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.
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%.
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.
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.
How is the project unique?
This Project, the architect aims to used Architecture as the language of diplomacy. To represent the interaction with the people around, gently, humble. Also use the architecture create a sense of privacy and security for residents by solving every problem, one by one, simply, easy but got much of results
“House” becomes an intermediary in solving complex land conditions.
We need to understand of the sensitive dimensions of human relationships.
As the owner must be used as an "outsider"
that have to enter the same land of all people of the same blood line.
In a simple and ingenious way, gentle and humble.
Architecture can make "inners" open to "outsiders".
From the keep method, preserving old memories by preserving all of the relatives' former homes.
and opening the house without a fence to blend in with all the original people
make "outsider" who have to come in feel safe
By creating an architecture that divides the boundaries between outsiders.
By creating a Gazebo area in front of the house to welcome guests walking through the house to sit and talk to create better interactions.
material that conveys respect for the past.
simple structure but hidden with the meaning
Change the memories of the old house that is equivalent to a dilapidated house
to become a valuable and meaningful heritage home to the residents in the future.
A good architecture is an architecture that can edit, link, develop relationships. of people in society to be better
Terrazzo House is a very simple, small house.
but is an example That can be connected to improve the relationship of people around this house to be better.
Even if it's just a kinship society Few families
There is a beautiful architecture renovation work. that preserves the old Developing and improving all over the world.
but there are few architecture that can reduce the conflicts of the surrounding society
If every tiny architecture could do this
We may have hope that Architecture will more or less reduce the conflicts of this world.
Team:
Architects & Interior Architects: EKAR architects
Photography: Rungkit Charoenwat
