Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This project is an extension of a semester of research on Thai culture, architecture, and relief for the poor, as well as an August 2006 trip to Thailand to gather information from academics, practitioners, and locals on how to best approach housing problems for the poor in Bangkok. The design grows out of a desire to encourage the creativity, mobility, and pragmatism that is so evident in the Thai modus operandi, while improving the basic standard of living for those on the margins. In addition, it attempts to reconcile issues of globalization and local culture through site, materials, and response to environment. In an alternative vision to the current government practice of placing blocs of public housing on the outskirts of the city away from visitor’s eyes, the houses bring the color and personality of Thai culture to a canal frequented by tourists.

As Thailand’s capitol and mega-city, Bangkok is the country’s geographical and cultural center. The city’s metro-area population numbers nearly 10 million and perpetually draws migrants from other parts of the country. Its heart is the Chao Phraya river, and traditionally the city was organized by a system of canals. During the course of the 20th century as the automobile gained prominence, the canals were filled in to create roads. Today, a massive system of elevated highways and skytrain create an overhead infrastructure that defines much of the city. The poor settle in the margins. Under bridges and in the interstitial spaces between developed pieces of land, squatters erect homes unconnected to utilities—but vitally plugged in to the life of the city.

The project centers on the intersection of canal and highway with the development of two housing prototypes derived from the traditional Thai floating house and shophouse. In both, the government would provide the basic (modular) structure of each dwelling unit and utilities, while the residents themselves would be responsible for the envelope and any future expansion. The envelope in both cases has a modular metal frame that can be clad with a variety of found/recycled materials that are plentiful in Thailand—from tire rubber to billboards.

In aggregate, the units form communities that spatially function similarly to existing settlements; with the addition of utility access and spacing to mitigate over-crowding. The floating house communities work in clusters along the walkway, sharing bath houses and fresh water spigots. In contrast, the shophouses function more linearly as they are inserted under the highway. Each shophouse has private access to utilities from the common walkway, and the fronts can be fully opened for public interaction. These communities are modeled on familiar Thai notions, and strive to encourage the vibrance and pragmatism native to the culture.