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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Terrazzo House in Bangkok, Thailand by EKAR architectsFebruary 9th, 2023 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: EKAR architects A young married couple, decided to buy an old small 20-year-old existing house with the reasonable price, located on a land where is surrounded by different houses, without a fence to separate this house from one another. Since this land literally have held many families who share the same blood for four generations, one fence is adequate and appropriate. Once the clients bought the house and came to us, they had no any issues regarding living among a cluster of unfamiliar families. Their key requirements were mainly about modernizing the house and maximizing space, including the living area, master bedroom and carpark, under the limited budget.  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat
 Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat How can the clients start their new life in the land among unfamiliar families? This question has become the inspiration for the project. The Rebirth Started from respecting of the past, based on the conditions and limitations of the present. and Opening for possibilities for areas of the future life. The site was a large open space from the property line, with only one parking lot. But inside, the space was quite small due to the short four-meter span structures, which were commonly used for many houses during the past decades. It would make no differences to demolish the wall, with an aim to widen the space. Together with other aforementioned factors, instead of renovating the old house which might not result as expected and also exceed the budget. The architect shifted the focus to design only the new space for parking, that is capacious for more future cars, as well as other functional space above. keeping the old house as the same 100%.  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat The idea is to modernize the overall architecture, yet harmonize the surrounding contexts – past and present. The new building is composed with different box-liked components which is the result of separation and combination of different functional spaces. The non-alignment of these boxed-liked masses creates rhythm and void that allows natural sunlight to penetrate into the courtyard, where connects old building and new one together, and also inside the solid space. Since there was no fence between each other, the architect designed the extension part to work as a fence itself, by creating territory sensation to the site. Terrazzo was one of the main materials for this existing house and that were widely used for all of 70s’ Thai architecture. The architect considered to create protection to its residents from prying eyes; meanwhile, it needs to portray a glimpse of the past. So we decide to use as main material. Another small beauty of terrazzo is it have no joint. But for exterior façade material, Terrazzo turns out to be a disadvantage that is difficult to do in vertical and easy to stain. The tile with terrazzo-printed pattern have been replaced. Through the details of the building language. The seams of tiles, wide/narrow, large/small, have become the core concept of this house, expressing the possibility of new technologies of printed tiles that will live with the old wisdom of 70s materials.  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat The house was connecting space between the existing and the extension; the living area. Since we aimed to balance the old built and new built; past and present. The ceiling design of this double height living area was designed regarding the existing ceiling structure. Most Thais have strong bond with their families and tend to live with their parents (even they become grown-up and have their own kids), and also with their grandparents, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces. Sometimes they live in different houses but still on the same land, with a fence that defines their together-territory. It is rarely to see strangers living closed to others without a fence, unlike it is in western countries. So, by empathizing the clients who bought a house that shares the same fence with unfamiliar families and also those stranger families themselves, we created the residence that blends together past and present; to respect the overall 70s vibe and to answer clients’ requirements. The result is the architectural language that has its own attractiveness; simply but soulful.  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © Rungkit Charoenwat  Image Courtesy © EKAR architects  Image Courtesy © EKAR architects  Image Courtesy © EKAR architects
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Categories: House, Residential |
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