/ Story: Jeadwonder / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ 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.
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.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.
Dining area and light-use kitchen.Chang and Bua’s parlor, used for a meeting room or just to socialize.Fresh red tones enliven Chang and Bua’s living room.Left: Chang’s sister’s private kingdom. Right: A 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.”
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.”
/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /
“We want a Thai-Isan style home, the kind that not only embraces vernacular design typical of the Northeast but also fits in well with the social and cultural environment,” said homeowner Pierre Vermeir when asked about his traditional-style country home in Udon Thani’s Baan Dung District. Having lived in Thailand for a long time now, Pierre is quite at home with the Thai way of life. He is also passionate about the warmth and hospitality indigenous to the region.
The new house that’s warm and full of character sits on land that has been the family home of Nittaya Pansamdang, Pierre’s better half. When the home they’ve lived in needed repairs, the couple thought it wise to go for a complete teardown to make room for a new one. And that’s where Kanika Ratanapridakul, of Spacetime Architects, came into play and turned ideas into a reality.
A proper plinth height protects the house floor from direct contact with moisture, while the front porch offers plenty of room for family hanging out together. Plus, there’s the quality of being positive in attitude. Friendly neighbors shout out greetings as they pass by in the late afternoon.
“Pierre wanted a Thai-style house, a wooden one that’s comfortable to live in and not too big. He made that clear from the get-go,”Kanika said.
“As I got around to working on it in earnest, it became clear that the country home was for me as well. It was more suited to my character than other types of design. So it made communication easy because we ended up pursuing the same line of thought.”
A low-profile platform bed is in keeping with the culture in which sitting on the floor is the norm, a polite way that has had pride of place in society since ancient times.
The first floor raised at plinth height boasts an airy hallway reminiscent of the unique ground-level living space of a house perched high on sturdy poles. The exterior walls are crafted of timber in clapboard patterns alternating with glass louvre windows and fiber cement boards. The three types of building supplies were the materials of choice for their simple, clean appearance.
“The house is built strong using ordinary building supplies and methods no different from others in the community,” said Kanika. “It’s the coming together of the right materials, the skills, and well-planned design on a budget, resulting in the perfect form, color and texture that merge into countryside vernacular.”
A louver window with glass slats operated by a hand crank opens to let light and fresh outdoor air into the upstairs washroom.The shower room is made of wood and concrete with smooth finishes. Polished concrete surfaces protect against humidity and seepage, while louvre windows, aka jalousie windows, improve ventilation.
Pierre is obviously pleased with the result. The beautiful country home in Udon Thani stands in peaceful harmony with the rural landscape. To ensure there is no obstruction of view, the boundary fence formed by densely growing bushes and shrubs is kept at the right height.
Taking everything into account, the house plan is truly a breath of fresh air. Upstairs, balconies with deck bench seating in the front and back look out over the surrounding countryside. Downstairs, simple clean decks and patio ideas enhance the garden view and offer visual continuity connecting the home with others in the community.
The front façade, especially, overlooks an outdoor area where children from within the neighborhood run and play.
Upstairs floorboards extending outward keep the sun off downstairs living spaces and surrounding wood patio. Characteristic of vernacular design, a small washroom at the far end provides added convenience to semi-outdoor living.Relaxing on the backyard patio while children are having fun exploring the neighborhood.
From a design perspective, the home represents a juncture where vernacular and contemporary styles are married. The house main frame is built of H-shaped steel beams for strength and durability, while the layout, build quality and visual elements are quintessentially Northeastern Thai, aka Thai-Isan.
On top of its pleasantness, the house is created for easy, comfortable living, physically and mentally.
Asked how he finds living out in the country, Pierre says: “It’s not the same. Imagine living in Bangkok and then making a trip to visit family in Udon. Life would have been different.
“Compare that with having a home in Udon and commuting to work in Bangkok from time to time. The latter makes sense. It is comforting to know there is a country home awaiting your return, one that is peaceful, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”
Typical of Thai-style homes in earlier times, an open concept floor plan results in the living room, dining room and kitchen fusing together forming a united whole.
“I want a simple country lifestyle. After all, life isn’t about just me alone. It is about reaching out and interacting with others in the community. And that is what makes Thai-Isan culture unique and warm. There is a touch of country in the lifestyle, and I find that delightfully charming and attractive.”
The kitchen comes fully equipped to handle all kinds of cooking big or small. Louvre windows allow good ventilation making clouds of smoke and odors fast dissipate.
Pierre now commutes a few times monthly between Bangkok and his new home. In future, he intends to live permanently in Udon Thani. Here, life just gets more fun hopping on a motorbike ride to a nearby market and back.
He enjoys cooking and inviting friends over for dinner. Occasionally he entertains visitors from overseas. Speaking of which, it seems a new trend is fast rising as more people are looking forward to living “life in the slow lane.” To Pierre, that’s life.
Light and airy interiors are the hallmarks of vernacular architecture of Isan, or Northeastern Thailand. Here, several key features work together as engine that drives natural ventilation keeping the house cool and comfortable. They include high ceilings, no risers between the treads of a stair, large wall openings, and unobstructed balcony spaces and railings.
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