Blog : Garden

A House in Quang Yen: Massive Roof Design Celebrates Vietnam’s Climate and Culture

A House in Quang Yen: Massive Roof Design Celebrates Vietnam’s Climate and Culture

/ Quang Yen, Vietnam /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / Photographs: Hoang Le, Duc Ngo /

The so-called ” House in Quang Yen ” is a two-story home designed for a large family in Quan Yen, a town in Quang Ninh Province in Vietnam’s Northeast. The province borders Ha Long to the east and Haiphong to the south. The port city of Haiphong itself is an important economic corridor with harbors for seagoing ships and modern industrial zones that attract investors and manufacturers both at home and abroad. Quan Yen is a quintessentially Vietnamese small town that’s sparsely populated with beautiful natural and agricultural landscapes.

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

 

The 121-square-meter home project is a collaboration between two design studios, namely, ra.atelier (Gia Thang Pham) and ngo + pasierbinski (Piotr Pasierbinski and Duc Ngo). Their job was to undertake two tasks simultaneously — preserve the existing landscape with a water pond and tropical garden environment on it, and cater to the lifestyle needs of homeowners in post-retirement age and their family.

Precisely that translated into maintaining the outdoor space in the state that was in existence at the time as much as they possibly could. This included the outdoor room for planting trees and a flower garden plus spaces for vegetable gardening and a flexible piece of ground for entertaining several houseguests and relatives.

 

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Duc Ngo

 

The house is situated on 735 square meters of land (roughly 0.2 acres), shaped like an elongated rectangle with a narrow frontage to the street. The face of the building stands facing south, overlooking a small semicircle body of water. Nearby a miniature mountain garden décor separates the front yard filled with flowers and bonsai from the backyard that’s reserved for vegetable gardening.

According to the architect, the new house was built exactly where the old house once stood. It’s set slightly toward the back so as to create more room for a veranda projecting in front of the building.

 

Illustration: Courtesy of ra.atelier and ngo + pasierbinski
Illustration: Courtesy of ra.atelier and ngo + pasierbinski

Illustration: Courtesy of ra.atelier and ngo + pasierbinski

Illustration: Courtesy of ra.atelier and ngo + pasierbinski

 

The layout of the house is primarily related to its intended functions. In the big picture, the building has the approximate shape of a cube, the front part of which is reserved for general purposes such as giving lessons to kids in the neighborhood, a common activity for people in post-retirement age.

The back part of the house is quiet and a little more private, with room for a kitchen and bedrooms. Halfway in between lies an uncluttered center hallway made attractive by double-height ceiling design.

Climb a flight of stairs and you come to a more personal center hallway connecting to two bedrooms and an ancestral worship room. It’s a long-established custom in Vietnam to offer veneration to ancestors from whom the family is descended.

 

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Duc Ngo

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

 

All of the above parts work together to form a coherent house plan that’s perfectly oriented to maximize all aspects of the surroundings.

In terms of the aesthetic appeal, the water pond is the focal point of the front yard landscape. There’s a sense of physical and spiritual relationship among all things. Arranged in a straight line, the miniature mountain décor and the pond can be seen through the round, compelling window of the worship room at the center of the house plan. The water pond, as the architect puts it, represents the essential part of the original landscape that had long been there before the old house was torn down and replaced by a new one.

In a nutshell, the main idea is to keep everything where it belongs.

 

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Duc Ngo

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Duc Ngo

 

Apart from a set of traditional beliefs and sociocultural values, other important factors are also taken into account in creating a design that best fits the natural surroundings and climate of the region. This is manifested in visual continuity that extends from inside the worship room to the miniature mountain garden décor in the front yard. Plus, the open floor plan design allows natural daylight and fresh, clean air to enter and circulate inside the home.

In essence, it’s a trinity of complementing factors – the water pond, the building, and the surrounding landscape.

 

The architect wraps it up nicely. “It’s a design based on the relationship between common spaces, worship room, and the landscape.” There is apparent continuity starting with the entryway that boasts the spaciousness of double height ceiling design all the way to the second floor of the house. This allows all usable spaces and functions to conveniently link up with one another.

Meanwhile, doors and windows are in the right proportion in relation to the size, shape and position resulting in well-ventilated interior living spaces that are not too bright, not too warm, not too dark or not too cold.

 

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

Photograph: Hoang Le

 

On the outside, the house overlooks the front yard with a water pond that lies to the south. It’s perfectly oriented to coincide with seasonal winds that carry atmospheric moisture into the home, thereby keeping it cool all year round.

At the same time, the extremely large roof covered in orange tiles shelters the home from severe weather and blends harmoniously with like-color roofs in the surroundings.

Overall, it’s a design well suited to the warm and humid climate of Vietnam. Although the roof is enormous by any standard, the interior is well-lit by natural daylight thanks to large perimeter windows and doors. The result is a breezy, visually stimulating environment for house occupants.


House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

House in Quangyen
Photograph: Hoang Le

Finally, the interior living spaces are plain and uncluttered by design. In all parts of the house, white walls prove a perfect complement to the floors covered in gray color tiles. What makes the interior pleasing to the senses is the furniture, as well as windows and doorframes made of wood. More importantly, it’s the ordinary interior that speaks volumes for the simple lifestyle characteristic of this area. That’s precisely the quality that gives this house a feeling of warmth, comfort and relaxation.

Nothing describes the relationship and the atmosphere here better than the architect’s saying, “The house is an extension of the garden, and the garden is an extension of the house.”

 


Architect: : ra.atelier (Gia Thang Pham) and ngo + pasierbinski (Duc Ngo, Piotr Pasierbinski)


 

A Shipping Container House amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

A Shipping Container House amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Text: Samutcha Viraporn / Photo: Sitthisak Namkham /

Who would have thought, even in the vibrant cosmopolitan neighborhood of Thonglor, that a shipping container house would have pride of place beautifully ensconced in the lush greenery of a midtown forest garden? The area bustled with activity and dominated by highrise condominiums is home to a health-giving tropical oasis. Here, large metal boxes once used for the transportation of goods transform into a charming ensemble and family life center capable of fulfilling several functions.

Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

The rustic building in the garden originated as an add-on to the family’s existing home located a stone’s throw away. It was meant to be used for a limited period of time and hence a shady spot with trees thriving in the microclimate of the landscape.

Later on, it was transformed into a new home for the family’s daughter engaged to be married at the time. That was when shipping containers were put in as a garden pavilion in the front yard, an art studio, and other components of the main building at the rear. The front pavilion has become the hub of family life when Mom and Dad drop in for a visit.

Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest GardenContainer Home Amid an Enchanted Forest GardenContainer Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

The container that serves as front yard pavilion is elevated at a distance above the ground. It’s connected to other functional spaces via a system of passages along the side of the house.

The shipping container house itself is a steel frame building. The exterior wall on the second floor is made of corrugated sheet metal that blends with the exoskeletal shipping container framework.

Crafted of teakwood, the house floor offers a pleasing visual combination that harmonizes with the lush foliage of the landscape. For durability, the balcony and outdoor passages are raised on a framework of steel.

They are topped with steel reinforced concrete, while epoxy coatings enhance the beauty of the entire surface.

Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest GardenContainer Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

Open concept interior design comes in handy for a rectangular house plan. The sitting room at the front easily connects to a dining area and a kitchen that’s situated at the farthest end.

The shaft in which a staircase is built allows plenty of natural daylight to illuminate the center of the home while serving as engine driving air circulation.

Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest GardenContainer Home Amid an Enchanted Forest GardenContainer Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

Into the open air, trees that had been planted some time ago were developing well. With years of landscaping experience, the architectural firm Walllasia was able to create a home and art studio that merged seamlessly with the surroundings.

It’s now an ecosystem where everything is interconnected, from the sitting room up front to the balcony on the second floor, and beyond.

The result is a gorgeous residence embraced by nature, one that evokes pleasant images of a home immersed among rosewood trees.

Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest GardenContainer Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

To prepare the building site, low land was filled to bring it to road level while things that had aesthetic value remained intact. They included climbing plants that grew up arbors and trellises along the fence.

Now they offer protection from the mid-afternoon sun and keep the backyard cool. Some of them even thrive on the roof and in the overhanging trees.

Where necessary, steel building frames are made strong to provide nearby trees with a firm foundation. For a lightweight look, some outdoor rooms are canopied by high-tension canvas that blends with healthy green foliage.

Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest GardenContainer Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

What’s worth mentioning is that the homeowners are avid pet lovers. Hence, the dwelling place made in a plain and simple fashion is aptly called “Mac and Ham House”, which refers to the two dogs who also live here.

Unmistakably, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. It’s happiness that comes from a bond of love and understanding. Currently, plans are afoot to open an in-house art gallery devoted to painted pictures of the beloved man’s best friends.

Container Home Amid an Enchanted Forest Garden
From left: Alaksh, Suriporn and their daughter Jirapa Phornprapha.


Owner: Jirapa Phornprapha
Architectural / Interior Design: Suriya Umpansiriratana / Walllasia Ltd.
Landscape Design: Suriya Umpansiriratana, Prawit Poolkumlung / Walllasia Ltd.


A Modern Home That is Quintessentially Thai

A Modern Home That is Quintessentially Thai

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / Photographs: Anupong, Hatairat Deenuanpanao / Styling: Worawat /

The cube shape and flat roof lend a modern air to this white house on the outskirts of Bangkok. Designed for a hot, humid climate, it is gently calming and comfortable to live without air conditioning. The home’s contemporary style belies the traditional Thai way of life that’s central to its existence and character. Plus, it shows great attention to detail that makes the house feel warm and welcoming.

Modern HomeModern Home

Amazing as it may seem, the cube shaped modern home sits on a narrow lot that’s only 5 meters wide. There’s a small waterway and public walk along the left side of the land. In such situation, the homeowner has to forfeit 3 meters of land along the waterfront to make room for public access as required by law.

The result is a piece of land with a narrow frontage to the street as it is now. And that’s where the design team came in to create a place that’s light and airy yet relying little on air conditioning. The homeowner lives with her elderly mother; hence the new house comes in handy to answer their specific lifestyle needs.

For the most part, wood is the building material of choice. Despite its ultramodern architecture, the house plan is the quintessence of the Thai way.

Modern Home

The side of the house that looks out over the public walk gets plenty of fresh air and natural daylight. But it’s also facing west, which means the afternoon sun is much harsher and brighter.

To solve this problem, the design team puts in a perforated metal façade that doubles as an outer shell that helps keep the house cool during daylight hours. The outer shell crafted of steel is painted white to harmonize in color and texture with the nearby boundary fence. It’s a simple yet effective way to overcome a challenge on site.

Modern Home

By design, this modern home is well ventilated thanks to open concept floor plans both in front and at the rear of the building. There’s nothing to block the winds from the north or the south. Wood stairs with no risers not only allow fresh air to enter and circulate in the interior.

They also illuminate the stairwell and nearby areas with natural daylight. The structure is a hybrid of steel beams and joists supported by concrete piles and arranged in an orderly way like traditional Thai architecture in former times.

Plus, solid hardwood flooring looks very nice and makes the interior cooler in the summer.

Modern Home

To create warm, beautiful environments, the house floor is made of hardwood on all three levels. As a natural building material, wood evokes positive responses. Plus, it has a substantial impact on the wellbeing of humans in ways that tiles and concrete floors cannot.

Meantime, pieces of furniture from the old house are given a new lease on life. They are adapted for use in a different purpose and given a fresh coat of paint that proves a perfect complement to white home decorating ideas.

Modern Home

Showing great attention to detail, the design team ensures the house plan is right for the elderly mother who lives here. To make it easy for her to walk up a flight of stairs, each riser is reduced to just 15 cm (from the average 17 to 18 cm).

As a precaution against slip and fall accidents, each stair tread is made deeper than average, thanks to angled risers that provide extra space.

Modern Home Modern HomeModern HomeModern Home

The house fence is made of air bricks painted white. They have holes in them to create an air flow between the property and the public walkway on the other side.

The masonry wall has no see-through gaps in it, which offers privacy and protection from unwanted prying eyes. It’s an oasis of calm on the outskirts of the city, thanks to additional green spaces along the fence line adorned with shrubs that thrive in the understory of tall trees.

The farthest end leads to a vegetable garden where Mom spends most of her free time preparing the soil, planting a crop, and nurturing the plants. Backyard vegetable gardening is an ingenious way to live a salubrious life. It not only puts fresh food on the table, but also speaks volumes for their determination to preserve the Thai way of life in this modern home.

Modern HomeModern Home


Owner: Nopphamas Houbjaruen
Designer: Chalermpon Sombutyanuchit (Office Architect9Kampanad)


Quiet Interaction of Landscape Design and Architecture

Quiet Interaction of Landscape Design and Architecture

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / Photograph: Soopakorn, Nantiya /

Attaporn Kobkongsanti, his wife Romanee, and their young son Phumi have moved into their new house with the charming landscape design, which took six years to design and build. Now it shows a perfect picture, lofty white walls rising above its inspired design and meticulous construction.

“As an architect myself, I imagined a courtyard here. Having worked with Boonlert, I felt our styles were really in sync, and after a few iterations we settled on our fourth design, which is what you see here” Attaporn, who is the owner not only of the house, but also TROP : Terrains + Open Space, is referring to Boonlert Hemvijitraphan of Boondesign Co., Ltd., his co-designer.

trop

Boonlert adds, The relationship between the house and nature is always at the core of our design work. The owner’s imagination is what makes this one unique.

“We began with a set of high walls with the separate spaces between them assigned to different uses. We call this concept “series of wall.”

TROP Landscape Architects,

To the architects, “series of wall” is expressed with four very tall walls set in parallel that establish the frame of this 3-storey house.

The walls are set between 2.5 and 5 meters apart, protruding out beyond the main body of the house, with varied height and length according to functionality of the spaces between.

Floor 1 holds living room, dining area, and kitchen. Husband and wife have a workroom on the 2nd floor, and bedrooms are on the 3rd.

The personalities of the in-house landscape design differ according to position. At the east entrance we see a mixture of kitchen vegetable and decorative garden they call the “moon garden,” since a moonrise is especially gorgeous from there.

Special attention was paid to its beauty, as it is the first garden we see when getting out of the car and the last before leaving.

Next we encounter a triangular courtyard, inserted in the living room! This is an architectural artifice to bring light into a darker area. It opens the living room right out on the swimming pool and at the same time welcomes us into the room, creating an intriguing space facing both inward and outward.

Closing off areas between walls before assigning them functions as rooms gave the look of, as the architects put it, “putting people in the in-between spaces.”

Areas of use are rectangular, enclosed lengthwise between the walls. The front and rear of the house are all floor-to-ceiling clear glass, for a free, airy feeling everywhere, the natural world outside shining through into the home. The walls are thick, blocking the sun’s heat from the north and south.

The glass sides bring in the sun’s natural light as it moves from east to west, keeping the house bright and cheerful all day.

TROP Landscape Architects, TROP Landscape Architects,

The walls also facilitate inner courtyards that are part and parcel of the livable space and bring the outside garden in, using the owner’s unique talents and experience to incorporate landscape architecture into the building itself.

“This wasn’t easy,” said Attaporn. “We wanted it all, here, there, everywhere, but when you do it you always worry it might be too much! We went back and forth, and in end we chose the most orderly form.”

Attaporn Kobkongsanti Attaporn KobkongsantiAttaporn Kobkongsanti

In the kitchen there’s yet another large courtyard. This one helps draw light and clean air into the various rooms from the topmost down to the ground floor, and connects with a forest garden behind the house to the west.

Between house and fence is a copse of trees that filters the afternoon sun, a space used just to relax, or perhaps for a party.

The L-shaped swimming pool is landscaped in with a neat wooden porch that fits perfectly with the tall trees Attaporn has freely planted all about. The landscape design also connects to the living room through a large clear glass door, creating even more unity between indoors and outdoors.

Attaporn KobkongsantiAttaporn Kobkongsanti Attaporn Kobkongsanti

The house glass reflects the darker forested area in a wavy green. Our landscape architect compares it to an abstract painting by nature itself, saying it took away any need for hanging pictures on the walls, which are bare, like a white canvas, waiting for nature as the single artist to brush it with light.


Architect: Boondesign Co., Ltd.

Landscape Architect: TROP : Terrains + Open Space


A Box-shaped House in A Mid-City Garden by Vin Varavarn Architects 

A Box-shaped House in A Mid-City Garden by Vin Varavarn Architects 

/ Bangkok, Thailand /
/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

To have more space for his three children, M.L. Varudh Varavarn (Vin) of Vin Varavarn Architects built this modern house amid a garden on a quarter-acre property in the heart of Bangkok’s Chidlom District.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects

 

“Children need a place with trees to run and play,” was Vin’s first thought in keeping all the original trees for the garden. Each room looks out on this great play area.

“When we built the place we’d just come back from living abroad in a town house. There wasn’t really enough space for the kids there, so we made this home more about the kids than ourselves,” he told LivingASEAN.

 

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
The house, the balcony, and the garden are simple components of a tropical house. Although porous from wood borer beetles, these folding doors are perfectly functional. The decorative garden stones were dug up from the property.

 

One primary building material was 20-year-old teakwood from Vin’s mother’s plantation in Kamphaeng Phet, much of which had been eaten hollow by wood boring beetles and couldn’t be sold to a lumber yard.

“We figured wood like this might give an interesting look. Talking with The Jam Factory contractor Subhashok gave us some ideas.

“We wanted something that didn’t look too slick, but had unique character and was durable. Wood, concrete, and steel were our main building materials.”

With porous teak, it’s best to cut the wood into narrow boards, sort out the more porous ones, then use the different types in different parts of the house.

Wood with no holes is used for flooring. Even though you can see into the sapwood on some, porous wood panels can be used for latticework, folding doors/windows, and ceilings, which are not usually touched by people, and they can be patched where called for.

 

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
The wall separating the stairwell from the living room displays a rough concrete surface.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
By the stair to the 2nd floor, natural light shines into the front hall indoor courtyard. The living room is behind the wall on the right.

 

This steel-frame box-shaped house uses cement walls as artifice: for instance, the wall of rough concrete next to the parking area creates a vertical play of light and shadow on garden stone surfaces.

Meantime, the living room’s big brick walls are surfaced with concrete poured in different concentrations, creating gray stripes in gentle contrast to the rough harshness of the concrete itself.

The house plan visually connects interior and outdoor spaces in a number of places: coming in the door, we first encounter an interior court with a tree, then walk around into the living area, dining space, and large open-plan pantry flanked on both sides by gardens, seeming to switch character back and forth between being indoors and outdoors.

By the tree court is a latticed staircase of wood and steel leading to the 2nd floor, where we find a living area, children’s activity room, and all the bedrooms.

 

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
The living room with a big sofa for family socializing. To save building expense the steel frame is light as possible, which also gives the house a light, open look.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
Folding doors filter light and give security and privacy. Adding to the green, plants grow along the wall by the neighboring house.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
Close by the open living area is a dining table where Vin does a little work most mornings. Furthest in is a long, narrow pantry-style kitchen also used for informal eating.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
On the 2nd floor is a children’s activity room, the surrounding glass adding openness and drawing natural light from both the interior court and the side facing the house next door.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects
On the 2nd floor is a children’s activity room, the surrounding glass adding openness and drawing natural light from both the interior court and the side facing the house next door.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects

“The kids have been happy here, and feel more like staying at home, so we’ve achieved a nice level of success,” added M.L. Varudh. Before the evening came we got to see all 3 of Vin’s children as they got back from school to run, play, climb, and have fun, laughing and smiling, sometimes in the children’s activity room.

Box-shaped House Vin Varavarn Architects


Architect: M.L. Varudh Varavarn of Vin Varavarn Architects


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MODERN TROPICAL HOME IN INDONESIA

A Container House with a Tropical Garden View in Bali

A Container House with a Tropical Garden View in Bali

/ Bali, Indonesia /
/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / Photograph: Sitthisak Namkham /

The owner of this container house located in the Canggu area on the Indonesian island of Bali began trying out this concept with the intention of building a temporary home and ended with a permanent family residence.

 

Container House with a Tropical Garden View

Studio Tana’s designer architect Andika Japa Wibisana says the homeowner wanted to build a house and small office here, but the owner of the land wouldn’t sell, so he decided to build a container house in case he would have to move and build elsewhere. The designer envisioned possibilities, and came up with a house that answered the needs of all family members.

The design places smaller boxes inside a large box, the larger one a steel and glass frame, enabling creation of double walls that reduce sunlight and outside heat.

The interior is composed of eighteen shipping containers, some opened up for a spacious, L-shaped central living area with a high ceiling.

“A lot of family members from Jakarta sometimes come to visit, so the living room opens out to connect with the garden, where some vegetable plots are set aside for children’s use,” said Andika.

The property is lower than the road in front, making this container house about a half-storey lower than street level, with the garden behind gradually sloping further down.

Looking up from the garden, the house appears to be set on a hill of fresh green grass. This beautiful atmosphere is enhanced by the gurgling of a nearby small stream.

The building’s left section holds an office and stairway, with that spacious open-plan living room to the right and service areas behind.

Above, the shipping container near the garden projects outward for a better view of the green space: here is the master bedroom. Another section divides containers into kitchen and dining room.

Interior décor here loses the industrial look: ceiling and walls are surfaced white, with real wood taking away the rawness of the steel.

The kitchen/pantry in a container on the second storey, with a structural dividing post in the middle.
The kitchen/pantry in a container on the second storey, with a structural dividing post in the middle.

Plants grow by the glass wall  as protection against heat. On the other wing the second floor holds two more bedrooms, one container used for one room. The entire second storey has a sharply sloping steel roof that forms an eave.

Beneath is a balcony with a long walkway connecting to the building’s outer porch, all of exmet (expanded metal grating) for an attractive play of light and shadow below.

Even though some steel houses have a harsh look, this one is designed in response to a tropical lifestyle, with industrial materials combined in a way that gives an oriental look to this big 18- container house, creating convenience and comfort and meshing perfectly with the beautiful garden.

The front door divides the house left and right. Right is the office section, blocked off by a ridged container wall.
The front door divides the house left and right. Right is the office section, blocked off by a ridged container wall.

Large, spacious living room within a steel and glass frame that lets the sun in only in the morning. The tall ceiling helps reduce the heat. Evenings here are great for socializing.
Large, spacious living room within a steel and glass frame that lets the sun in only in the morning. The tall ceiling helps reduce the heat. Evenings here are great for socializing.

Another living room wall. On the ground floor is a washing area and bathroom. Clearly visible above is an arrangement of containers within the large steel frame.
Another living room wall. On the ground floor is a washing area and bathroom. Clearly visible above is an arrangement of containers within the large steel frame.

Container House with a Tropical Garden View
Spacious interior open area. Upstairs is a kitchen/pantry, dining area, and living space. Interior décor is in earth tones.

In the bedroom where the designer’s intent is to reduce the harshness of the steel with woodwork the walls and ceiling are white, as in an ordinary house. Utility systems are hidden in the pipe-like ceiling divider: the entire ceiling is not lowered, because of the height limitation of shipping containers.
In the bedroom where the designer’s intent is to reduce the harshness of the steel with woodwork the walls and ceiling are white, as in an ordinary house. Utility systems are hidden in the pipe-like ceiling divider: the entire ceiling is not lowered, because of the height limitation of shipping containers.

The kitchen/pantry in a container on the second storey, with a structural dividing post in the middle.
The kitchen/pantry in a container on the second storey, with a structural dividing post in the middle.

 


Architect: Studio Tana by Andika Japa Wibisana


 

A White Box House Where They Love to Cook

A White Box House Where They Love to Cook

This white box house is really cool. From the outside, it looks like 3 boxes, one atop the other. Inside it has everything this lovebird pair of chefs could want.

/ Bangkok, Thailand /
/ Story: Wuthikorn Suthiapa / Photograph: Soopakorn Srisakul, Nantiya Bussabong, and Spaceshift Studio /

Photo: Spaceshift Studio

Photo: Spaceshift Studio

On first stepping into this white box house you don’t see the expected living room, complete with sofa and TV console, but rather a dining table long enough to sit 8-10 people. Owners Oh (Nanthaphon Lilainukul) and Art (Thirayuth Khongdee) have a Facebook page called “The Dish Whisperer” for cooking aficionados.

They told us that when their daughter was born continued life in their condo didn’t lend itself to cooking, so they looked around for a new residence.

“I’ve lived around here since I was three. My mother lives just three doors down, which is why we came back to this area. Outside the village there’s that confused urban hustle and bustle, but here it’s quiet and peaceful.”

Art notes that the 3-storey design uses vertical space to advantage on this compact lot.

To guard against flooding, the house is one meter higher than the foundation. In the cellar such things are stored as jars of organic vegetables preserved by Oh herself.

The first floor is made up of a studio featuring that long table which – besides dining – is used for receiving guests and holding cooking workshops: Oh is a certified chef with a specialty in French pastries, while Art is a master of Thai food. Between kitchen and the studio is a stairway to the second floor and a storage room for Oh’s ceramic dishware.

“Actually I graduated in engineering, but cooking was always my thing. Each time I went to Japan I got more hooked on its food culture, and eventually decided to go my own way and do what I loved, which is cooking and collecting beautiful dishware. I’ve found some really beautiful ceramic stuff in second-hand stores, but some I buy from abroad.”

The second floor has a multi-purpose family room, and cool air blows through all the time, making it comfortable for relaxation and sleeping. The roughly finished wood of door and window frames gives a charming rural look, warm and intimate. Windows swing out to reach towards Oh’s mother’s house, making us imagine a cottage, giving a gentle look to what might be a minimalist façade.

Behind the multi-purpose area is a bedroom. Their daughter still sleeps with her parents, but they’re ready for the future: on the third floor is their daughter’s neat and orderly future bedroom and balcony.

This house is more than a family residence: Oh’s cooking workshops are held here, too. Her focus here is less on preparation of dishes than on understanding raw ingredients and their use. Her food creations are straightforward and easy to follow, and inspire visitors to try them at home.

 

Photo: Spaceshift Studio

 


Architect: Sook Architects Co.,Ltd.


 

Gardening with Water Science

Gardening with Water Science

Besides nurturing plants, water has many garden uses:  fresh, exciting ornamentation, for one.

/// Thailand ///
Story: Panchat Changchan /// Photography: Baanlaesuan

– The sound of water –

If a garden includes naturally flowing water or an old pond or spring, the water can be used to drive a fountain or water wheel, or dammed up to control the flow near a garden entrance or a relaxation spot.

Or, original garden fixtures such as walls or other architectural elements can be used with pumping systems to create dimensional motion in the form of a waterfall wall, or an artificial waterfall. Here, choose rough-surfaced materials and/or steep surfaces so water running across them produces a strong, clear sound. This can be enhanced by controlling water pump pressure.


– Images reflecting beauty –

The inherent reflective property of water can bring a more spacious garden atmosphere, adding dimension and color as well as changing motion and texture. We see this in world wonders such as the Taj Mahal and Wat Kinkakuji Temple, as well as in “infinity” swimming pools at seaside resorts. Reflection always creates feeling and perspective in the viewer, often simply a function of the width and the stillness of the water. A lake or large pond dug next to a  garden highlight can create a beautiful view for people looking from the opposite bank.


– Lights in the water –

Lights in and around the water create worlds of brightness and shadow above and below the surface. Refraction creates beautiful, entrancing “water ghosts.” Underwater lights should be used in conjunction with well-structured ponds and good treatment systems to ensure easy maintenance, protect against damage, and to get bright, clear underwater lighting. Only specially designed light bulbs adapted for low voltage should be used underwater.


– Mist to create dimension –

Mist or water spray is commonly used in tropical or jungle gardens, mainly with minispray-type sprinklers primarily intended for watering and moisturizing plants, especially large ones such as ferns or orchids, but incidentally also cooling the garden. Nowadays minisprinkler heads are often hidden among plants or in spots among small shrubs and ground cover plants, but they can be also be used with fountain systems to create mist in the middle of ponds, adding a different kind  atmosphere or narrative than usual to sculptures or pond highlights. A good example is in the yard in front of the Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux, France.


– Related sculptures –

Water can itself be used as a sculpture, or in combination with actual garden sculptures, statues, fountains, European-style bird baths, or for fish ponds, as in Thai gardens. Statues using water as ornamentation usually highlight its motion, spouting up or falling. This is common in ordinary fountains, but other water properties can be used in combination, for instance transparency. Water curtains or moving shapes that look like glass can be created. And water plants themselves often have beautiful and unique shapes.


– Creating a good ecosystem –

The most important use of water in the garden is to create life and maintain an ecosystem that faithfully imitates nature so the garden can grow sustainably, not only for plants, but as a home and food source for water creatures and many other living things. If you have a large area for a garden, you could begin by digging a pond about one-fourth its size to hold rainwater, then use that pond for watering plants as well as to grow local water plants and riparian vegetation. Make an artificial waterfall, grow interesting plant species large and small, and even enjoy the delights of raising fish!

Extended Family’s Big Wooden House in Bangkok

Extended Family’s Big Wooden House in Bangkok

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Jeadwonder / Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham, Piyawuth /

Young married people these days tend to move away to have children and live separately, but Chang (Somprasong Sawat) and Bua (Buachomphu Ford) have brought their families back home. Everyone living together in a warm communal atmosphere makes this big wooden house a true family home.

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Mother and her younger sister live in the left wing. Behind is the parking area. Spaces are separated with drapes that can be rolled up and put away to create a common space for big family dinners.

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Teak wall and outdoor connection of mother and younger sister’s house.

“We’re all one big family, Mom, my sister, and my family, which right now is me, Bua, and our three young sons. It’s comforting to have relatives nearby. Grandma and Auntie help with the grandchildren,” Chang says with a smile.

Kanika Rattanapreedakul of Spacetime Architects Co.,Ltd. designed the house: Chang had learned about her work from a magazine article about house design in New York’s Soho district, where Kanika was the single Thai woman featured among a number of Westerners.

Her design resulted in this unique 1,000 square meters big wooden house, divided into three main sections. The first part, in the center, holds the swimming pool and central area of the house: living room, dining area, and Western-style kitchen. This is everyone’s common area.

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Dining area and light-use kitchen.

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Chang and Bua’s parlor, used for a meeting room or just to socialize.

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Fresh red tones enliven Chang and Bua’s living room.

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Left: Chang’s sister’s private kingdom. Right: second-floor glass corridor on the second floor connects Chang’s house to the central area.

A section of the lower floor is designed for parking. The mother’s bedroom on the second floor has a classic décor. A vertical garden adds a feeling of warmth. The third floor is Chang’s sister’s domain. The right wing is surfaced with aluminum paneling, for a modern, fashionable “industrial” look: the family calls it the “tin house.”

“I collect paintings, so we have a room for them; in fact the room is designed around them. I favor surrealism and expressionism. You don’t have to understand everything to appreciate the art: it’s enough for it just to have an emotional impact.”

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Chang and Bua’s art-gallery bedroom connects to a spacious white bath.

The ground floor next to the pool has a reception area for guests, decorated with Chang’s art collection and next to a glass room where Bua practices yoga or sons play with friends, neighbors, and relatives their age.

The second floor is a mezzanine, with young Matt’s bedroom and a small pantry. Finally, on the third floor is Chang and Bua’s bedroom and two more small rooms for the children as they get bigger.

The design takes everyone’s needs into account in creating not only a beautifully designed and fully functional living space, but more than that, a place that brings together the love and warmth in the family, something that can’t be found anywhere else but here, their “home sweet home.”

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Owner: Somprasong Sawat and Buachomphu Ford

Architect: Spacetime Architects Co.,Ltd.


 

Amazing Maze Garden / Enjoy a Walk in the Garden Maze

Amazing Maze Garden / Enjoy a Walk in the Garden Maze

On Cairnhill Road, only 5 minutes from the city’s main drag of Orchard Road, we arrive at the Ritz-Carlton Residences of Singapore, the first Asian residence in the Ritz-Carlton chain. Besides opulence, contemporary design, and a raft of conveniences, there are a lot of interesting garden and outdoor areas here.

/// Singapore ///

Story: Woraphason /// Photography: Sitthisak Namkham /// Designer: Eco-id Architects

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View from above reveals the elaborate graphic pattern of the maze.

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Domed Victorian gazebo at the exit, a perfect use of classic architecture

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Entrance driveway is paved with cobblestone set in patterns, lined with plant containers of trimmed hedges, and edges hidden by hanging mouse tail plants.

On both sides of the entrance walkway are orderly hedges, with ground-cover vines hanging down the sides of plant containers bordering the lush green garden as it welcomes us in to the elegant lobby on the ground floor of a lofty 36-storey building. The modern-style garden in front has orderly hedges, but also something of a tropical flavor. One main section is a small area containing three separate spots where small parties can be held, each with a small barbecue pit, dishwashing sink, and a lawn table set. Walls of colorful plants separate them. Next to this is a swimming pool with a contemporary design, with lawn chairs in private gazebos for relaxing with cool drinks after getting out of the pool.

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A nice space for a small party, with a dishwashing sink and a place to set prepared food

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Black-bordered pond, the contemporary sculpture beside it creates a point of interest.

An interesting feature is the classic quatrefoil design artfully placed in spots inside and outside: on the waterfall wall, entry door, marble floor inside the building, and metal plates on the walls.

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Low-growing plants contrast with taller ones. Red varieties such as Chinese witch hazel create an asymmetrical look, with beautiful perennials such as the silver trumpet tree interspersed here and there.

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Tropical plant colors and textures mix in the garden.

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A stair down to the lower parking level is planted with hanging ivy to reduce the rigidity of the wall and the shine of its surface.

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A gray gazebo on the path helps break things up so the garden doesn’t look too orderly.

A “secret passage” on the other side of the building leads through hedges on a concrete path whose twists and turns reveal one section after another, as a stunning garden maze invites us to come in and play at trying to find a way out. The magenta cherry hedges inside the maze are trimmed waist-high for open visibility, giving a feeling of safety. A domed Victorian-style gazebo near the exit provides a rest stop for tired searchers. Nearby are tennis courts for exercising within the green garden atmosphere.

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A rest spot by the swimming pool: Pulling down the canvas shades blocks the sun and gives privacy.

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One side of the swimming pool wall is surfaced with quatrefoil (four-leaved flower) -patterned metal.

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The walkway from the garden seems to float on the water surface, but it isn’t really scary to walk on.

Besides the gardens surrounding the lower building, outside the upstairs meeting rooms and gym is a roof deck garden with three levels where one can sit and enjoy the cool breeze and scenic view. From here we look down to admire the gardens below, including that bewildering garden maze.

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Magenta cherry hedges in the maze make the surroundings look exotic.

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Looking up through the open roof of the domed gazebo to the Ritz-Carlton Residences

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The wire mesh tennis court is overgrown with vines for a different kind of beauty.

link: http://www.ecoid.com/home

 

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