BAN THAIWAN

BAN THAIWAN," a house that prompts skepticism and curiosity regarding its name. Truthfully, this house was named prior to the design process, which was the core of planning this contemporary residence.
We initiated the design process for the house based on our impressions; impressed by the extraordinary area and impressed by the personality of the owner. The context of this area left a lasting impression on our design team from our initial engagement. Located in Bangkok, the 2,400-square-meter land is characterized by the cultural riverside setting, surrounded by neighbors who still inhabit central vernacular architecture. The old-fashioned lifestyle of boat travelling and ecotourism, positioned opposite to an important temple along Rama II road, evoking memories of life nearby the riverside. Our main aim was to ensure that the architecture seamlessly integrated with this context, and not feeling out of place. The distinctive name of the house is derived from its owner, originally from Taiwan but residing in Thailand for over thirty years, profoundly impressed by this estate. Having engaged in merit-making at the adjacent temple over the years, he eventually became the land's proprietor as he wished. It is our impression to name this residence 'BAN THAIWAN,' a play on words that echoes 'Taiwan.' The ambiance of the area, reminiscent of the 'WANWAN or the past,' played a crucial role in shaping the core concept for designing this house.
The design of the house was inspired by the traditional Thai house concept, featuring a basement. However, this house incorporates a more contemporary style while meeting the requirements of tradition through aspects of privacy. Choosing to either connect or oppose in specific contexts, we decided to create a large courtyard that surrounds all the trees in the area. We also extended the swimming pool to an appropriate size for an exercising purpose. Additionally, the extended-size swimming pool serves as a separation between the main house and another structure in the same area, providing isolation while still maintaining a connection. The common room of these two houses has been overlapped for privacy concerns. Given the characteristic layout the house being surrounded, we considered the seasonal airflow by the first floor of the south building has been divided into three parts to facilitate ventilation, allowing the wind to flow towards the courtyard and the north building.
The appearance of this house originated from area consideration, allowing it a façade to selectively filter outside perspectives that we wished to obscure. For instance, the rooftop of the storehouse or private view from neglected area nearby. The image and façade of the house are described by its name, BAN THAIWAN, representing an Asian contemporary agricultural style. We deliberately avoided specifying it as a Thai or Chinese contemporary house since it was designed with an Asian audience in mind. In addition to ensuring the house's design is suitable for tropical climates, we also prioritized the role of light. We determined that the façade be constructed with white glitter architecture, ensuring that the feeling of the house changes with every temperature and light condition throughout the day. The extension of the eaves serves not only for covering from sunshine and rain but also for creating dimness, which is a most important aspect of utilizing light in Eastern architecture.
Finally, we have confidence that our house gives a sense of connection to the context of the area as it should, and its familiarity still remains to our neighbors.