/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Triệu Chiến /
Though we cannot count on the weather to be calm and delightful at all times, it is quite possible to bring physical ease, well-being and relaxation into the workplace, even without air conditioning. And this brick office named “Premier Office” has proved to be the case, thanks to clever passive cooling techniques and greenery giving off friendly vibes.
Handsomely nestled within a calm Ho Chi Minh City neighborhood, the building offering rental office spaces boasts the timeless beauty of brickwork in masonry construction.
Not only do bricks blend nicely into the surrounding landscape, but they also provide interior thermal comfort by absorbing moisture to some degree.
When wet, they dry out by evaporation thereby keeping the ambient temperature pleasant during the daytime.
The seven-story building with a parking garage below ground level offers vacant office spaces for lease that let tenants do their own setup and decorating.
Unlike the usual design offering the same old same old typical of everyday commercial real estate, the rental business spaces at Premier Office are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations, each of which is unique in its own special way.
As the architect intended, the new office block centers around the concept of climate-responsive design whereby forms, functions and nature blend together into one perfectly coordinated business property.
There is a courtyard-like open area at the center that affords an airy and bright atmosphere on every floor. It’s an architectural feature that goes together well with building facades made of ventilation blocks.
By design, the breathable envelope doubles as a passive cooling system that draws fresh outdoor air into this brick office and dissipates excess heat into the sky by rooftop ventilation.
Façade and Ventilation Conceptual Diagram Courtesy of Tropical SpaceFirst Floor Plan Courtesy of Tropical SpaceSecond Floor Plan Courtesy of Tropical SpaceThird Floor Plan Courtesy of Tropical SpaceFourth Floor Plan Courtesy of Tropical SpaceFifth Floor Plan Courtesy of Tropical SpaceSixth Floor Plan Courtesy of Tropical SpaceSeventh Floor Plan Courtesy of Tropical Space
For the health benefits of natural light, the building envelope is constructed with spaces in between bricks. These little openings in the wall work in tandem with the skylight over the courtyard-like area at the center.
Together they create interior thermal comfort by admitting a defused light to illuminate the room, meantime protecting it from the sun’s harsh glare.
It’s a clever hack to promote well-being, by which only the indirect light filtered by brick walls and surrounding trees is allowed.
The architect believed that by integrating physical comfort in the design of this brick office, it would double as second home for many tenants working here.
To avoid invading people’s privacy, the business space for each and every tenant is easily identifiable and clearly defined by a brick masonry wall.
Even with that, all the rental spaces appear bright and airy, no doubt, a nature-inspired place in which to conduct business.
/ Story: Nantagan / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Rungkit Charoenwat /
All he ever wanted was a place out in the country. Dechophon “Teng” Rattanasatchatham, the architect at Yangnar Studio, built his humble abode amid the rice fields in bucolic Chiang Mai’s Sankamphaeng District. Carefully thought out from work experience, it has come to redefine the meaning of rural home life from the perspectives of both the architect who designed it, and his family living in it. Like so, a calm and beautiful piece of vernacular architecture was created, one that came complete with all the requirements for good living. Plus, it’s aptly named “Tita House,” which is Thai for a bright and friendly rural appeal.
Sharing his piece of paradise, Teng said: “To start with, because I was going to live here, I wanted to draw on all my experience in vernacular architecture, design, ideas, and results of the experiments I had done in the past and put them to good use.
“I envisaged building a home that would be best suited to me and my family, one that kept within the budget and was built out of reclaimed timber that I had at the time.”
Viewed in its essential qualities, the house plan was adapted from vernacular architecture, which has been the signature of the atelier Yangnar Studio from the start.
It was built the old-fashioned way of Northen Thailand vernacular architecture by carpenters from within the locality. Clever building hacks utilizing a mix of modern tools and time-honored traditional techniques resulted in the superb vernacular carpentry of a true-to-nature wooden home.
From the look of things, the inconspicuous earth-oriented ebony building appeared unpretentious and capable of merging with the surrounding landscape.
Architecture on stilts features a mix of low and high elevation floors.
Tita House represents a marriage of the modern and the traditional. It’s rich in architectural features indigenous to the Northern Region.
They include, among other things, stilt house design that integrates lower and higher elevation floors to form a coherent whole. Essentially it’s about making appropriate adaptations of tranditional vernacular architecture that are convenient for and acceptable to family lifestyle needs.
As the architect put it, “The idea of integrating a lower elevation floor (the smaller building) in the design was adopted because there was a need for easily accessible under-floor space.
“Plus, it provided storage room for agricultural tools, food raw materials and articles for household use. Nearby, a higher elevation floor (the main building) offered plenty of ample under-floor space for woodworking, a casual relaxed sitting room and areas for the children to run and play.”
Under-floor space offers many benefits. Aside from creating multifunctional room, it doubles as a passive cooling system that drives natural air circulation.
This helps prevent high humidity levels in the home and keeps the interior cool in summer. It’s a more effective way to cool a home than building a wooden floor on the ground, which is prone to moisture damage, Teng explained.
The veranda that’s part of the smaller building is used for open flame cooking. Next to it lies a space for welcoming house guests and dining.
Right Building Orientation Improves Comfort
Tita House comprises two buildings that blend like cuts from the same cloth and are connected by a wooden deck that’s roofed over to protect from the elements. The smaller of the two buildings is used for open-flame cooking and eating, while the bigger building houses main living quarters.
As is often the case with vernacular architecture, it’s built on a split-level home plan. Cooking and eating spaces lie at the lower end, while the front deck and main living quarters are positioned slightly higher.
The area for eating and entertaining house guests lies to the north of the main building. It’s pleasantly cool and bright under the shade of trees that are the vital part of a wild yard landscape.
Winds blowing into it from underneath the nearby smaller building keep the area nice and comfortable all day. The main building that houses family living quarters affords a fine mountain view easily seen from the front deck connecting to two bedrooms at the far end.
Ground Floor Plan Courtesy of Yangnar StudioFirst Floor Plan Courtesy of Yangnar StudioSection Drawing Courtesy of Yangnar StudioSeen from the outside, the two buildings connected by a terrace look onto a wild front yard landscape.
“The reception area is positioned to the north of the main building for it gets beautiful morning sunshine.” Teng explained.
“As time passes and the sun moves across the sky, the nearby smaller building provides protection from afternoon heat. This way it’s nice and cool in the shade for much of the day.”
The veranda reserved for guest reception and dining is covered in concrete block pavers with retaining frames surrounded by landscaping beach pebbles. It’s raised higher than existing ground level for easy access to the main building.The cozy sitting room that’s part of main living quarters opens to the terrace leading to the smaller building.The workspace comes complete with low-profile bookcases on one side and a long desk for the home office on the other.Looking through office windows, on a clear day the iconic Doi Suthep Mountain can be seen in full view.
There’s a living room that forms part of the suite in the private house. It’s designed to conveniently connect to a workspace lying between two bedrooms.
The workspace itself is on the east side of the house plan with bay windows projecting outward from the wall of the building. Elsewhere, transom windows are fitted with weather-resistant insect screens instead of glass, thereby allowing fresh outdoor air to enter and circulate inside.
Meanwhile, long eaves that overhang the walls of the building protect the interior from the elements. The under-floor space beneath it is kept cool by design, thanks to the house floor that extends outward to form the upper covering that keeps it in shade for much of the day.
For the health benefits of early morning sunlight, the two bedrooms are positioned on the east side of the house plan.The shower room enclosed with brick walls lies in the open air. Nice alfresco design improves ventilation and protects against moisture damage.The west side of the main building looks onto a backyard vegetable garden where onion greens, collard greens, cualiflowers, and herbs are grown for household use.
A Product of Intermixing and Experimenting with Ideas
Tita House is the brainchild of the homeowner and architect who created it. To him, it’s a living experiment of current time vernacular architecture. It contains architectural features, building techniques and qualities that he has never tested before elsewhere.
“I had the opportunity of visiting a village in the North of Vietnam and Kengtung (a township in Myanmar’s Shan State) and came away impressed by the method of building houses there,” said Teng.
“It was very interesting. They started out by making flat component pieces in the shop or on-site. Then people in the village joined together to assemble them step-by-step to form a unified whole. In no time, a complete home was erected simply by connecting prefab paneling together.
“It gave me the inspiration to adapt and try it myself.”
Apart from trying out new methods for structural frames making, Teng also put other creative ideas to the test.
This new house of his was the outcome of those experiments. In a nutshell, it was about making appropriate adaptations that best fit the circumstances.
In the case of Tita House, the integration of a low elevation floor in stilt house design was something not seen very often in the North of Thailand’s vernacular architecture. In most cases, different elevation floors, if any, were kept apart in two separate buildings.
Flashbacks, prefab component pieces are seen being erected in the initial stage of construction at Tita House.Structural framing component pieces arrive ready to be assembled on site. They are put together using mortise and tenon joinery with an emphasis on wood color and texture that are true to nature.A perspective view of interactions between different elevations in the house plan.
Besides architecture, there are several internal fitments that are worthy of note. They include wash basin design ideas for preparing vegetables, washing dishes, and watering plants in the yard.
Here, pieces of kitchen equipment are beautifully organized. They are connected to the backyard garden below by a line of bamboo poles that carries water supply to a glove of banana trees.
For a neat appearance, the wash basin is crafted of teakwood paneling put in place parallel to the edge of a balcony.
Teng said: “From experience, I have done an experiment on teakwood wash basins for customers only to discover that most of the time they were too small for their needs.
“So I came up with a bigger size, put it to the test right here at home. Apparently it worked out very well. The large teakwood basin dried fast and required little to no maintenance.”
A large-sized wash basin crafted of teakwood is put in place parallel to the edge of a balcony. It connects to a line of bamboo poles that carries water supply to the backyard garden below.
An Unpretentious Home Made Attractive by True-to-Nature Materials
The two buildings were made almost entirely of reclaimed timber. Cut into desired lengths and sizes, the pieces were put together using mortise and tenon joinery to create individual component parts.
The next step was to assemble the pieces of the jigsaw to form a unified whole on-site. The materials of choice were wood and brick. To bring out the color and texture that’s true to nature, brickwork was not plastered in a cement mixture to create smooth hard surfaces, which translated into big savings.
To add a touch of nature to the room, teakwood planks that make up a wooden floor are nat stained to a dark shade.
According to Teng, “Most of the wood reused here came from old homes that were torn down at various places. For durability, they were given a coat of protective wood stains on site. For the most part they were weathered almost black and differed greatly in terms of the appearance or texture, a quality that gave the home its vintage vernacular appeal.”
All things considered, it’s an unpretentious abode that speaks volumes for what the architect and homeowner is about. Every little thing has a story to tell, whether it is about the ways of the community, the materials, or the architectural features integrated in the design.
It’s a home that conveys a great deal about a desire to reconnect with nature through sustainable living. And Tita House is doing exactly that.
A bird’s eye view reveals a peaceful front yard covered in the lush foliage of small trees and shrubs, such as basils, polyscias, and crotons that thrive among flowers. The south and west sides of the property are lined with native tree species that keep the house in shade.The house merges into the rice fields, comfortably ensconced in the dusk of a Chiang Mai mountainside.
Owner/Architect: Dechophon Rattanasatchatham of Yangnar Studio
/ Story: Patsiri Chot / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
This attractive, old-fashioned country home stands in the middle of huge swaths of paddies in Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim District. The upper floor, all bedrooms, is built of wood. Downstairs the many open walls convey a great deal about the traditional Thai house with a “tai thun” (the open underfloor space) that’s spacious, bright and airy. It holds a living room, dining room, and coffee nook with a natural breeze providing cool comfort all day long.
The rural house built of reclaimed timber looks the epitome of a local tradition. Its design is the brainchild of Prakij Kanha of the Bangkok-based atelier Studio Miti Co., Ltd.
Overall, the building is impressive in its austere simplicity. But at the same time, the external envelope made of weather-beaten wood adds rustic charm to the home. The recycled building materials used in the project were taken from five old houses at various locations around Chiang Mai.
The house has a small courtyard along its length, a channel for natural breezes to blow that adds to an overall sense of relaxed informality.
There is a small courtyard enclosed by the walls of the house, creating a channel for natural breezes that go to work making the simple interior cozy and comfortable. Limitations on the amount of wood meant that a few downstairs walls had to be mortared in place. Where cladding boards were too short, sheet metal was used to cover the unfilled spaces.
The house was roofed over with Onduline, a kind of eco-friendly corrugated roofing sheets made of strong natural fibers. They are lightweight and suitable as insulation materials, and hence no need to install a ceiling.
For roof decking installations, oriented strand boards, or OSB, are used. OSB is a type of engineered wood similar to plywood. To keep the sun baked rooms cool during the day, gypsum boards are used to add a layer of built-in insulation.
There is a mix of tall windows and glass walls, and a central corridor connecting to every room in the house. It also doubles as air circulation channel.
Even the bathroom looks out on nature. The master bedroom has views of both Doi Saket, a mountain in the eastern part of Chiang Mai, and morning mists over the Ping River. On the opposite side, night after night you can watch the moon wax and wane.
The country house’s easy and chic interior décor is a mix of furniture and antiques almost entirely taken from the homeowner’s old place of abode.
A small mezzanine made of steel mesh flooring is home to objects of interest to collectors, including a post-World War II vintage bicycle, while photos on the wall give the air of a private gallery.On one side of the hall is a staircase made attractive by a mix of unfinished surfaces of wood, brick, cement, steel and glass.This is a homestay for nature lovers: the four guest rooms all have wooden furniture, stressing simplicity and panoramic views of the landscape.
Public electricity doesn’t reach out this far, so solar cells are used, and per-day energy use has to be carefully figured. There is no air conditioning, but the natural breezes here are deeply cooling.
On the whole, it’s a beautiful wood house set amid rice fields, a perfect place to get the peace and quiet. The sky can’t be clearer. The night is totally dark and tranquil. What could be better than that?
/ Story: Sarayut Sreetip-ard / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
Pongsakorn Tumpruksa, of Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect Co., Ltd, was passionate about life beside the water. He built his waterside wooden house on 340 square wahs (1,360 sq. m.) of land in Bang Khun Thian where two small waterways converge with Bang Mot Canal.
The roadside entrance is in the back, so the house fronts on the canal, Thai-style.
Like the traditional Thai house in former times, this waterside wood home has a tall open area called “tai thun” (the underfloor space at ground level), an economical construction that suits Thailand’s climate and promotes socialization processes in the family.
The tall tai thun includes a carport and an area blocked off as a workshop. An open staircase leads up to the porch, and in the center is a large contiguous open space combining living and dining areas, with the kitchen on one side and bedrooms on the other.
Pongsakorn explained the three design principles that he kept in mind, which are:
A centuries-old principle of traditional architecture of Thailand’s central region
It is about the house’s suitability for the environment, balancing sun, wind, and rain to keep things cool and comfortable. Here, the old knowledge is blended with modern construction materials. The high tai thun avoids flooding and termite damage.
Good air circulation is ensured with a high roof with long eaves; windows and a gap below the roof help release hot air. There is a deck where either clothes or fish can be dried, a heat-resistant mesh on the wooden roof, and there is an open porch below the eaves where you can sit, catch the breeze, and relax from the heat.
Also, the gardens around the house give shade and maintain moisture, cooling the area.
The architecture promotes Thai family culture
Previously, the family lived in a townhouse, chatted at the dinner table, and were always in close, warm contact.
To continue that feeling, living and dining areas and kitchen were designed as a single continuous space.
Cost-effective construction
The house was built with a limited budget: overbuilding would have been problematic.
Thai traditional knowledge shows how to do this: leave room for gradual expansion, building onto the house as needed, as was done in Thailand’s earlier days.
Pongsakorn tells us, “Building a home for my loved ones was like building happiness. What I’m most proud of is doing it as the architect son of my father, who worked for the government as an architectural technician. Dad left us last year, but he got to live with us in this house.”
“Happiness for me is growing plants and living in a shady, cool home,” says Pongsakorn’s mother with a smile.
“I’m truly glad that Father had the chance to live here with us again.”
Owner/Architect: Pongsakorn Tumpruksa of Arsom Silp Community and Environmental Architect (arsomsilparchitect.co.th)
/ Story: Wuthikorn Suthiapa / Englosh version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /
The Huean Tham house (House of Dharma) has a depth that makes it much more than just a place to live. It’s actually a group of buildings and rooms, each with its own particular use. The Thai word “tham” (dharma) is integral to the words “thammachat” (nature) and “thammada” (natural), and suggests tranquility in life living in this local Thai house.
Huean Tham is a residence, a design workshop for naturally dyed fabrics, and a storehouse for Usaato brand fabrics, all in 6 buildings.
First is “ruean yai” (the large house), residence of owners Somyot Suparpornhemin and Usaburo Sato.
Just to the north is ruean lek (small house), where the children and visiting friends stay.
More or less in the center of the complex is sala tham (dharma hall), a place to socialize, with a shady multipurpose yard for activities such as dharma seminars and trainings in woven fabric design, for a local village weaving group, and in natural soap production.
There is also a shrine with a wooden Buddha in this local Thai house. Both wings of the second floor hold guest rooms for close friends.
On the southwest side is ruean luang pho (holy man house), a retreat for family members which serves as a monk’s hut when a revered spiritual teacher is invited to the home.
Finally, to the south are akhan kep pha (fabric storehouse) and ruean ngan (workshop) for design work, with different rooms for specialists in different crafts.
Huean Tham’s outstanding attributes were conceived by Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architects with the aim of combining good features of the traditional Thai house with functional Japanese concepts.
Entering ruean yai we see the floor is raised a bit: this is to protect against ground moisture. Thai and Japanese homes share a characteristic utilization of the area beneath the main house for guest reception and dining, a multipurpose space called “tai thun” in Thai.
Construction materials were selected for their good points and their suitability: the house is constructed primarily of wood, the house frame primarily of concrete and steel.
The architecture of Huean Tham isn’t flashy or showy. The true beauty of this home is in its fusion of architecture with life toward oneness with nature and the ways of tranquility, raising the level of excellence for both the architectural team and for Eung and Ussa’s lifestyle.
This excellence will continuously reinforce the beauty of this local Thai house as time goes on.
Owner: Somyot Suparpornhemin and Usaburo Sato
Architect: Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect
Here’s a bamboo house with contemporary appeal immersed in nature. The home that’s also a medical clinic belongs to Dr. Nopharat Pitchanthuk and his wife Kanyapak Silawatanawongse. Without question, his interest in the natural therapeutic concept is expressed in the warm and welcoming ambience of the home office. The orthopedic doctor provides specialized care for the musculoskeletal system in the comfort of home amid the rustic charm of the countryside.
Dr. Nopharat and his wife Kanyapak are all smiles in front of their bamboo home and medical clinic.
Asked how all this was accomplished, the physician said: “Upon graduation from medical school, I taught medicine and operated a clinic in Bangkok for several years before coming out to Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima. At first, we opened a branch office in the city area just to get an idea about patient demands in the provinces.
The attractive two-story bamboo house is evidence of streamlined design that fits into the natural surroundings.Bamboo is the material of choice for traditional Thai style residential architecture. Here, a gable roof is pitched at an angle that drains storm water fast to prevent leaking.
“I was fortunate enough to receive help from a good, kind person senior to me. He wanted to help patients in the rural area gain access to medical care. So, he let us use a facility free of charge for the purpose of opening a clinic.
“After having done it for a while, we felt like we were overstaying the welcome. At the same time, we needed a facility that would be more relaxed and convenient for the patients – preferably a green space that’s well lighted, open and airy. I just didn’t want the patients to feel tense and unable to relax as was the case with a hospital visit in general.”
Dr. Nopharat said: “For a while, we went searching for a location that would suit our specific needs. In the end, we came to a parcel of land that Kanyapak’s mother had bought some 20 years back. It was an area of woodland filled with dense shrubbery and other plants,
“We had the area cleared to make room for a grassy lawn and new trees planted. The house was ready in time for a wedding ceremony to take place. Needless to say we have grown emotionally attached to it from day one. The new home and the medical clinic now provides medical care for people in the rural area.”
A hanging fixture directs light to specific points in the main hallway. Ample glass windows and overhead transoms allow plenty of natural light during the daytime.
Brickwork alternating with timber in shades of warm earth tones adorns the dining area adjoining the kitchen.
Why bamboo? The homeowner couple wanted their house in modern style to fuse into the pristine rural environment. Naturally, bamboo was the material of choice for it was easy to find the price reasonable.
Bamboo is also strong and can be used proportionally to the weight for which it’s intended. It’s fast growing and readily available as a building material. While it’s prone to be affected by moisture and insects, it can last a long time if well maintained.
High ceilings, big windows, and open floor plans combine to make the interior feel roomy, light and airy. There’s also a mezzanine that’s easily accessed from the living room.
[Left] A large awning window opens up to connect with the outdoors. / [Right] A sofa set in shades of indigo paired with earth tones on the walls and floor reduces a monotonous regularity in the interior living space.Different kinds of bamboo were chosen to suit different construction needs. Pai Tong (scientific name: Dendrocalamus), and Pai Sang Mon (Dendrocalamus Sericeus), two Tropical species of giant clumping bamboos common to Southeast Asia, were used for house posts and other load bearing structures.
Other parts, such as roofing, walls, and ceilings were built using smaller farmed bamboos. They were adapted to fit in with modern building materials for durability and the conveniences of modern living.
Where bamboo in brownish hues prove too much, whites come in handy to make the interior space look lightweight, spacious and airy.A semi-outdoor room on the second floor has a traditional Thai-style chaise lounge with triangle pillow.[Left] The roof comes in two layers to better protect the house from the elements. To blend with the environment, the top sheeting is made of asphalt shingles, while the underlayment is built of split bamboo paneling. / [Right] Giant bamboo poles, or Pai Tong (scientific name: Dendrocalamus) are chosen to give rafters and roof battens their strength and ability to shore up the weight.Selected to suit specific applications, bamboo poles are not painted or dyed. They undergo treatment procedures to increase durability, which include a thin coat of protective oils. Light color oils enhance the appearance that blends well with the natural environment.
Bamboo isn’t the only thing that contributes to the house’s rustic appeal. It’s the feel and functionality that go into making it unique.
At the same time, house-on-stilts design protects it from humidity, and makes it suitable to build on uneven ground common to this area. The bamboo floor at plinth height serves as engine that drives natural air circulation, which results in indoor thermal comfort.
The clinic interior features an open floor plan with large windows designed to connect to the outdoors. Large transom windows and the roof opens up to allow plenty of natural daylight, which translates into big savings on electricity.
Designed to soak up the view of surrounding landscapes, Dr. Nopharat’s office takes stress and anxiety out of everyday work life.
As for the upper covering, a gable roof with long eaves unique to traditional Thai-style architecture protects the home from the elements. Inside, vertical bamboo paneling alternating with horizontal split bamboo sheets gives a sense of perspective, while plenty of windows and overhead transoms allow natural light into the room.
In a nutshell, it’s sustainable design that harmonizes with the natural world, a work of architecture based on traditional knowledge and the concept of a sufficiency economy. The bottom line is life is all about balance.
A parlor provides relaxed seating and waiting areas for families accompanying the patients. Overhead, the roof opens up to allow natural light into the room and shuts when not needed.
Owner: Nopharat Pitchanthuk MD and Kanyapak Silawatanawongse
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MODERN STYLE IN A NEWLY RENOVATED HOUSEBRICK HOUSE FOR A TROPICAL CLIMATE
/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: W Workspace /
This box-shaped steel house, hidden in shady green woods, has a cool, peaceful resort atmosphere. – hard to believe it’s right in the middle of a congested city!
wide eaves, glass windows set 3 meters in for shade and rain protectionpaved driveway leading into the carport 5 meters from the street
Designing architect Boonlert Hemvijitraphan ofBoon Design took up the challenge set by the owner: create a home on the limited plot that is neither cramped nor stuffy.
Boonlert said, “The challenge was to make that work within the urban context. Fortunately, the owner gave us a completely free hand; our job was simply to design a comfortable residence on a 360-square-meter (90-square-wah) property. The starting point was what we saw in the original landscaping here.”
[left] The dark of the steel house and bamboo blinds contrasts with the surrounding greenery. [right]: Open space carport leads up into the house.The main door from the carport into the living room
The property was not large, and its location right in the center of a capital city was seriously limiting
How to build a comfortable residence here? The garden/orchard greenery was used as a tool to create a sense of spaciousness.
Instead of the house spreading outwards toward the fence, it rose vertically as a 2½-storey home with open space beneath the house used as a carport and multipurpose area, the rest of the property becoming a relaxing, park-like space.
High-ceilinged living room, naturally bright and airy, with a great view of outside greenery.
The large garden was set up to the south to get the best breeze and the best shade from plants and trees.
The garden is planted on soil raised 1.2 meters higher than before to be level with the 3-meter height of the living room.
The living room connects with the dining area beneath the mezzanine, with the kitchen behind the glass doorThe metal bookshelf reaching almost to the mezzanine also acts as weight-bearing support for the staircase behind it.
The first floor has a high “double volume” ceiling for more natural light and ventilation. A steel staircase rises from the living room to the mezzanine, which holds a workroom and guest bedroom, and up to the second floor, the owner’s private space.
The single staircase up from the carport connects everything from the ground to the top floor.
Mezzanine walkway with banister and protective grating steel is the primary building material, but natural materials such as bamboo are also important.
Bamboo shades cover the house façade, filtering sunlight, protecting against rain, giving privacy from outside view, yet still allowing good ventilation.
“We used steel not because we especially wanted to use steel, but because it was light, and we wanted that quality,” explained Boonlert.
“Each material has its own particular value. Coming up with a principle means coming up with the quality we want. Design is a value in itself.”
The architecture of this house reflects modern times. It’s surrounded by the natural environment people long for, so no matter chaotic and confused the outside world, in this home there’s a mood of relaxation and contentment: it’s just a great place to live.
/ Story: Wuthikorn Suthiapa / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Tanakitt Khum-on /
This rectangular brick home in Ho Chi Minh City is designed for a “hot and humid” climate. It’s open to natural light with cool air currents constantly streaming in and out through the brick walls. The homeowners Mr. Tung Do and Mrs. Lien Dinh are newlyweds who wanted a small house with straightforward design for pleasant living. They have found the home of their dreams.
Brick doesn’t retain heat, but insulates against it, and its porosity helps retain early morning moisture which evaporates to cool at midday.Work corner next to the food preparation section is screened off for privacy.
The owner had seen Tropical Space’s “Termitary House,” which won, among others, a 2016 Brick Award, and admired its form and design so much that – even with their limited budget – they engaged the Company to design and build their own home.
Ms. Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Mr. Nguyen Hai Long of Tropical Space said:
“We want to build living spaces that connect people with nature, natural spaces that are easy to understand. The beauty of nature can reach deep into a person’s spirit to improve life in ways they would not have imagined before.”
Mr. Nguyen tells us he grew up in a house of brick and never forgot his childhood vision of sunbeams flowing through open spaces between bricks to throw patterns of light and shadow on the light dust in the air, and how beautiful it was.
Little phenomena such as this connect people with their surroundings, and support the choice of brick as a building material.
The brick wall both gives privacy and provides channels for air and light to pass through.
Stair frame of rebar saves space and adds structural definition.
Most of Tropical Space’s design work makes use of brick, partly because the form has a certain beauty, but deeper than that, brick is an inherently Vietnamese material, indigenous to the area.
The designer pays attention to its true characteristics and searches out new ways of using and arranging it, creating channels for wind and light and taking advantage of its moisture-retaining quality.
Seen from outside, the home is a rectangular block that itself resembles one humongous brick. It faces north because of sun, wind, and rain directions, and without being too hot it gets good light all day long.
The ground floor living room features a wall of bricks alternating with open spaces, lighting and cooling at the same time during the day.
Outside, a little distance from the house to the east and west are walls that keep sunlight from directly hitting it, instead reflecting light through the perforated brick wall and into every inside area.
These outside walls also create channels that guide the wind in and out. Trees are planted there, too, which cool the house with their shade.
The house may look a bit severe, but in this tropical climate its architecture aligns beautifully with nature to provide an amazingly comfortable residence built on a moderate budget.
Openings above and on the sides for natural light to enter during the day.
Architect: Tropical Space by Ms.Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Mr.Nguyen Hai Long
/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Peter Montalbano /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
This box-shaped house uses architecture and coordinated interior design to tell stories of the present and the past.
The house is located in the Petaling Jaya district of Selangor, Malaysia. This is a district of single homes, but with little space to put up a large house.
Still, architect Dr Tan Loke Mun rose to the challenge of house owner Kenneth Koh and tore down the former structure here to build a new 3-storey box-shaped house in its place.
“Ground space was limited, so we built upward,” the architect told us. Building vertically involved careful division of space. The lower floors hold common areas: parlor/living room, dining area, kitchen, and conference/chat room. The 3rd floor is an attic, holding hidden utility systems next to a small living room.
The designers brought an “outdoors” mood to each part of this box-shaped house: there’s a “double volume” high, open space on the first floor; glass windows open to the garden atmosphere, and potted shade-loving plants bring it inside.
Gentle sunlight shining into the living space combined with a light breeze from a ceiling fan gives the feeling of sitting in a garden.
An effective play of space combines with the interior décor to bring out a timeless feeling that reflects its Malaccan legacy. The Chinese-style furniture, both traditional and contemporary, was made by Malaccan artisans. Paintings tell of a land that lives on in the memory of the owner.
For architectural reasons, the stairway is in the middle of the house. The folded steel balusters look light, and the red banister is at once tremendously chic and reminiscent of the row houses of yesteryear.
Significantly, the prominent terra-cotta tile facade is remarkable.
“In tearing down the old house, we discovered that the roof tiles were handcrafted, imported from Calcutta, India, so we set them aside to use this way for privacy and heat insulation,” added the architect.
“Their texture connects nicely with the other materials used here. This original house tile is long-lasting, looks great, has a timeless quality, and is a good choice in combination with the other main structural components of brick, concrete, and steel.”
The decorative outer house wall uses a suspended steel framework to hold the terracotta roof tiles and red brick.
The outer surface of this box-shaped house structure shows a wall of terracotta roof tiles that open and close to catch the light. The metal support structures reach out from the main building to form a pleasing pattern of connections between the inside and outside.
The look and ambience here remind us of a Malaccan row house, but in a modern context.
Effective combination of old materials and new in textures that suit its owner’s heritage gives this house a sense of being outside of time, and its memories will be passed on to the next generations who live here.
Ultimately, we don’t often find a big-city house that feels so bright, natural, and full of narrative.
/ Story: Supachart Boontang / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /
Haven’t got a clue about what to do with small living spaces? This loft house of an architect should give you some ideas towards a quick fix. Find out how.
When talented young architect Sarin Nilsonthiyoung was planning on building a home for himself, he envisaged a place where he could wear anything he wanted and have free movement without bothering anyone and vice versa.
Wish granted, the small loft house now sits peacefully enveloped by thick, rubbed concrete walls. It looks like a fortress, perhaps because of that tunnel-liked entrance. Step into his world, and you come before a cozy loft house under the lean-to roof typical of an attached greenhouse.
Small but uncluttered, the loft-style home offers 100 square meters of carefully thought-out floorplan.
The workspace is tucked away on a tiny mezzanine that hovers above the living room. There is a closet that fits flush with the staircase. Nothing goes to waste. Even a niche above the bedroom’s window has enough room for a wall-mounted cabinet.
It’s not just design that’s cool. Construction was resource-efficient every step of the way.
The owner used recycled timber and leftovers from other things to make not only concrete forms, but pretty much everything else, from windows casings to door frames to furniture.
Green construction is not the only thing that goes into making this little house unique. It’s practicality that comes from creative ideas.
Every morning the homeowner wakes up to the sight of a peaceful rock garden reminiscent of an early Zen temple. Close at hands stands an outdoor bathroom, where he can shower alfresco – the best way to end the day in the sun.
An alfresco shower – the best way to call it a day.
“I feel good every time I come home,” said the owner. “Home is where one enjoys a freedom to live life well and with ease.”
That said, his loft house is by no means a big house, but it’s the answer to all his lifestyle needs. As the old saying goes, a man’s home is his castle. We couldn’t agree more.
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