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Ruen Lek: A Modern Cottage Café Celebrates the Enduring Allure of Chanthaburi

Ruen Lek: A Modern Cottage Café Celebrates the Enduring Allure of Chanthaburi

/ Chanthaburi, Thailand /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut, Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

A home and café combination merges into the countryside vernacular of Chanthaburi, a province in Thailand’s eastern corridor bestowed with pristine forests, mountains and sea breezes. Designed for the Tropical climate prevailing in the area, it boasts the simplicity of extended eaves overhanging the walls. Together they provide protection from the elements keeping the interior cozy and cool in summer, while the gable front glazed using clear glass affords the view of a beautiful garden landscape.

Named “Ruen Lek”, the small contemporary home consists of two parts; a semi-outdoor café located downstairs and a living space upstairs with wrap-around balconies made for coffee or just chilling out.

The brainchild of GLA Design Studio, a Bangkok-based architectural practice, the home and café combination offers 110 square meters of usable space. It stands parallel to a nearby homestay destination called “Baan Lek Villa”, separated only by a center courtyard lying in between.

The upstairs living space with a garden view is enclosed by a wrap-around balcony made for coffee and floor seating ideas.

By design, the yard filled with greenery and fresh air provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life, while lush lawns hemmed in by healthy trees and shrubs create a cooling effect during warm weather.

A diagram of the first floor plan shows the positioning of the coffee shop, customer service areas and support facilities in relation to outdoor environments. / Courtesy of GLA Design Studio
A drawing of the second floor plan shows the living space with a home office enclosed by a wrap-around balcony made for relaxation. / Courtesy of GLA Design Studio
A front elevation view shows the small home and café combination on the right side of the property, separated from the main homestay villa on the left by a center courtyard filled with greenery. / Courtesy of GLA Design Studio

Thoughtfully devised to run cool in summer, the first floor is kept closer to the ground, slightly raised at plinth level. For good ventilation, the storefront and a side wall are fitted with bi-fold door systems that fully open from one end to the other, while the other side wall lined with a souvenir display shelf is glazed using clear glass paneling for visibility.

Awning windows at the top of the glass wall open to admit fresh outdoor air. Underneath them, glass paneling lined with a souvenir display shelf lets natural daylight shine through.

The coffee bar itself is set further towards the back with plenty of room behind it for cooking light meals. From here, the nearby “Baan Lek Villa” homestay can be seen across the center courtyard. Up front, a few sets of tables and shares are ready for customers who prefer relaxing and dining in the open air.

A place to hang out with friends, the coffee bar is set further towards the back, creating a sense of depth. There’s plenty of room behind the countertop for making drinks and cooking light meals.

Taken as a whole, the small café makes a good first impression as a peaceful place to enjoy a nice cup of bean juice, lean back and chill. Besides good local food, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, thanks in part to the crisp cool canopy of overhanging trees, native shrubs and vines thriving luxuriantly. Together they bring back memories of Chanthaburi in times past like the architects at GLA Design Studio intended.

The second floor contains a humble abode and office space with a large drafting table. Simple, well-lit and well-ventilated, the room is enclosed by a wrap-around balcony designed for sitting on the floor with legs hanging. The side entrance at the top of the stairs affords views of green spaces and, beyond, the Baan Lek Villa homestay. For privacy, the second floor of Ruen Lek is set slightly lower than that of the main villa.

The upstairs living space with a garden view is enclosed by a wrap-around balcony made for coffee and floor seating ideas.

For privacy, the second floor of the home and café building is set slightly lower than that of the nearby main villa.

Except for the glass façades on two sides, the walls are built of handmade bricks and the floors covered in fireclay handmade tiles sourced locally. For charm, good looks that blend into the community and local traditions, door and window casings and decorative materials are made entirely of real wood.

Morning light creates a warm ambience, enhancing the brown of wooden balcony floors and the orange of fireclay tiles on the home office floor.

From a design point of view, it’s a home that speaks volumes for a desire to be close to nature and a love of the allure of Chanthaburi’s unspoiled countryside. And the team at GLA Design Studio has succeeded in doing exactly that. The result is a cozy dwelling that’s a little bit modern, a little bit country mixed in one place that’s simple yet attractive, inviting and warm.

A center courtyard filled with shade trees and lush foliage separates the home and café combination from the nearby Baan Lek Villa homestay.
A way to connect with nature, the center courtyard is kept cool by shade trees and lush vegetation. Nearby, a driveway surfaced with gravel gives access to the main villa raised on piles.


Architect: GLA Design Studio


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