House Around a Tree: A House amid fresh air of Pak Chong / Living Asean

/ Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand /

/ Story: Wutthikon Sutthiapha /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

Not many places make us feel comfortable every time we visit. It’s wonderful when a person’s own home is like this “House around a tree” at Baan Rai Thaw Si in the fresh mountain air of Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima.

*An airy, open view from outside. Glass exterior and angled second floor make the house appear lighter.*

Pui, the owner, became attached to Baan Rai Thaw Si when her mother used to come for meditation at nearby Baan Boon with the monk Shaun Jayasaro.

“She brought me here and I liked it,” said the owner.

“She wanted a country house, so here we are!”

*The large tree stands in the center, a natural connection for people going from one part of the house to another.*

Pui’s mother adds, “We built here for a lot of reasons. As Bangkok people, we feel safe living in a project, where neighbors watch out for each other, and this is a peaceful, comfortable atmosphere.”

This was certainly clear to our team. Most households are also involved with meditation, adding to the pleasant ambience.

*Nature and house are imaginatively connected with the tree in the center, walkways inside and outside woven into a single path as in a classic Japanese style.*

*Multifunction walkway connecting the generations — Pui’s mother does walking meditation, but at other times grandkids run and play all around it*

“We wanted a house where we could retire when we got old,” continued Pui.

“And Mother is making plans now. Rutjanamphon Ketkasemsuk – also known as Tang – is a university designer and architect whose designs we liked, and he created this open, airy house.”

*The tree in the center leads into the reception parlor and gives the house a feeling of natural warmth.*

*The kitchen connects the dining area with the guest rooms, illustrating an “open plan” that facilitates family and group activities.*

Tang’s design includes rooms for overnight guests, access to natural surroundings, and easy maintenance.

From the front, we get a wide view of the house, which blends right in with the natural environment. The first floor has floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, and a walkway surrounds it and also serves as a porch.

The second-storey angled roof panels make the house look lighter, and the color combination of white and gray adds to a proper, orderly look, making the tall tree in the center stand out, echoing the beautiful natural surroundings.

*Young Poon and Pan’s bedroom, bright furniture colors against simple white walls and gray drapes. The bed has drawers for storing toys.*

Interior décor is simple, partly because this is a vacation home, but also because the owners prefer it that way.

Furniture is movable, though there’s a built-in kitchen.

Floor and ceiling are dark-colored artificial wood, creating dimensional contrast with the glass frames, reflecting the natural world outside and creating a warm indoor atmosphere, especially in the evening when sun shining in through the trees creates breezy patterns on the white inside walls.

*Easygoing décor in Pui and Nu’s room: white, with an angled ceiling slanting down to Pui’s pleasure-reading armchair.*

The two wings of the house stand separated by a tall tree in the center.

One wing is like a small hostel, with eight guest beds; the other is the family wing, with Pui’s mother downstairs and bedrooms for Pui and her husband, with their kids on the second storey.

This “house around a tree” reflects the living arrangement and the comfort and happiness of living close to nature while coming together as a family.

*Children behind the house, where sunflowers, okra, and other plants grow – beginnings of a kitchen vegetable garden where a greenhouse may someday be built.*

Architect: Sook Architects

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