From An Old Home to A Stunning House on Stilts

From An Old Home to A Stunning House on Stilts

From An Old Home to A Stunning House on Stilts

/ Chachoengsao, Thailand /

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

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

This lovingly restored home on the canal is a hybrid of wood and concrete. Made of recycled materials from an old building on the property, it evokes memories of the house on stilts symbolic of the Thai way of life. Reclaimed timber paired with the concrete framework and smart design elements creates a harmonious blend of traditional and modern. 

 

House on Stilts
The old house before a complete teardown to make room for a new home.

A New House with Old-World Charm

Suthep Iam-on is the owner of an old house on the canal in Bang Pakong area. It has fallen into disrepair. At first, he had planned to just leave it at that and move on to build a new house closer to the road instead. He sought advice from architect Kasin Sornsri of Volume Matrix Studio about building a naked concrete home.

But after inspecting the proposed site, Kasin thought it wise to do a complete teardown of the old home to make room for a new one using materials recycled from the old house.

The interior makes use of large, open spaces. Food is prepared in the farthest area enclosed by brick walls. The door to the master bedroom is opposite a dining table set that the homeowner bought from BaanLaeSuan Fair. In the foreground, a sitting room with sofa and coffee counter affords beautiful views.
The interior makes use of large, open spaces. Food is prepared in the farthest area enclosed by brick walls. The door to the master bedroom is opposite a dining table set that the homeowner bought from BaanLaeSuan Fair. In the foreground, a sitting room with a sofa and coffee counter affords beautiful views.
The coffee counter with a view. The stair leading to the second floor is to the right side of the room, protected from sunlight by a solid wall.
Polished concrete surfaces adorn the front entrance. The doorway casing is made of reclaimed timber, while brickwork stands out as the main feature of the hybrid wood and concrete home.
House on Stilts
Homeowner Suthep Iam-on walks toward the rear of the house. The corridor looks spacious as it is in the interior living space.

Explaining his concept, Kasin said:

“Essentially, it’s about building a new home that’s very much part of the spirit of the times. It’s a design that connects with the way of life of ordinary people.

“At the same time, it doesn’t have to be the kind of Thai-style house that we have grown accustomed to for years. Not many people appreciate that. Nor is it anything like a group of buildings of the Ayutthaya Period.”

Built by locals over 40 years ago, the old stilt house was in poor condition. Many home features did not meet living standards now, plus a few add-ons were put in place, including concrete walls that enclosed the ground floor, which affected structural integrity.

Nonetheless, the way of life here has remained unchanged and carefully integrated into the new design. In the process, every little detail was decoded into intelligent language.

The result was an entirely new home built on a concrete structure. It has all the key attributes of the traditional Thai home, such as an open space on the ground floor, a platform along the outside for fresh air, and a corridor connecting the rooms. They are wrapped in old timber recycled from the old house.

The sitting parlor showcases numerous trophies won as prizes for victory in bird contests. Not far away, a full grown tamarind tree keeps the living room in shade.
The sitting parlor showcases numerous trophies won as prizes for victory in bird contests. Not far away, a full-grown tamarind tree keeps the living room in shade.
On the southwest side, the hallway that contains a staircase receives a fair amount of sunlight. It’s protected from too much sun by a tamarind tree and wood pillars recycled from the old house. Shadows thrown on the wall are on show again naturally.
On the southwest side, the hallway that contains a staircase receives a fair amount of sunlight. It’s protected from too much sun by a tamarind tree and wood pillars recycled from the old house. Shadows thrown on the wall are on show again, naturally.
House on Stilts
The wing that contains a bedroom is covered in reclaimed timber. It’s raised on piles to protect from humidity and doubles as an engine that drives natural air circulation. Variegated colors of old wood bespeak the vernacular choice of material.

Ground Floor Living Room, Simple Materials, and Lighting Ideas

The first eye-catching feature is the concrete framework with polished surfaces paired with stunning wood accents.

Reclaimed timber from the old house finds new purposes as flooring materials, interlaced structures resembling lattices, and pillars supporting lightweight parts of the building. Walk into the interior, and you come before an open floor plan that’s the hallmark of modern home design. Further back lies a courtyard with a corridor connecting the rooms.

There are bedrooms on one side and an open space on the other, which looks out over a garden and nearby Bang Samak Canal. As the homeowner puts it, the area arouses a sentimental longing for the past, especially memories of his father’s time.

 

One thing the architect is able to do is to concentrate on significant features of the Thai house and incorporate them into the language of the new house design.

They include the use of transom windows, skylights, pillars, and lattices, which he carefully places at intervals. In so doing, large pillars recycled from the old house are erected along the western front to help protect the area exposed to the sun.

By late afternoon, the soft glowing light from the sky alternating with dark areas creates a relaxing atmosphere like the Thai house in the olden days. By nightfall, lanterns light up at intervals as a means of visual expression and make the home cozy and welcoming.

The house built on stilts offers plenty of headroom on the ground floor to let fresh air enter and circulate from the southwest. Not far away, a full-grown tamarind tree keeps the area in the shade for much of the day.

House on Stilts
From the canal looking in, the courtyard floor is covered in pebble stone pavers amid the vernacular garden that’s easy on the eyes. The homeowner’s son lives in the two-level wing on the right.
House on Stilts
The ground floor with plenty of headroom is characteristic of the Thai-style house on stilts. The area under the canopy of trees is kept cool by gentle breezes.
Old wood piles not fitting for building purpose find new life as garden sculpture ideas by the waterfront.
Old wood piles not fitting for building purposes find new life as garden sculpture ideas by the waterfront.
A garden path connects the house to a landing stage on the canal.
A garden path connects the house to a landing stage on the canal.
House on Stilts
Under the canopy of tall trees, the ground floor is open to receive cool breezes blowing in from the southwest.
A warm and welcoming atmosphere embraced by nature.
A warm and welcoming atmosphere embraced by nature.
The character and atmosphere of the place viewed from the waterfront garden.
The character and atmosphere of the place viewed from the waterfront garden.

The Allure of a Handcrafted Home

The house has many aviaries for keeping birds in. They are there by design. At different places, new decor items stand embraced by old artifacts as a means of visual expression that merges countryside vernacular with modern living.

Together, they represent a source of pride and pleasure within the local community.

More than anything else, it’s a handmade home in its own right. The architect’s message is evident.

That is to say, a home doesn’t have to be of impeccable character. Bricks don’t have to be identical to make beautiful walls. “Likewise, if we look at life carefully, we’ll find that everyone is interesting in his own special way. All ways of life are just as beautiful,” said the architect.

The cube-shaped wing houses a sitting parlor that showcases trophies from victory in bird contests.
The cube-shaped wing houses a sitting parlor that showcases trophies from victory in bird contests.
House on Stilts
Despite its contemporary cube design, the house is built of simple materials with features that are the hallmark of the traditional house on stilts.
House on Stilts
The hybrid wood and concrete home boasts a spacious ground floor that’s fully functional and perfectly suitable for modern living.
An archway forms a passage from the landing stage on the canal. This picture was taken during a dry season.
An archway forms a passage from the landing stage on the canal. This picture was taken during a dry season.
Seen from a distance, the house stands surrounded by mature trees that provide shade and make it comfortable to live.
Seen from a distance, the house stands surrounded by mature trees that provide shade and make it comfortable to live.
The power of storytelling. A veranda in front of the house showcases a collection of tools ad utesils used by the people of Bang Pakong area.
The power of storytelling. A veranda in front of the house showcases a collection of tools ad utensils used by the people of the Bang Pakong area.

 


Owner: Suthep Iam-on

Architect: Volume Matrix Studio


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