/ Chiang Mai, Thailand /
/ Story: Otto / English version: Bob Pitakwong /
/ Photographs: Sungwan Phratep /
It looks like a huge bell tent. But don’t mistake it for a wedding canopy or a temporary shelter. Actually it’s a home, one that’s thoughtfully devised to provide comfort, convenience and enjoyment. The house nestled in a beautiful area of countryside in Chiang Mai has all the desirable amenities plus secrets to living a happier life.
By adapting innovative tensile structural systems for a new use in residential architecture, the engineers were able to produce a home that’s charming, flexible and stylishly chic. It’s an architect’s dream and a landmark easily recognized from afar.
Unlike traditional single pole marquees used for social and trade events, this modern home is built using a rigid steel framework with four tent poles in the middle designed to resist compression. Together they go to work carrying the entire roof structure and coverings made of high tensile materials.
The fabrics are water impermeable and capable of UV protection, plus multiple coats of stain for wear and tear resistance. For indoor thermal comfort, all living spaces and the building’s useful features are enclosed with exterior wall systems lining the inner circumference.
Overall, light tones give the home a bright and airy atmosphere. There is plenty of headroom, thanks to the bell-shaped roof that rises eight meters from the floor to the apex.
In the meantime, open concept design is truly a breath of fresh air. It provides visual and spatial continuity from the living room all the way to dining room to pantry at the far end. Together they flow into one shared space that’s used every day by the entire family.
The bedrooms are done differently with an emphasis on privacy. Well-thought-out room dividers and ceilings set them apart from one another without altering the structural layout.
Seen from a distance, the bell tent home amid an oasis of calm beautifully synchronizes with a nearby water feature and pillowy textures of the surrounding hilly landscape. It’s amazing what a difference good design makes, and this tent house is a perfect example of that — a living space that’s original and unique in its own special way.
To be fair, a bell marquee may not be a dream home for some. But for ones who live here, the refreshing ambience is everything and everlasting.
Visit the original Thai article…
ทำเต็นท์ให้เป็นบ้าน…สร้างบ้านให้เหมือนเต็นท์
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