steel house Archives - LIVING ASEAN - Inspiring Tropical Lifestyle //

LAAB Is More: A Small Living Space That’s Anything but Ordinary

By livingasean
November 29, 2023
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Chiang Mai, Thailand /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Poto Architects and Blind Space /

There’s more to this than meets the eye. Here’s a small house that chronicles a series of events and experiences of a multigenerational family in Chiang Mai. The humble abode that’s anything but ordinary is nestled in a residential compound shared by relatives living in ten separate households. The new home on a budget is the brainchild of Studio Sifah, a homegrown architectural practice admired for their knowledge of the social and cultural environment in the Northern Region and ability to apply that information in a meaningful way.

small house chiang mai — The house entry area is glazed using clear glass that provides a welcome contrast to nearby solid walls for privacy protection.

It all starts with a young man wanting to put in a home close to his aging parents on a large property where a group of close-knit families also live. It looks the epitome of experiences in communal living, a system whereby family relatives help and support one another come what may.

Point taken. The architects respond with a contemporary home built of concrete and steel framing. There’s a pleasant surprise. Its modern exterior belies the unblemished charm of rustic life hidden inside.

More so than anything else, the house plan is thoughtfully devised to preserve a culture unique to the Northern Region, the way of life by which people sit on the floor as they gather to enjoy a main dish called “Laab” just like their ancestry did in times past.

Here, though, the zesty meaty meal served with a salad and sweet rice is more than just food. It’s a way of life. It’s the living embodiment of a food culture that unites the people across vast swaths of land on this side of the world. Long story short, it’s only appropriate that the house is named “Laab Is More”.

Sharing his design thinking, the architect said the homeowner was looking for a house plan that would jealously guard his privacy in the company of family relatives living close by. It was quite a challenge even for experienced architects since it was a little too close for comfort, so to speak.

Eventually, the design team decided in favor of a 165-square-meter home enclosed by solid walls, each strategically positioned to save the interior from being seen or disturbed by outsiders. It’s a well-thought-out plan that maximizes space utilization to protect privacy and promote the close family bond at the same time.

In essence, it’s a design that combines the modern and the traditional. The house’s contemporary appearance goes hand in hand with the homeowner’s love for old-fashioned lifestyles that promote a culture in which people sit on straw mats as they enjoy a good meal together as family.

With respect to construction, the small house plan is enclosed almost entirely by solid walls with tall transom windows at the top for lighting. There’s one exception. The entry area is glazed using clear glass to create a bright and cheerful atmosphere. Serving as a buffer between indoor and outdoor spaces, the hallway at ground level connects to a slightly raised platform holding a spacious living room with functional areas nearby.

In keeping with long-established traditions, there is no wall separating the living room from the bedroom that lies furthest in. The only room dividers that exist are the ones that set the bedroom apart from nearby bathroom and workspace at the farthest end.

The principal floor holding the open bedroom is raised at plinth height, providing sleek, convenient seating space and hence no need for furniture.

Nearby, the lower sitting room offers space for a kitchen pantry design and coffee bar. From here, the concrete floor spreads out to connect seamlessly with a large outdoor patio used for family gatherings and dining al fresco. The patio has room for food preparation with a wash basin and utensils for cooking large meals and entertaining houseguests.

From the look of things, it’s material honesty that gives the house a good first impression. For strength and durability, the foundations and structural framing are built of concrete to carry the weight of posts, beams and the roof truss crafted of steel. Albeit built of modern materials, the entire floor plan makes reference to traditional vernacular design unique to the Northern Region.

Built on a budget, the house makes good use of locally available materials adapted for a new use and contemporary design. They include the walls built of bare concrete blocks and aluminum frames for doors and large transom windows at the top of the wall.

The ceiling is built of ordinary plywood panels, while wooden furniture in the interior gives the home a warm and welcoming atmosphere. For ventilation, there are no soffits beneath the eaves that connect the far edge of the roof to the exterior wall.

The multigenerational family property in itself is rich in history and strong spirit. And the newly added small house is designed to embrace the same positive attitudes that have been the family’s core values through time. It’s a layout with the power of storytelling about a sentimental attachment to northern vernacular culture, in which sitting on the floor is the norm.

A perspective drawing illustrates the dimensions and texture of materials used in the project, plus spatial relationships between indoor and outdoor rooms.

An open perspective drawing gives the illusion of spatial depth in the split-level house plan. The main living area floor is elevated at plinth height above the entrance hall floor.

The property is home to an old rice granary that has stood the test of time as an inextricable part of the family’s history and culture. The building used for storing threshed grain in times of old now serves as the symbol of farm community living and the close family bond.

As things change, it finds a new purpose as venue for socialization. It’s a place to sit together, talk together and eat together as family. And the lime and herb meaty meal called “Laab” comes in handy to cement the family ties, creating a healthy and strong society going forward.

The old rice granary has since been adapted for a new use as food preparation area shared by relatives living in the same compound. Just like old times, it serves as the heart of family life where people assemble, eat a meal together and enjoy a casual conversation.

The old granary provides a focal point on the property. It gives the architects the inspiration they need to pursue their design goal.

And the result of all this? A house plan that celebrates communal living and a food culture where “Laab” is more than just food. It’s a way of life that connects everyone in the family just like the old rice granary did in times past. Now it’s easy to get why they name this house “Laab Is More”.

Owner: Jessada Nan-snow Peata

Architect and Interior Designer: Studio Sifah

Structural Engineer: Pilawan Piriyapokhai, Jar Pilawan

You may also like…

Nhà Voi 7 Gardens House: Small Size Not an Obstacle to Decorating with Greenery

Baan Home Boon: A Modern House in Khon Kaen’s Tranquil Surroundings

Treehouse by the Lake: A Nature-Loving Forest Home on the Lakeshore

By livingasean
July 11, 2023
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam /

/ Story: Phattaraphon / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs : Dũng Huỳnh /

“There is something about this place that always brings back old memories,” said the owner of this lovely treehouse by the lake. “Several decades passed, but I still remember it as if it was yesterday. My family camped out here on a hot summer day. Our children gathered under the canopy of an old tree and set up a small tent together.”

“We called it a ‘house’ because it protected us from the sun, and we had a lot of fun. Some children cut down a few trees to make tent poles while others gathered leaves to make the upper covering and decorations.

“It was beautiful and eye-catching. Completely finished, we went looking for things needed to ‘settle down’ in the leaf hut shelter. …”

Obviously, his experience and memories provided the inspiration that culminated in the country home of his dreams. Built into nature, this treehouse by the lake was based on biophilic design conceived and developed by H.2, a homegrown architectural practice based in Ho Chi Minh City.

The house merges into the surrounding forest landscape on the bank of Da Bang Lake, a calm and peaceful body of water in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in Vietnam’s Southeast.

It all began with the homeowner’s desire to let his granddaughter connect with nature just like he and his kids did when they were young — an experience that, in his words, provided lasting psychological benefits. He could still recall having fun growing up in the countryside where life was simple.

Sharing a piece of his paradise, he said, “The leaf hut shelter that we built back in the day was a place to play games, do kid-friendly things and listen to music.”

“Memories were made here and the story is crystal clear like it all happened yesterday. The simple games we played nourished our souls and, especially for me, nurtured my love for life in the poor countryside. Those were the days.”

The 120-square-meter home sits in the shade under the canopy of tall trees near the lakeshore. It’s made attractive by ordinary materials sourced from within the neighborhood, a quality that gives it the unblemished charm of rustic rural life.

The stilt house supported by concrete structural framing offers plenty of under-floor spaces that allow natural daylight and gentle winds blowing in from the nearby lake.

It’s called a treehouse for good reason. Instead of cutting down the existing trees, the new house is built around them, literally letting them grow through the roof.

At the center, a spiral staircase winds around a tree trunk connecting the first floor to the second that serves as family living quarters.

What makes it unique is the use of reclaimed steel with surface rust in a variety of colors and textures, an appearance that gives the house its vintage industrial appeal. Some of the pieces came from an old factory that had been torn down, while others were purchased from a local scrap yard.

In a way, it’s contributing towards a healthier planet by reducing waste, recycling and reusing discarded materials to suit a new purpose.

Simple yet attractive, it’s an eco-conscious home made possible by the honest use of natural materials. Here, the emphasis is on creating a light-filled, airy and comfortable interior, one that seeks reconnections with nature and, at the same time, brings the warmth of family joy.

The homeowner said that he could still recall the day his granddaughter arrived at the new home. She was obviously happy and excited.

The forest treehouse by the lake afforded a conducive learning environment with plenty of room to play, run, jump, and climb trees.

With respect to construction, it’s a very interesting project. The nature-loving house by the lake makes practical and effective use of discarded materials in a way that creates a home of higher quality and value.

Take for example the use of scrap metal and leftover materials including corrugated roof paneling that people tend to overlook. And by giving recyclable items a new purpose, it translates into big savings and, at the same time, reduces impacts on the environment.

Long story short, the outer appearance is immediately appealing. The interior living spaces are comfortable, peaceful and secluded to say the least.

Flexible floor plan design lets nature permeate making the home bright and airy. At the same time, it’s ingeniously devised to integrate the existing trees in the overall scheme of things.

That’s just one of several fascinating adaptations that make it original and unique – a forest home where all things eventually merge into one pleasing and consistent whole.

Owner: Mr. Bảo & Ms. Lụa

Architects: H.2 (www.facebook.com/workshopH.2/)

Trần Văn Huynh, Nguyễn Đức Khánh, Nguyễn Duy Thế

You may also like…

Tita House: Redefining Vernacular Architecture in a Tropical Paradise

Beautiful Wooden House on Stilts in a Coconut Grove

An Awesome Steel Home in Binh Thuan

By livingasean
June 16, 2023
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Phan Thiet, Vietnam /

/ Story: Lily J. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Trieu Chien /

Speaking of unconventional houses, here’s a truly awesome steel home located in Phan Thiet, the capital of Binh Thuan Province in the Southeast of Vietnam. It’s a small house that makes a big difference in terms of value, form, color and texture. A well-thought-out home plan, it’s where the heart is for a family of four who live here. Built in a way that steel frames and other elements fit in well with modern furniture, it looks the epitome of good design that speaks volumes for the family’s present lifestyle and their preparations for the future.

Meeting Basic Needs Despite Limitations

For the young family, a small shed roof house on 150 square meters of land makes perfect sense.

It fits nicely within their budget. To get things done, they left it in the good hands of the architects at MIA Design Studio to develop a good plan with all the required components and qualities.

The plan included all beautifully organized functional spaces suitable for the needs of everyone in the family. The initial design phase was completed during an outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the limitations in the ensuing days, the architects and the contractors relied on long-distance communication to finish the project on schedule.

Nurtured by Nature

The most important part of the design is natural daylight and ventilation. They are two key factors that contribute to a simple but cozy and comfortable atmosphere.

It’s for this reason that plain openings in the wall and the most common ventilation method are used to admit just enough amounts of light and fresh outdoor air to enter and circulate inside.

Where appropriate, curtains are suspended from the top to complement interior décor, separate living spaces, as well as control light, privacy and indoor temperatures.

Overall, it’s a balanced interior design that’s clean and fit for occupant behavior and lifestyle at present.

Steel Structure Home Takes Less Time to Build

From a distance, the house seems small, supported by steel framing and enveloped in corrugated steel siding that’s relatively inexpensive and ubiquitous in rural areas.

On the whole, it’s built strong thanks to the main load-bearing structural elements that combine with load-bearing walls to convey the weight of the entire house to a solid foundation.

Components that are usually considered separately, such as sliding door frames, furniture, curtain track hanging systems, even wardrobe hanger rails are integrated so that they become a whole — a smart way to cut costs.

To save even more on construction, the house is made of easy-to-find materials sourced from the neighborhood, usually within a one-kilometer radius. This ensures that no money or energy is wasted on long-distance transportation.

That’s one useful hack to promote eco-friendly green building. Plus, modular design makes it easy to add extra units of construction to meet family needs in the future. All these things can be added without a significant impact on the existing modules.

By design, the even distribution of weight enables the building to remain strong and wear-resistant. This is achieved by taking into account every heavy and bulky thing, such as furniture, during the design process.

As the architects intended, it’s a home where the young couple and their little children reconnect with nature and experience greater joy in their lives. It’s a modest house plan conducive to a relaxed atmosphere and promoting socialization processes in the family.

In essence, it’s about creating a flexible, forward-looking modular design that’s the signature of the architects at MIA Design Studio.

Axonometric Drawing Showing House’s Structure / Courtesy of MIA Design Studio

Axonometric Drawing Showing Spatial Orientation / Courtesy of MIA Design Studio

Floor Plan / Courtesy of MIA Design Studio

Architect: MIA Design Studio (www.miadesignstudio.com)

You may also like…

303 House: A Modern Narrow Townhouse on a Narrow Lot

Grandpa’s New Single-Storey House at the Water’s Edge

Shipping Container House amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

By livingasean
June 8, 2021
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Text: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: 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.

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.

The container that serves as the 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 reinforced concrete, while epoxy coatings enhance the beauty of the entire surface.

Open-plan 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 an engine driving air circulation.

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.

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.

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 and Interior Designer: Suriya Umpansiriratana / Walllasia Ltd.

Landscape Designer: Suriya Umpansiriratana, Prawit Poolkumlung / Walllasia Ltd.

Baan Hing Hoi: A Modern Duplex Design Exudes the Charm of Bygone Days

By livingasean
January 27, 2021
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Sarayut Sreetip-ard / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul, Wasin Pummarin / Styling: Suanpuk Stylist /

A modern duplex house by EAST Architects makes use of natural light, sun and airflow to provide indoor thermal comfort that’s the hallmark of the ultimate Tropical design.

One wing holds a semi-outdoor living space roofed over with flat terracotta tiles in a timeless shade of gray. It’s built almost entirely of wood with a balcony and a “tai thun”, or the underfloor space high enough for many different uses.

The other wing boasts the style, experience and flexible realities characteristic of postmodernism. To get enough natural light, the building is enclosed by exterior glass wall systems. Upstairs, a straight passageway connecting individual spaces leads to a cantilevered room that extends 6 meters supported by a rigid V-shaped steel frame – an unusual approach to lightweight modern house design.

The upper covering of the ultramodern wing is a steel-reinforced concrete slab. The high pitched gable roof that rises above it is topped with corrugated aluminum panels to allow light to pass through. This keeps the home well-lit by day and glowing with light and color by night, which explains why it’s named “Baan Hing Hoi”, literally translated as “Fireflies House”.

A piece of architecture representing the nexus between Eastern and Western ideas, the Fireflies House is a design that merges Modern and Traditional values into one Tropical-style home. The house plan doesn’t sit parallel to the road in front of it. Neither does it align with property boundary lines. Rather, it’s designed to respond to wind direction and the sun’s path across the sky for the perfect indoor thermal comfort.

That pretty much summarizes the design concept embraced by two assistant professors, Pirast Pacharaswate and Sayanee Virochrut, of EAST Architects. The design duo prides themselves on being the “architects of Tropical rainforests”.

Together they turned a family’s wish into reality. The homeowner, Thanawat Yongsanguanchai, wanted a modern, warm and welcoming place where his family could spend more time together outdoors.

He was looking for a bright and breezy design, one that’s comfortable without air conditioning. And the architect duo was on hand to deliver exactly that by making natural ingredients pretty much an integral part of the plan.

The result was a well-thought-out modern house that included a part intended be perceived as if it were a tunnel leading to another world beautifully ensconced in the rear of the property.

“In essence, it’s a design takes into account basic human needs for relaxation and the culture in which people live. Simply put, the relationship between culture and climate is one of the inevitabilities of life. It’s for this reason that the house is built with knowledge of the climate in mind,” said architect Pirast Pacharaswate.

“We think up contradictory thoughts when designing the duplex house plan. The kids belong to a new generation, but their living wing boasts certain features and comforts that are symbolic of Thai-style houses in former times. In juxtaposition, it’s strikingly different from the design of the parents wing, which is evidence of a new language of architecture.

“The parents wing sits under a high pitched gable roof that glows with light and color, which conveys a great deal about the postmodern school of thought. The real upper covering that functions as the roof in a practical sense is a steel-reinforced concrete slab that lies underneath it. In other words, the gable is there to make a statement about postmodern philosophy.”

Pirast explained: “It’s our intention to present a feature characteristic of traditional gable roof houses, something considered old-fashioned. And to create a welcome contrast, we roof it over with modern building materials instead.

“The result is a modern house topped with a gable that shimmers in the sunlight. It’s covered with corrugated aluminum panels that’s lightweight and very noticeable, creating an entirely new perception.”

“We found out that the homeowner preferred white to other colors, so we responded with a choice of cool-toned whites for the parents wing. For contrast and comparison, the children’s wing gives a powerful impression of being Thai. It’s roofed over with flat terracotta tiles in a nice shade gray.

“Wood is the main building material here. For strength and durability, the truss or framework supporting the roof is made of metal, but the skill and craftsmanship are Thai style. The two wings are linked by a roofed platform along the outside of the house.”

The children’s wing is semi-outdoor by design, thanks to the veranda and spacious traditional-style underfloor spaces. It differs greatly from the parents wing that’s enclosed by exterior glass wall systems, a great way to bring the beauty of the outdoors inside. Go straight down the corridor, and you come to individual rooms and functional areas with modern conveniences.

The ground floor holds a pantry and dining area with a sitting room nearby. It’s dominated by a long dining table that’s custom-made. The upper floor contains Mom and Dad’s bedroom that projects horizontally into space.

Glass walls pour natural light into the room that’s embraced by nature. There’s a multi-purpose room with wood décor ideas. An array of alternating plain and hand-carved wood cabinets ooze the charm and poise of Thai-style residential architecture.

Upstairs, the bedroom projects 6 meters into space supported by a rigid V-shaped steel frame for a lightweight look. Floor-to-ceiling glass wall systems afford views of the landscape.

Proceed to the children’s wing, and you discover not all ceilings are horizontal. Their bedrooms boast beautiful ceilings that slope in agreement with the gable roof. The vertical siding under the gable is open to bring natural brightness inside, while accent wall ideas behind the headboard fill the room in style.

There’s something quintessentially Thai in the bedroom where the platform bed frame is wider than the mattress, an easy hack to create space for wedge pillows and the triangle pillow that’s unique to Thai culture.

The architect said: “To make a positive first impression, it’s good to be a noticeable new phenomenon. Like so, the garden pathway is strategically built in such a way that people recognize the unique roof design as they approach the house from various distances and directions, each resulting in a different point of view.

“Psychologically, humans and architecture interact with each other all the time. Circulation, or human movement in and around a piece of architecture, constitutes an interaction. It’s an experience that creates an awareness and evokes admiration of architectural beauty,” Pirast wrapped it up nicely.

All told, the gable roof duplex evokes respect and warm approval through outstanding design and the power of storytelling that combines traditional values, longing for nature, and great aesthetic pleasure into one coherent whole.

Owner: Thanawat Yongsanguanchai

Architect: EAST Architects (www.eastarchitects.com)

You may also like…

White House: A Bright, Seemingly Hovering House by Saola Architects

Quiet Interaction of Landscape Design and Architecture

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

By livingasean
December 24, 2020
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ 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.

“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 — 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.

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.

“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.

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

MODERN TROPICAL HOME IN INDONESIA

A Beautifully Renovated 60-year-old Mid-City House

By livingasean
January 13, 2020
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand

/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /

A beautifully renovated 60-year-old mid-city house, with a startling black beauty: this contemporary mix of old and new flows together as a single unit.

Interior decorator Pauline and nationally known architect Somrit Soonthornrungsi have spent their lives in this mid-city house. Once, it had a flooding problem downstairs, which plus termites and general deterioration, meant it was continually under repair.

At first, they thought to build a completely new house, but out of nostalgia and time constraints decided to do a major renovation instead.

“Our daughter grew up here and was upset that we were going to demolish it, so I thought, ‘Why not combine old and new?’ The result was a balanced, harmonious creation with a courtyard for breezes to pass through,” said Somrit.

As we look in from the front door, the original house is on the right, across an open courtyard with planted walkways, and the second-floor verandah connects to the new house on the left.

The old house is of wood and masonry, with mortar stripped to show the traditional brick. Downstairs is Somrit’s small workshop and a bike storage space, with the floor raised higher to avoid flooding from street level.

The new section of the house is connected, but quite different because of its steel-frame construction. On the ground floor, there is the company office.

The second floor is Pauline and Somrit’s main living area, connecting to the old house through the courtyard.

There is a living room on the right before the large indoor kitchen, which retains its original Makha wood flooring but was repainted black to match the black synthetic wood of the exterior, for an informal, natural feeling to complement the green view of plants and trees outside the glass walls.

Their daughter’s room, set up like a New York loft apartment, is on the third floor.

At two points, a mezzanine stairway connects the central porch to the rear verandah, from which you can clearly see the 2 floors of the old house.

They all lived in this mid-city house during the construction of a new, steel-framed gabled roof over the old one, which was finally torn out when construction was finished, leaving the kitchen ceiling to follow the new roof angles.

“The roof is a special black version of Shera’s “U-Slate” line. I’ve loved black since childhood,” said Pauline.

“When I was a kid, I wanted to paint my bedroom black, but my parents wouldn’t let me!” The chic interior design work has black everywhere. The large kitchen is in tribute to both her mother-side relatives and her father, who loves to cook.

“Besides the big kitchen pantry counter being a great place to socialize, it’s also good for informal dining.

Pauline selected furniture and décor in a “mix and match” style controlled by color, some items primarily functional and others reflecting personal style, combining old and new, cheap and expensive.

“It’s comfortable because this really reflects our way of life: the house isn’t built for show,” said Pauline’s father, “and we don’t want to be climbing up and down a lot of stairs in the day.

“Since coming here, we’ve confined business matters to downstairs, and it’s a comfortable walk up to the second floor. The longer we’re here, the more we like it. Looking back, the old house seems stuffy, with not a lot of open windows. Our lives changed after the switch.

“At first, we thought the courtyard would be too small, but in the end, it worked out great!”

Once light and wind directions were figured in, design principles were applied to open the structure up, and this mid-city house clearly became more than brick, cement, wood, and steel, a happy combination of old and new narratives.

Somrit added, “It’s impressive. Once the rooms were finished, furniture in, lights and water on, our home came to life anew. It’s a great comfort.”

Owner: Pauline Soonthornrungsi and Somrit Soonthornrungsi

Designer: Design Com-bini by Pauline Soonthornrungsi and Somrit Soonthornrungsi

You may also like

Chez Mou: A Home Hidden In the Frame of an Old House — CHEZ MOU: A HOME HIDDEN IN THE FRAME OF AN OLD HOUSE

AN AMAZING BEFORE-AND-AFTER HOUSE RENOVATION

Retirement Home Perfectly Serves a New Life in Ratchaburi

By livingasean
September 12, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ratchaburi, Thailand /

/ Story: Nathanich Chaidee / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Sittisak Namkham / Styling: Tippaya Tarichkul /

Their retirement home epitomizes the “new life” many dreams of. One such is Lisa Thomas, former manager of a famous hotel chain in Thailand who retired and moved with her mother to Ratchaburi.

“It was love at first sight. Our first arrival in Ratchaburi was, like this, in the rice growing season. I love the inexplicable green of rice paddies: somehow it always brings me a peaceful feeling.”

Lisa’s first impressions resulted in her choice of Ratchaburi Province as the site of this family home, but there were other reasons: convenience of being only two hours from Bangkok, good public utilities, and, importantly “the green horizon, without the view of skyscrapers from our old condo.”

Helping to bring Lisa’s dreams to reality were Research Studio Panin Architects Assistant Professor Dr Tonkao Panin and Tanakarn Mokkhasmita. Their design began with their listening intently and paying attention.

“We’re satisfied if we can manage to translate the everyday morning-to-evening life of a homeowner into each angle and corner of our house plan.

“Houses spring up gradually, resulting from our conversations with the owner. Solutions come from knowing how to step back and fully understand what we are listening to.”

This design answered fundamental home needs including functionality of use; features gradually added to support the owner’s natural habits, and principles of comfortable living such as “cross ventilation,” which allows air to move freely through the building.

A half-outdoor deck set in the middle of the house greets entering visitors, also capturing breezes from all directions as they transit from outside to inside.

More than simply a stop on the way in, it’s a comfortable space for the owners to relax.

The building of this retirement home is laid out to follow the contour of the property, along a natural irrigation canal. To echo this locational context, a swimming pool is set parallel to the canal.

The house faces west, but the problem of day-long heat is addressed with a basic structure of steel-reinforced concrete and an extended deck that widens to match the reach of the sun.

Eaves and verandahs have a steel framework that nicely frames the surrounding scenery.

“Without Lisa’s daily life here, the house would have no meaning,” the architect added.

“It awoke different levels in this space both from the perspective of form and in the actual space itself.”

The location of this retirement home is in harmony with the nature of her life. In the everyday living areas – kitchen, dining room, living room – a high ceiling is called for.

Louvers are set in narrow dividing panels between doors and windows for good ventilation throughout the day, bringing air into the central entrance hall and on into Lisa and her mother’s bedrooms in back, upstairs and downstairs.

“Time is the important thing now,” added Lisa.

“I just want to use my time in the right way, doing what makes me happy, and part of that is returning to live with my mother, bringing back the feeling of life as a kid. The house is a safe space, recalling things that are engraved in my heart forever.”

And it also memorializes the friendship felt by architects for the homeowner in a house that has created lasting happiness.

Owner: Lisa Thomas

Architect: Reserch Studio Panin by Associate Professor Dr Tonkao Panin & Thanakarn Mokkhasamit

You may also like…

Modern-Vernacular Design of a Thai-Isan Countryside Home in Udon Thani

Treehouse C: Stunning Treehouse Design Unveiled

Inspiring Container Home with a Tropical Garden View

By livingasean
September 5, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bali, Indonesia /

/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /

The owner of this container house in Canggu, a resort town on the Indonesian island of Bali, began trying out a design concept with the intention of building a temporary home but, as luck would have it, he ended with a permanent family residence.

Designer/architect Andika Japa Wibisana, of the Studio Tana’s said the homeowner wanted to build a house and small office here, but the owner of the land wouldn’t sell. So he decided to put in a container home in case he would have to move and build elsewhere. The designer envisioned the possibilities, and came up with a house plan 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.

“Family members from Jakarta come to visit sometimes, 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-story lower than street level, with the garden behind it 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 it. 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 has lost the industrial look: ceiling and walls are surfaced white, with real wood taking away the rawness of the steel.

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 story lies under a sharply sloping steel roof that forms an eave for protection against too much sun and rain. 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 the big 18- container home. Together they create convenience and comfort, 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.

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.

Container House with a Tropical Garden View — Spacious interior open area. Upstairs is a kitchen/pantry, dining area, and living space. The 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 is in a container on the second floor, with a structural dividing post in the middle.

Architect: Studio Tana by Andika Japa Wibisana

You may also like…

Shipping Container House amid an Enchanted Forest Garden A Container House for a Family Full of Different Characters

A Container Home Adapted to Meet Individual Requirements

By livingasean
May 19, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Khon Kaen, Thailand /

/ Story: Samutcha Viraporn / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /

Starting with the idea of building a temporary residence from commercial containers, Charnwit Ananwattanakul of Wish Architect Design Studio had to analyze the different characters of the family members who would live there. In the end, this temporary project became a permanent home made from 15 containers where all family members reside happily together.

The container house has two wings, one used for the living area. The master bedroom is on the second floor. An open wood-floored multipurpose space runs longitudinally through the house as a sort of inner courtyard, enabling family interaction and serving as a channel for heat release and air circulation from front to back.

Similar decks in front and back follow the width of the house that’s set back a distance to reduce heat entering the container elements of the home. Trees planted in front add another level of protection from the western sun.

To minimize heat and humidity, bathrooms are placed on the south side, some containing plants suggestive of old-time country houses where bathing was done outside, pouring from water jars. Another important feature is the sprayed-in roof insulation.

The living room is done in a spacious “open plan” style, connecting to the large food preparation area/pantry with facilities such as a coffee brewer, an island with a gas range, and storage shelves for kitchenware with a large protective screen to keep the space more orderly.

The second-floor verandah has a gap cut where netting is placed for people to sit, lie back, and chill; this also helps release heat and brings natural light into the central area, as well as giving it depth.

Due to limitations on utility system installation, some metal posts had to be added to container walls and ceilings to accommodate electrical systems without further lowering the already rather low container ceilings.

Where appropriate, a framework of steel was constructed to meet the proportions of container walls. At the same time, wood paneling in shades of earth-toned brown was added to give the interior living space a warm feeling.

In front of the house, real stone is used in the staircase area to give the atmosphere of a modern-design garden, playing off the boxlike shape of the container house.

The fence also features a play of vertical and horizontal lines, using the language of design to simultaneously create a look of transparency and a sense of privacy. Each area is designed to suit the behavior of the family members living there, and this links the family and strengthens relationships all the more.

Owner: Non and Chutiporn Som Chobkhai

Architect: Charnwit Ananwattanakul of Wish Architect Design Studio

You may also like…

Shipping Container House amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

Brilliant Home Office Combination of Studiomake

Blog : steel house

LAAB Is More: A Small Living Space That’s Anything but Ordinary

Treehouse by the Lake: A Nature-Loving Forest Home on the Lakeshore

An Awesome Steel Home in Binh Thuan

Shipping Container House amid an Enchanted Forest Garden

Baan Hing Hoi: A Modern Duplex Design Exudes the Charm of Bygone Days

A modern duplex house by EAST Architects makes use of natural light, sun and airflow to provide indoor thermal comfort that’s the hallmark of the ultimate Tropical design.

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

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.

You may also like…

MODERN TROPICAL HOME IN INDONESIA

A Beautifully Renovated 60-year-old Mid-City House

A beautifully renovated 60-year-old mid-city house, with a startling black beauty: this contemporary mix of old and new flows together as a single unit.

Retirement Home Perfectly Serves a New Life in Ratchaburi

Their retirement home epitomizes the “new life” many dreams of. One such is Lisa Thomas, former manager of a famous hotel chain in Thailand who retired and moved with her mother to Ratchaburi.

Inspiring Container Home with a Tropical Garden View

The owner of this container house in Canggu, a resort town on the Indonesian island of Bali, began trying out a design concept with the intention of building a temporary home but, as luck would have it, he ended with a permanent family residence.

A Container Home Adapted to Meet Individual Requirements

SITE MAP

CONTACT US

Address

Email

Phone / Fax

Contact us to report issues or complaints.