La Balance

Chayaluck P.

Asymmetrical twin structures by Only Human bring together a physiotherapy clinic and coffee extraction house, each shaped by its program, degree of privacy, and relationship to the landscape.

• Architects

The project was initiated by La Balance Physiotherapy Clinic with the intention of creating two structures: a physiotherapy clinic and a coffee extraction house.

The planning responds to a large existing tree at the front of the property, one of the few mature trees remaining along the alley. Rather than removing it, the design preserves the tree and extends the garden around it, allowing the landscape to flow naturally into the site. Both structures are raised to accommodate occasional flooding and connected by an elevated platform that screens the street, creating an intimate courtyard between them.

photo_credit Chayaluck P. — Chayaluck P.

The clinic is positioned towards the front, closer to the tree but set away from neighbouring residences for greater privacy. In contrast, the coffee extraction house sits further back, closer to the residences. These differing responses to privacy and program shape two asymmetrical twins, related through form and materiality while maintaining distinct spatial characters.

Within the clinic, a central corridor forms its spatial spine, punctuated by garden pockets that draw natural light into the interior and create moments of openness. Low horizontal openings frame the garden, while sloping ceilings extend towards the view, translating into the steeper geometry of the exterior roof. The coffee extraction house adopts a gentler roof slope, creating a more generous interior volume, while continuous glazing along its central courtyard reinforces its more public character.

Across both structures, the exposed steel frame reveals the rhythm of construction. Where this rhythm conflicts with standard plywood dimensions, the ceiling shifts into a patchwork pattern, allowing the material to be used efficiently while minimising waste. While both structures share the same exterior material palette, their interiors take on distinct expressions. The clinic uses light coloured tiles and curved ceiling to create a calm atmosphere, while the coffee extraction house combines dark concrete floors with exposed raw timber, bringing warmth and tactility to the space.