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.
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: Supachart Boontag / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /
Once an affordable choice among artists, lofts have grown to become one of the most popular house styles. The design that makes use of high ceilings to create an airy, cozy and comfortable place of residence appeals to a much wider demographic now than any time in the past.
High beam ceilings and sliding glass doors brighten and enlarge the appearance of the living room.
This three-story retro loft house in the Malaysian state of Selangor is the brainchild of Ramesh Seshan, who has experience in loft design. Judging from the way things are going, it’s an architectural style that represents endless possibilities.
It all began with Lee Kok Choong wanting to renovate his old house as a retro loft style residence. Responding to his heart’s desire, architect Seshan explored and rethought all the materials and building strategies to create solutions that meet his preferences.
The result is a cozy and warm loft home showcasing the simplicity of unornamented concrete finishes. Uncovered brick walls become the center of attention, whereas rough textures are accentuated alongside of retro Chinese style detailing.
The center courtyard house plan features a serene carp fish pond. The mellifluous sound of water fits in well with the loft atmosphere.A semi-outdoor staircase leading to upstairs living rooms boasts the simplicity of bare concrete finishes.For a lightweight look, concrete flooring on the footbridge is replaced by thick tempered glass panels.
As one would imagine, the newly renovated home is rich in the appeal and qualities that connect with history.
Take for example the second floor entryway that’s inspired by colonial architecture in old Hong Kong. The floor is covered in custom-made ceramic tiles in geometric shapes. Nearby, a footbridge is paved with thick tempered glass that blends well with wrought iron detailing on safety handrails.
From a distance, the rustic façade in brown conjures up memories of the Jawa spaceship Sandcrawler in sci-fi movies Star Wars. Step inside, and you find a spiral staircase made of bare concrete with its distinctive rough textures and the expanded metal infill balustrade that’s the hallmark of industrial loft style.
The kitchen is located near living spaces for convenience. The floor is covered in smooth marble, while exposed brick walls add visual interest to loft ideas.
Interestingly, each floor has its own character. The first floor is paved with green marble imported from India, while red marble, aka Rosa Levanto, adds a bold personality to the living room on the second floor. The third floor is an entirely different story as it unexpectedly switches to a combination of various concrete finishes.
Interior design showcases a fun twist, incorporating unique and unexpected elements. Take for instance a leisure area that uses a pair of vintage barber chairs for sitting on, instead of the regular bar stools at standard height. Behind the bar counter, an antique storage cabinet in subdued chili red and collectible décor items take pride of place on the wall.
A concrete spiral staircase leads to living spaces on the second and third floors.
The U-shaped house plan features a central courtyard that opens to natural light. The bright and airy atmosphere is further enhanced by large glass doors.
Even though the design is influenced by many styles and built using a variety of different materials, the architect has finally managed to keep all the retro loft qualities in perfect harmony.
More so than anything else, the overall effect is impressive; a home that’s stylishly fashionable, cozy and pleasant in its own special way. An experience like this is worth its weight in gold!
Rust-colored panels form the outer shell of double-wall construction that shelters the interior living spaces from too much sun and rain.Different color marble floors mark the boundaries between the bedroom and the adjoining bath.A leisure area on the second floor is inspired by traditional ways of life in old Hong Kong. Black and white stripe bamboo blinds are influenced by a popular design in old Malaya, now Malaysia, during colonial times.Modern facades in brown brings out cool personality of the Retro-Loft house style inspired by the ways of life in old Hong Kong and cultural heritage in old Malaya, now Malaysia.
/ Story: Ekkarach Laksanasamrith / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /
There are ways to bring the outdoors in and enjoy the benefits of nature without ever leaving your home. Likewise, a concrete house in Malaysia named Sekeping Tenggiri has embarked on the journey to establish a sanctuary for the mind.
The building has been lovingly restored using steel structures. Leveraging steel technologies offers a fast and convenient alternative in construction.
Located in Jalan Tenggiri, a district of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, the house graces a modest plot of land. Nonetheless, the homeowner adeptly integrates a plethora of natural features into the design for a look that blends seamlessly with the environment.
Plants and natural light work harmoniously to soften the stark surfaces of building materials, creating a warm and well-lit ambiance.
The house belongs to Ng Sek San, who is the founder of Seksan Design, a landscaping and architecture firm in Kuala Lumpur. He told us that the house was a renovation of two adjacent homes skillfully transformed with a clean sweep.
Ng is also an art collector, which is evident in one side of the house dedicated to an enviable art collection that’s open to the public with no admission charge.
For visual continuity, the architect makes use of the same building materials on both the exteriors and interiors.
The two-story home boasts a comprehensive range of functional spaces, including an ample sitting room, dining room and kitchen, complemented by a refreshing swimming pool and seven bedrooms.
An experienced landscape architect, Ng started out with a modest garden while working on this house. Over time, he progressed to larger projects, smoothly integrating exterior and interior spaces so that they become a whole. To him, a garden is a room, and his exterior design spaces resemble extensions of the interiors.
The ground floor showcases a dining room seamlessly connecting to the swimming pool and the garden at the far end. The canopy of tall trees ensures a constant flow of cool breezes throughout the day.Both the floorboards and concrete roofs maintain a thickness of 10 centimeters in general. Where appropriate, they are reduced to 7 centimeters. Meanwhile, strategic gaps ranging from 5 to 10 centimeters exist between the ceiling and the top edge of the wall to facilitate effective ventilation.
An exemplary illustration of Modern Tropical style, Sekeping Tenggiri is designed to mitigate heat and prevent moisture-related issues. Long overhangs and awnings provide protection against scorching sunlight, while exposed roof sections and plain floors contribute to a clean and simple aesthetic.
Materials such as concrete masonry, bricks, wood, and steel were utilized, with the main structure being steel-reinforced concrete. The thoughtful incorporation of nature into the living space is evident in details like raising the floorboards 40 centimeters from the concrete floors, promoting air circulation that naturally cools the upstairs bedrooms.
Opaque walls are replaced by glass louvre windows that usher in light, creating airy interiors. Transparent materials in parts of the roof facilitate ample sunlight, particularly over the swimming pool.
The master bedroom on the second floor exudes simplicity and raw elegance. Exposed brick walls, unrefined concrete floors, and expansive windows spanning from one corner to the other seamlessly integrate with the natural surroundings, ensuring visual continuity.Who says the space underneath the window must be an opaque wall? That’s not the case here. Louvre windows are utilized to improve air circulation.A raised floorboard accommodates new plumbing in the bathroom. The dry section showcases a diverse range of materials, while the wet section opts for easy-care products like tiles—a smart choice for practicality.
As has been demonstrated, Sekeping Tenggiri features numerous passageways that facilitate air movement. They include the spaces between wooden floorboards and along the corridors, plus openings in exterior walls. These design elements not only enhance ventilation, but also contribute to the house’s uncluttered and incredibly relaxed appearance.
[Left] Skylights above the bathroom foster the flourishing of indoor plants. / [Right] The integration of the house with the surrounding vegetation creates a harmonious blend. Undoubtedly, the use of natural building materials contributes to comfortable living conditions.
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