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A Wooden House amid the Enchantment of Lush Coconut Groves

By livingasean
June 30, 2021
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Ratchaburi, Thailand /

/ Story: Patsiri / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul / Styling: Worawat /

This wooden house among the trees is literally a breath of fresh air. It’s situated in Damnoen Saduak, a district of Ratchaburi made famous by abundant fruit farms and a vibrant river market. Here, the secrets to peaceful, comfortable living lies in a healthy ecosystem that provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Reclaimed timber adapted for new use gives it a rustic feel. The house is built mostly of old wood recycled from much older homes. It stands canopied by overhanging trees alongside water channels for crop irrigation. Together they act as engine that drives natural ventilation keeping the home nice and cool all year round. With a house like this, who needs air conditioning?

Since its heyday in the mid-1900s, the Damnoen Saduak Canal has served as a major route for water transport in this part of Ratchaburi. Traditionally, wooden homes were built mostly at the water’s edge, while properties lying further inland were used for agriculture.

This 7-Rai piece of land (a little shy of 3 acres) has been home to thriving fruit orchards for several decades. The wooden house now in the hands of the family’s fourth generation was recently restored to all its former glory. In the process, small portions of the water channels were filled in to make room for a new contemporary home.

Originally, the family had planned to turn it into a small one-bedroom home. But after a consult with the architectural firm Studio Miti, they were convinced that house-on-stilts design, something slightly bigger, was the only way forward.

The decision in favor of a stilt home was a prudent thing to do since the area has experienced flooding in the past. By using tall timber posts and beams, they were able to create a 112-square-meter home plan with double height ceilings.

The hardwood floor is elevated on concrete poles for stability and good ventilation in the lower space under the house. At the same time, weathered wood adds the rough texture and rustic feel to the overall superstructure.

This is especially true for the external envelope built of a captivating mix of reclaimed timber. The list includes Praduak (scientific name: Pterocarpus soyauxii) which is preferred for its bright reddish orange color, Mai Daeng or Ironwood (Xylia xylocarpa), and Mai Yang (Dipterocarpus alatus), which is light brown in color.

Nothing goes to waste. Where appropriate, shorter wall planks are used to add warmth and charm to interior living spaces.

Taken as a whole, it’s an open-concept house plan that’s just right for a small family’s lifestyle needs. The home is parred down and simple with no unnecessary features.

There is no guest reception area in the true sense of Western residential design. Instead, what is lacking is compensated for by a roomy communal space with a good-sized wooden table in the middle of the room. It fulfills multiple functions as a living room, dining room and space for relaxation and interactions within the family.

For practical reasons, the kitchen formerly at the rear of the house has been moved to the open lower floor that’s made suitable for traditional Thai cooking. It’s an easy hack to get rid of food smells fast.

Only a pantry with necessary food, dishes and utensils are kept upstairs, where the focus is more on making light meals, coffee and other beverages. It’s separated from the living area by roll-away partitions that can open to circulate air when needed.

The wooden house has two bedrooms made especially relaxing by a monochromatic color scheme. A nexus between old-world charm and a calm, clutter-free life, each room has a mattress on a wooden platform canopied by a fine net to keep mosquitoes away. They are so well-ventilated that there’s no need for air conditioning.

Wood offers many benefits as a building material. It doesn’t reflect or store heat very well, which results in hardwood floors not getting much hot in summer. This makes it comfortable to spend daylight hours in the shady space on the ground floor.

When evening comes, a gentle wind helps cool the home down even further. Otherwise, simple fans will do the trick. Outside, a canopy of overhanging trees and water channels make the home environment calm and peaceful. Come rain or come shine, roof eaves with extended overhangs protect the interior from the elements.

Bottom line. It’s a design that make economic sense. As timber prices continue on the rise, the cost of building a home also increases at an alarming rate. Here, though, the architect is able to overcome the limited budget and deliver on his promise.

The result is a contemporary design that relates to its intended function and purpose — an intimate little wooden house amid the enchantment of lush coconut groves.

Owner: Veerapus and Nuthapak Thamrongrojanabhat

Architect: Studio Miti

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The Secrets of a Quintessentially Thai Modern Home

By livingasean
May 25, 2021
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

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

/ Photographs: Anupong, Hatairat Deenuanpanao / Styling: Worawat /

The cube shape and flat roof gives an air of modern comfort and calmness to this white home on the outskirts of Bangkok. Designed for a hot, humid climate, it is thoughtfully devised to provide physical ease and relaxation without air conditioning.

The home’s contemporary style belies the traditional Thai way of life that’s central to its existence and character. Plus, it shows great attention to detail that makes the house feel warm and welcoming.

Amazing as it may seem, the cube-shaped modern home is built on a piece of land with a small waterway and public walk along the left side of it. In such situation, the homeowner has to forfeit three meters of land along the waterfront to make room for public access as required by law.

The result is a property with narrow frontage abutting on the street. And that’s where the design team from Office Architect9Kampanad came in to create a place that’s light and airy yet relying little on air conditioning. The homeowner lives with her elderly mother; hence the design must be capable of answering their specific lifestyle needs.

For the most part, wood is the building material of choice. Despite its ultramodern architecture, the house plan is the most perfect example of the Thai way of life in former times.

The side of the house that looks out over the public walk gets plenty of fresh air and natural daylight. But it’s also facing west, which means the afternoon sun is much harsher and brighter.

To solve this problem, the design team puts in a perforated metal façade that doubles as an outer shell keeping the house cool during the daytime. The external envelope crafted of steel is painted white to harmonize in color and texture with the nearby boundary fence. It’s a simple yet effective way to overcome a challenge on site.

By design, the home is well-lighted and well-ventilated thanks to open-concept floor plans both in front and at the rear of the building. There’s nothing to block the winds from the north or the south.

Wood stairs with no risers between the treads allow fresh air to enter and circulate in the interior. They also illuminate the stairwell and nearby areas with natural daylight.

The structure is a hybrid of steel beams and joists supported by concrete piles and arranged in an orderly way like traditional Thai architecture in times past. Plus, solid hardwood flooring looks very nice and makes the interior cooler in the summer.

To create warm, beautiful environments, the house floor is made of hardwood on all three levels. As a natural building material, wood evokes positive responses. It also has a substantial impact on the wellbeing of humans in ways that tiles and concrete floors cannot.

Meantime, pieces of furniture from the old family home are given a new lease on life. They are adapted for use in a different purpose and given a fresh coat of paint that proves a perfect complement to white home decorating ideas.

Showing attention to detail, the design team ensures the house plan is right for the elderly mother who lives here. To make it easy for her to walk up a flight of stairs, each riser is reduced to just 15 cm from the average 17 to 18 cm.

As a precaution against slip and fall accidents, each stair tread is made deeper than average, thanks to angled risers that provide extra space.

The house fence is made of air bricks painted white. They have holes in them to create an air flow between the property and the public walkway on the other side. The masonry wall has no see-through gaps in it, which offers privacy and protection from unwanted prying eyes.

Taken as a whole, it’s an oasis of calm on the outskirts of the city thanks to additional green spaces along the fence line adorned with shrubbery that thrives in the understory of tall trees.

The farthest end leads to a vegetable garden where Mom spends most of her free time preparing the soil, planting a crop, and nurturing the plants. Backyard vegetable gardening is an ingenious way to live a salubrious life. It not only puts fresh food on the table, but also speaks volumes for their determination to preserve the Thai way of life in this modern home.

Owner: Nopphamas Houbjaruen

Designer: Chalermpon Sombutyanuchit (Office Architect9Kampanad)

Visit the original Thai article…

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

A Minimalist Home in Bangkok Oozing with Charm

Villa Sati: A Country Retreat Breathes in the Energy of Nature

By livingasean
January 31, 2021
HOUSE,LIVING

EN / MM

/ Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand /

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

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul /

Here’s an intimate country villa peacefully nestled in the wooded hills of Nakhon Ratchasima. The big mountains of Khao Yai National Park that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site can be seen from miles around. The house that merges into countryside vernacular offers an unbroken view of sugarcane fields and, beyond, the scenic beauty of islands in the sky.

The breezy and bright house in the fields belongs to Thanachai Ujjin, aka Pod, lead singer/song writer for the Moderndog band. To him this means everything. It’s a place to live al fresco and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and sunshine away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

His favorite hangout is a gallery along the side of the house, where he likes to sit under moonlight at 2 in the morning. Precisely, nature is on his doorstep.

The house plan is symbolic of modern Tropical architecture. It’s spacious, calm and uncluttered. Here, the atmosphere is so peaceful that Thanachai himself likens it to that of a far away temple. It’s the brainchild of Nattapak Phatanapromchai, of Erix Design Concepts Co., Ltd, an architectural practice based in Bangkok.

The minimalist place of abode is aptly named “Villa Sati”, or the House of Consciousness, so as to communicate the state of being fully awake and aware of oneself and one’s surroundings. Shining under the moonlight and starry skies, it has a spacious gallery along the outside of the house that’s perfect for walking meditation, which the artist and his Mom often do together.

Sharing his little piece of paradise, Thanachai said: “After moving out here, I feel as if there were more hours in the day. I rise early to go jogging, read, listen to music, and write songs.”

As one would expect, their country retreat is made for peaceful, simple living. Here, the artist and his Mom have plenty of time for their favorite pastimes – make art. And the house plan is thoughtfully devised to do exactly that.

Seen from a distance, gable roof design proves a perfect complement to the loggia along the outside of the building overlooking the garden. Elsewhere, gorgeous open-concept floor plans increase natural light and bring the outdoors into the home.

Walk in the door, and you find the stand-alone Butterfly Stool, a 1954 icon of Japanese industrial design by Sori Yanagi. A short distance away, a minimalist bedroom looks out over the sugarcane fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Straight ahead is a kitchenette that connects to a living area large enough for several purposes.

For lighting and good ventilation, a set of stairs next to dark clapboard siding has no risers between the treads. It provides access to the attic that the artist has turned into a bedroom. The farthest end of the house is open to let southeasterly winds enter, a great way to ventilate the entire home. From here, the rolling sugarcane fields and mountains beyond can be seen in full view.

To create a flexible interior space, movable furniture comes in handy to establish zones and enhance traffic flow in the home. Modular storage cabinets from USM have the most prominent position alongside wall-mounted abstract art by Tae Pavit and a few painted pictures by Pod’s Mom.

Commenting on design details, architect Nattapak said the gallery along the outside of the house affords a beautiful panorama of the lush mountain landscape.

At the same time, large openings in the walls allow fresh air to enter, creating air flow and bringing down ambient temperatures to the point there’s no need for air conditioning. Plus, the gable roof with extended overhangs effectively protects the gallery along the outside from sun and rain.

To add rustic charm to the home, the architect did away with the fascia, or the wooden boards covering the far ends of roof rafters. It’s a technique to highlight the framework supporting the roof as is often the case with the Thai style of residential architecture.

At the same time, wood shingles covering the roof are made beautiful by special paint for a real custom effect, while cement board sheathing is installed underneath to protect against leaks.

The building’s structural framing for the most part consists of wood, while framed glass wall systems stand tall from the threshold to the tie beam supporting the roof truss. For a neat appearance, the side posts of every doorway and glass wall frame perfectly align with gable-end studs. The result is a beautiful country villa with clean design in the midst of scenic surroundings.

For strength and durability, the house superstructure is built of Ta-khian timber (scientific name: Hopea odorata), a species of large trees native to Southeast Asia. Elevated 1.80 meters above ground level, the floorboard rests on steel reinforced concrete framing that serves as load-bearing foundations.

Technically speaking, the house-on-stilts design is ubiquitous across countries in the Tropical climate. It provides good ventilation under the floor, a brilliant way to keep the home cool all year round. By and large, it looks the epitome of traditional Thai house design, one that’s easy to look at and comfortable to live in.

The homeowner wrapped it up nicely. “I like the relative smallness of the house and surrounding open spaces. They’ve had a significant impact on human minds. For me, it gives vitality and enthusiasm.

“It’s a kind of design that fills my life with laughter and inspires exciting new ideas. It just so happens. Once I have an idea that I think has real potential, the rest is easy. Lyrics for a number of songs were written right here in this humble abode of mine. The wide open spaces of the countryside are hugely rewarding for me as an artist.”

Architect: Nattapak Phatanapromchai of Erix Design Concepts

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

Mountains, Shady Trees and a Riverside Home

A Home with Hip Roof Design Where Every Day Is a Holiday

By livingasean
May 18, 2020
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk /

Here is a modern one-story house with a charming interior courtyard, plus ample and airy multipurpose spaces. The gentle slope of hip roof design shields it from too much sun and rain, the prevailing climate in Thailand.

Small house, surprisingly spacious

The old house that had stood on this plot of land for 40 years was pulled down to make room for a new home. The new floor plan takes up almost the entire 64 square wahs (256 sq.m.) in extent.

Albeit small, it’s fully equipped to suit the lifestyle needs of Pacharanan Marittida and her lovely canine companion. Sharing his design inspiration, architect Nuttapol Techopitch said:

“In the beginning, the old wooden house belonged to Grandma and Grandpa. The time has come for a decision to be made, so we thought it wise to go for a bright and airy home plan.

“The owner had many relatives living nearby and needed extra room to get together with family. Plus, she wanted a studio to give piano lessons. As a music teacher, she played the piano at home a lot.”

After site inspections, Nuttapol proposed an interesting alternative – building a new home. It would save her money.

The reason was obvious. The old two-story house sat on low land that was prone to groundwater flooding. There were no easy solutions. If the ground floor was raised even slightly to protect against water damage, there wouldn’t be enough headroom.

The architect responded with light and airy designs for single-level, two-level, and split-level homes to choose from. The homeowner picked the one-story design raised above the flood level that measured 190 square meters.

The new house feels surprisingly spacious, bright and well-ventilated, while indoor and outdoor rooms are well-connected.

There’s an open-roofed area in the middle of the hip roof design that’s used for planting trees. It’s a layout that places great emphasis on having ample space.

High ceilings that are consistent with hip roof design make it suitable for hot and humid weather. The central courtyard that lies in the open air complements a look that’s stylish and very relaxed. Plus, it provides good air circulation.

On the north side, the open-roofed area is bordered by a wooden lattice that enables interior spaces to benefit from natural light, fresh air and sunshine. The interlaced structure also keeps the floor devoted for service spaces concealed from the view.

Beyond the carport, a courtyard lies mostly enclosed by glass walls that let natural light stream into the house’s interior. At the center, a thriving lettuce tree (Pisonia grandis R. Br.) adds a decorative touch to the home. — Beyond the carport, a courtyard lies mostly enclosed by glass walls that let natural light stream into the house’s interior. At the center, a thriving lettuce tree *(Pisonia grandis R. Br.)* adds a decorative touch to the home.

The owner’s love of woodworking is evident in décor materials made mostly of wood. Among them, a custom-made dining table set proves a perfect complement to the modern style home.

The heart of a happy home

Roof overhangs offer many benefits. For this modern one-story home, they give protection against too much sun and prying eyes. A living room that’s the heart of a happy home lies hidden from view and can only be seen upon entering the carport. The interior is decorated with an L-shaped, charcoal gray sectional sofa.

The slanted ceilings are made of wood for its adaptability to a variety of designs while the rooms are surrounded by glass walls, thereby reducing the need for artificial lighting.

The open floor plan concept, also in the shape of the letter L, provides a way to move through space unhindered from the sitting room to the dining area.

Looking out the window, the center courtyard dominated by a lettuce tree (Pisonia grandis R. Br.) can be seen from every direction. The tree that has been in the family for a long time was dug up and replanted here to keep the yard lush green.

As the architect put it:

“To make the atmosphere relaxed and airy, we avoid putting in too much furniture. Where appropriate, wood accents add warmth to the interior space and create dimension.

“Wood is also great for the piano room. At first, the homeowner intended to put a grand piano there, but later changed her mind and went for a digital piano to optimize small room acoustics. To give it a natural look, a mix of artificial and real Tabaek wood (Lagerstroemia floribunda) is used on parts of the exterior and wood lattice that borders the courtyard.

“Plus, color harmony between indoor and outdoor spaces makes the house even more appealing. Meanwhile, floor tiles in marble design give the impression of ample space.”

Built-in storage shelves provide a creative solution to dress up a blank wall. Each flat length of wood has enough room for a musical instrument and every conceivable gadget.

A solid wooden door separates the kitchen from family room. It’s one clever hack to banish the smoke and cooking orders, plus it’s easy to keep clean.

Warm, ingenious design for pure enjoyment every day

The interior is quite impressive. It even has a space devoted to “Khamin”, the beautiful golden retriever who comes and goes freely between this and the other house on the property.

There’s also a special doggie nook in the carport with a sloped floor. It’s pet friendly and ideal for hyper dogs, thanks to seamless wash pebble finishes.

Pacharanan said:

“The dog runs and plays everywhere inside and outside. We have to towel dry the hair and vacuum the floor often. Hence, non-carpeted floors make perfect sense, while special leather upholstery on the sofa is scratch resistant.

“This has made it possible for humans and dogs to share living spaces. Plus, there is plenty of room to lounge about when relatives visit. On the whole, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, which makes every day feel like a vacation.

“The only thing missing is the seaside view. By night, it feels more like Khao Yai (The National Park) to sit in the living room and peer into the courtyard aglow under twinkle electric lights. The scenery is inspiring for songwriting.”

Taking everything into account, it’s well worth it. The house with an inner courtyard and hip roof design is small, yet beautifully organized and made for pure enjoyment every day.

Owner: Pacharanan Marittida

Designer: Looklen Architects Co.,Ltd. by Nuttapol Techopitch

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A Stunning Breeze Block House for Avid Dog Lovers

A Harmonious Mix of Industrial Style and Joglo Architecture

By livingasean
December 5, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bali, Indonesia /

/ Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham /

Alexis Dornier is a German architect who nearly ten years ago moved to the village of Mas in Bali to build a vacation home. To properly house his furniture and artworks gathered from all over the world, he combined modern building techniques with an ancient Javanese architectural style known as joglo. Based around four pillars supporting a tall roof, in olden times joglo architecture indicated the owner’s social status.

“This house was primarily designed to showcase the ancient art of joglo wood construction. Functionality was figured in afterwards,” said Alexis.

“A modern steel support framework in the middle of the house adds a new element to the architectural tone, providing added support and making the house unique, but the essential artistry of the joglo structure was unaffected and remains essentially unchanged.”

Joglo architecture lends its character to two prominent spots in the house while also supporting well-defined modern functionality.

The first is where the multipurpose room connects to the living room, showing off the joglo high ceiling. Next to that is a display spot for outstanding works of art, where a grand piano is set.

Both spots are bordered by clear glass walls looking out on the incomparable verdant green of the surrounding jungle vegetation.

As it opens into the spacious, high-ceilinged dining room, the kitchen also shows off the joglo architecture. Above is a unique and exciting mezzanine walkway of clear glass where skylights allow natural light to shine below.

A person walking here gets a close-up look at details of artistic work carved into the joglo wood, perhaps experiencing something of the past joy archaeologists have felt in making new and priceless discoveries.

“Hidden beneath this spacious living room, connected to it by a three-dimensional walkway with views in all directions (a spiral staircase reaching down from the mezzanine), you will find two large bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, as well as another living room.

“On your journey up or down, you’ll see beautiful artworks and striking views inside and out.”

Architect: Alexis Dornier (www.alexisdornier.com)

A Modern Home Where Traditions Make Comfortable

By livingasean
November 7, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Bangkok, Thailand /

/ Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Anupong Chaisukkasem /

This contemporary Thai house is hemmed in by factories, but its clever design leaves one feeling unconfined, almost as if outdoors, with landscaping inserted right into the house interior and its sporty swimming pool. Mitigation of unpleasant outside sounds and scents is an even higher priority than the outward appearance of the house.

Advanced ideas and innovations from the West work best in Asian countries when adapted to localities and geographic conditions, so those innovations take on unique personalities of their own.

Vernacular architecture usually speaks directly to comfort and realities of local ways of life. In a traditional Thai house, for instance, one central concept is to have an open interior space, often with a high-ceilinged open thai thun area below the house that blocks the sun and catches the seasonal breeze.

Speaking to architect Surat Pongsupan of Greenbox Design, Ms. Aim, the owner of this house said:

“I want comfortable living Thai-style, with an open tai thun and such good ventilation that air conditioning is hardly needed.”

The owner’s close connection to the factory business and her desire for a short commute resulted in this closed-in location, where the architect’s ingenuity resulted in a truly striking design.

To counter the closed-in feeling, the house has entryways on two sides, one the drive into the front from the factory buildings, the second a walkway across the canal in back.

Just strolling through the house is pleasant. The architect explained:

“I designed a semi-open space where the landscaping actually reaches into the pool and the house itself. Bedrooms, closets, and service areas, generally not use in the middle of the day, are positioned to block the house’s common areas from the factory environment.

“This was a first priority, and the appearance of the house followed from that.”

House orientation takes into consideration the directions and force of sun and wind in the humid tropical climate.

Walls to the west and south are opaque; There are two levels of roofing with a gap between facilitating heat insulation and ventilation. The four-sided, gable-free roof is lighter, slighter, and more open than usual, and skylights are used to bring morning light into bedrooms, a nod to the early-rise lifestyle of the owner.

“The general house plan puts the living room in front, with a high ceiling. I placed the living room next to the garden and pool, with a full sliding glass wall opening up a horizontal view and drawing fresh air in,” the architect continued.

“Ceilings in the kitchen and dining room are high and open, giving the feeling of the traditional tai thun, as these rooms are used for every meal and common family activities. These rooms also open out onto the garden and swimming pool.”

Upstairs, a clear glass wall offers a view all around the house. The corridor connecting bedrooms shades the pool below, making for comfortable midday swimming.

There is an overall impression of harmony. Primary colors are gray-white and a soft, warm natural wood color. Indoors get a lot of sunlight, but trees give it a fresh green tint, especially the brush cherry tree planted in the middle of the house.

The owner concluded, “We like being contemporary, but also being Thai. The openness of kitchen and pool is great. The soft sound of running water is sweet.

“My husband likes to listen to songs, and has speakers all over the house, making for a relaxing atmosphere. It’s good for the kids to become accustomed to living with nature, which is why we emphasize the value of these common areas so much .”

We call our home “Viva House,” with the hope that all living here will have long and happy lives.

Architect: Surat Pongsupan of Greenbox Design (www.facebook.com/greenboxdesignbkk)

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In Nature’s Peaceful Embrace

Modern Thai House Adapts to the New Era

By livingasean
October 10, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Lopburi, Thailand /

/ Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun, Sarayut Sreetip-ard / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Soopakorn Srisakul / Styling: Jeedwonder /

Deep study of local architectural lore and analysis of locale-specific environmental and climatic conditions combined to create this house of fluid chic modern lines mixed into a look that clearly suggests the traditional Thai house.

The owner wanted to provide his parents with a home where they could enjoy the ways of life of a new era. His first thought was to create a modern-style house with all customary functionality.

Combining the good points of old and new, the result is a single-story resort-style house with a contemporary look and a relaxed atmosphere reinforced by a swimming pool.

With a usable area of 700 square meters, the house takes the shape of the letter “U,” filling a wide space the architect tightened up for the sake of intimacy: family members feel in closer touch with each other.

The openness makes for good air circulation, yet acts as a divider between common areas of the living and dining room and a more private side. The roof reminds us of a traditional gabled Thai house, but the gable is clearly steeper and higher.

“Thai gabled roofs come in many forms,” said the architect, “but if the gable faced any way but front it wouldn’t be pretty, since it would make roof look unbalanced. From the side the sharply-sloping “lean-to roof” offers a rectangle.

“The house faces south to catch the wind, but also gets sun there, so the gable has to provide shade, and the eaves extend further out. Especially at the end the roof rises even higher, providing more welcoming open space in front of the house, an eye-catching feature with a contemporary look that also provides needed functionality.”

The high gables not only help protect against southern exposure to sun, but also build a characteristic aesthetic of this home continuous with interior building design elements.

The “U” shape leaves a space in the middle used as an open courtyard that holds the swimming pool and a gorgeous tree. Every point in the house looks out on it through the surrounding glass walls, connecting everyone with the courtyard and with each other.

From the exterior, the architectural design flows inside into the interior in a play of shapes and lines.

The interior ceiling opens up into the gable-shaped steel frame where the hardness of the steel is reduced with the use of wood, again reminding us that this is a Thai home.

The furniture blends right in, shapes with modern simplicity and a lot of wood in the mix adding a sense of relaxation to this Modern Thai House.

Architect: NORMAL PRACTICE

Landscape Architect: Lana Studio

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In Nature’s Peaceful Embrace

Surrounded by Warmth and Happiness

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

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A Dreamlike Little Farmhouse Amid Lush Green Fields

By livingasean
July 11, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Suphan Buri, Thailand /

/ Story: Sarayut Sreetip-ard / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Sitthisak Namkham / Styling: Jeedwonder /

Several years ago Naiduangta Pathumsut and Rungroj Kraibut began building their farmhouse with meager savings. That of course didn’t produce the kind of home we see today, but it was enough for the concrete structure and the roof. Before long their enthusiasm, determination and a lot of hard work resulted in a beautiful home amid lush green fields. There is the pride and glory in it, no doubt.

They first started with a single-story home and named it “Ton Tarn”, which is Thai for the point of origin from which a stream or river flows. Naiduangta’s parents settled down and raised a family here a long time ago when the trees were still young and had only just begun to emerge from seeds.

They bequeathed a parcel of land to her and Rungroj to build this new house connecting to the original family home.

Farmhouse — Folding doors of old wood open wide, giving the house an old-fashioned atmosphere.

By way of introduction, Naiduangta was born here in Suphan Buri, but moved when in kindergarten. Eventually completing Thai Language Studies at the Faculty of Education in Chiang Mai, she worked in Bangkok for a period of time before returning to Suphan Buri to help her father with his work promoting child literacy in this western province of Thailand.

Rungroj, a native of nearby Uthai Thani, studied environmental geography and has worked for the Seub Nakhasathien and Sarnsaeng-arun Foundations to promote learning about living with nature. After the great flood of 2011, the couple decided to put in a two-story home – connecting to the original single-story house – as a means to escape future flooding.

A multi-use spot opens on a wide view, with steel “cage doors” for security.

Rungroj’s bicycle collection and workshop supports his hobby: cycling into Chiang Mai with friends, doing a solo trek to Uthai Thani, etc.

Rungroj can still recall how it all started: “If we’d waited to get all the money, we wouldn’t have been ready. We wouldn’t have started or done anything.”

With the help of local craftsmen, the basic structure was built in two years, but by then the money had run out and the work had to depend on just the two hands of “Craftsman Rung” for the wood walls, doors, windows, and some furniture.

“I used timber from Neem trees or Indian lilac (a tree in the mahogany family) and Burmese rosewood trees grown and harvested on our property. Plus, we had some old wood, doors, and windows set aside. After another two years the exterior looked finished, but there was still a lot of work to do.”

The 9-acre property includes the parents’ house, the main house, and a rice granary. There’s a natural well with a planted bamboo border. Umbrella bamboo is grown for its edible shoots, and giant thorny bamboo for fencing. The bamboo orchard is in one area, rice paddies in another, and big, harvestable trees remain from the time of Rungroj’s grandfather.

“November to March is the perfect season for growing leafy vegetables we use ourselves, but we switch crops sometimes. Vine veggies like string beans, loofah, and squash are perennials. They provide a natural way to prevent disease and insects that often spread when growing just a single crop,” said Rungroj.

“The image of our house in the middle of the fields looks great. We can’t do anything about how farming in the area has changed: use of chemicals, burning sugarcane fields,” he continued.

“We can only adapt to it and build on our own natural world. Our joy is in the pride of doing things with our own hands. There’s nothing perfect in nature: it’s all a learning experience, like life as a married couple, gradually adapting. Where we can’t adapt, we create understanding so we can live together.”

Owner: Naiduangta Pathumsut and Rungroj Kraibut

Visit the original Thai article…

บ้านไร่กลางทุ่งที่สร้างด้วยเงินเก็บสามแสนและน้ำพักน้ำแรงฉบับคนบ้านนอก

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Under the canopy of tall trees, the ground floor is open to receive cool breezes blowing in from the southwest. — **FROM OLD HOME TO STUNNING HOUSE ON STILTS**

A Quaint Country Home amid the Rice Fields of Chiang Mai

By livingasean
May 16, 2019
HOUSE,LIVING

/ Chiang Mai, Thailand /

/ 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.

The small mezzanine, where we see a post-World War II vintage bicycle, is traversed by a steel walkway. Photos on the wall give the air of a private gallery. — 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. Note the mix of unfinished wood, brick, cement, steel, and glass. — On one side of the hall is a staircase made attractive by a mix of unfinished surfaces of wood, brick, cement, steel and glass.

Wood House Amid the Rice Fields — 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?

Owner: Anisaa and Apichai Wangtragul

Architect: Studio Miti (www.facebook.com/studiomitidesign)

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