Each year, Thailand produces roughly 27 million tonnes of waste. Of that total, Bangkok is responsible for 17%. With these figures in mind, space+craft has created Early Yuyen—a former staff canteen reimagined as a contemporary café with environmental purpose. The project began with a single question: how far can circular strategies be applied in such an environment? Following the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s ‘Butterfly Diagram,’ the design embraces reduce, reuse, refurbish and recycle, with an added focus on design for disassembly, ensuring materials remain in circulation long into the future.
“The client approached us with a question: would it be possible to design a café made entirely from discarded or repurposed materials, or perhaps from alternative materials that are suitable for upcycling? Another key goal was to create a showcase space, one where the community and visitors could engage with, learn about, and experience firsthand the potential of alternative materials in practical, real world applications.”
— space+craft to Surawit Boonjoo
Process and context
The existing staff canteen was “worn out,” the single storey building came equipped with some restaurant furniture and a structure that could be reimagined rather than demolished. Space+craft conducted a site inspection to identify opportunities to repurpose discarded materials rather than dispose of them. Surfaces were deconstructed and sorted, with aluminium profiles sold for recycling, and salvaged elements—such as floor tiles and furniture—saved for future use as a way of honouring the original components.
Yuyen, which translates from Thai as “living comfortably,” reflects this philosophy throughout. At the entrance, the café’s facade extends the gate of Paw’s Dog Park, with reclaimed windows, wrought iron gates, and door frames interlocking to give the building a distinct identity. Its other functional windows, salvaged from a warehouse, find new life overlooking the parkland. The largest—an operable window—is a key feature of the facade, providing ventilation to the interior and serving as a frame that highlights the cafe interior.
Material profile
New walls were constructed using ecobricks, a building material made from shredded paper cups compressed into mold-formed units that resemble traditional bricks. Designed for durability, these zero-carbon bricks were weatherproofed and form the decorative finish of the exterior walls. Inside, natural light filters through neighbouring trees, creating a climatically comfortable interior and a shaded outdoor area for patrons to use when temperatures allow.
A central coffee bar anchors the interior. Its terrazzo countertop incorporates broken glass, and its front is made up of repurposed bottles. Discarded roof tiles found on the site were cleaned, sorted, and reused as ornamental elements in the main bar in the café. The floor has reused the canteen’s original tiles to create a white-and-brown terrazzo finish that brings warmth to the space. The partition walls and modular waffle ceilings were constructed from Re-Board, a rigid board made from recycled milk cartons shredded and then compacted under high pressure. Installed using fasteners, these panels can be easily disassembled and reused at end of life.
Reduce, reuse, refurbish, recycle
Existing furniture received a second life through Athing, a studio specialising in recycled pieces. Chairs were remodeled and reupholstered using second-hand textiles in colours that complement the café’s earthy palette. Recycled plastic caps were transformed into movable benches, which can be arranged indoors or outdoors depending on the weather.
“Early Yuyen is a direct answer to the initial questions: though not yet fully circular, we are taking an ‘early’ step in pushing boundaries to explore and incorporate circular strategies in practice. This initiative sets an example of how collaboration and a holistic approach can drive meaningful progress toward sustainable development.”
— space+craft to Surawit Boonjoo
