no longer the suitable choice in an urban setting, the idea of vertical living comes in handy so as to combine residential and social areas in one coherent whole. And in this particular case, the only way to build is upwards.
In essence, it’s about creating a happy, healthy and thriving home, and hence the name “Siri House” meaning the place of prosperity.
The family living space on the top floor consists of a dining room and nearby sitting area holding a home theater and spaces for relaxation.
A new landmark on Surawong, the building with a distinctive facade belongs to Suree Sirivatjanangkun who shares the co-living space with her siblings.
On the emotional bonds between the people and the place, she said, “We figured it should also be an office for our family business. It’s better to live and work together as one extended family, a big family in the business neighborhood.”
The house has four private residential units accessible via the entrance hall illuminated by natural light.
“We wanted a living space that is warm and welcoming, the kind that provides a modern living atmosphere in which family members interact and socialize with one another. Everyone needs a place and time to unwind and still wants to see and care for each other. To me, that’s co-living.” Suree continued.
“Precisely, we wanted a design that’s inclusive, in which every one live together sharing a co-living space, not the type that’s divided into different floors, one floor per person. That would be no different than living separately.”
With this in mind, Jeravej came up with a solution. “I designed each residential unit to be able to stand alone and is fully functional. I paid attention to detail in each component, from the living room, bedroom and workspace, to the double volume leisure room, bathroom and kitchen, and made sure they fitted together in an effective and practical way.
“Because it’s a good-sized place with lots of functions, I needed to manage them very carefully. To improve traffic flow in the home, each residential unit is accessible via the main hallway that allows plenty of natural light into the interior. And by design, each unit is unique in its own special way.”
Bedroom windows at the rear of the building open to relaxing greenery. Nearby, a clean, uncluttered workspace is peacefully ensconced behind the diamond-shaped façade overlooking the street in front, a scene reminiscent of a cafe-esque view.The family business operation on the first floor offers customer reception seating in deep blue that calls to the mind feelings of calmness and stability. Nearby, a lightweight spiral staircase leads to meeting rooms on the mezzanine.
The homeowner wrapped it up nicely. Siri House will always be home to the close-knit siblings who live and work here. To them, it doesn’t matter it’s built for horizontal or vertical living arrangements. More so than anything else, it’s about living a lifestyle centered around family relationship, a good quality of life, and being in a location that’s great for doing business.
Bottom line, the mid-city co-living space is named “Siri House” for obvious reasons. To do business, you need Siri. It’s a word meaning prosperity and the quality conducive to success. You get the idea.
/ Story: Wuthikorn Suthiapa / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /
A striking trio of wood shingle roofs emerged as we took a turn onto a rustic country road in Ratchaburi, a province an hour’s drive from Bangkok. The hybrid home built of a mix of timber and concrete sits gracefully amid the rice fields.
An aerial view of the center courtyard with a sundeck that looks as if it were floating in midair. Lush foliage adds natural touches to the home and serves as a privacy screen.
Nantapong Yindeekhun and his family sojourned in this part of Ratchaburi after massive flooding hit Bangkok and the immediate vicinity in 2011. It was the love for the pleasant aspects of the countryside that eventually led to the decision to put in a home here.
To accommodate the needs of every family member, the new house took up a large space. For privacy, all the rooms are quite separate from one another, and yet easily accessible via a system of sheltered corridors.
On the whole, the outdoor living room is cool and comfortable, thanks to a rock garden in the center courtyard canopied by overhanging trees. Viewed from above, lush foliage act as a curtain for privacy adding a calm and peaceful atmosphere to a home office on the ground floor.
The combined workroom and sitting spaces boast clean, uncluttered design with an emphasis on space optimization.The interior wall has textured concrete finishes in subdued greens.The mezzanine cabin bedroom comes adequately sized and boasts the rustic feel of an attic-style living space.One of the upstairs rooms has a bench seat by the balcony. Nearby, a flight of stairs leads to a sleeping room on the mezzanine.The center courtyard hemmed in by the passage lies within easy reach, while long roof overhangs protect the walkway and exterior walls from the elements.
The sheltered corridor and balcony systems rest firmly on cantilever beams, a rigid body supported at one end and extends out over open space. It’s a cost-effective building strategy and makes good architectural sense.
A peaceful rock garden is accessible via the entry area on the ground floor. Trees planted at a good distance from one another keep the courtyard in shade for much of the day.
The designer explained: “I think cantilever beams are like bonuses that the main structure has to offer. They eliminate the need for extra foundations and save time. Supported by the main structure, the balconies and corridors are 1.50-meters wide. At the same time, the building envelope boasts the beautiful rustic appeal of the rice granary in former times.”
The front façade has a flight of stairs on the left side leading to a guest reception room on the second floor. Overhead, extended eaves spreading in all directions of hip roof design shelter the home from the harsh sun and rain.A private library offers plenty of reference materials and tools needed to pursue a career in design and technology. The book collection is protected by a wood shingle roof, while glass walls allow abundant natural light.
According to Nantapong, the house is built for the most part of untreated lumber for the simple reason. It’s less expensive than treated wood, and there’s no exposure to harmful chemicals. Its durability relies on the quality of the wood itself.
Take for example Takhian-thong timber (scientific name: Hopea odorata) that’s mainly used in this project. This kind of timber has stood the test of time. It’s widely used in building boat piers and can tolerate years of rain and sunshine.
The spacious kitchen makes use of a clean design to showcase the natural texture of bare concrete finishes. Floor tiles in shades of black add interest to the well-ventilated space designed to make pungent odor go away quickly.
“For the time being, I am commuting between my home in the city and this country hideaway. One day, should I grow tired of living in the city, this is definitely the place I want to be. It is beautiful living out here. In the cold season, natural daylight is just about right, warm and comfortable. You just have to see it yourself,” said the homeowner/designer.
In the fewest possible words, it is where the modern meets the charm of rustic life, which gives this hybrid timber and concrete home in Ratchaburi a warm and humble feel like no other.
A small wood bridge leads to the serene backyard and, beyond, a home office area and the library right above it. Plans are afoot to turn this outdoor space into a garden.
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![[Above] The wooden roof truss painted all white makes the overhead space look taller and more spacious. / [Below] The new metal staircase is aesthetically pleasing, thanks to the absence of solid risers between the treads. For good ventilation, expanded metal grating is used instead.](http://livingasean.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4.jpg)
