Towards A Critical Thai Vernacular Architecture

P O S T G R A D U AT E B A S E h a b i t a t

2020 2021

ALEXANDRE NICOLAS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PORTFOLIO iii.

01. Clay Storming with Anna Heringer vii 02. Erden Werkhalle with Martin Rauch xix 03. Kitchen Hub with Nina Pawlicki xliii 04. Eisch Pavilion with Jan Glasmeier lxiii

MASTER THESIS

p.1

0. PREFACE p.4 1. Introduction p.8 2. Development 1st part – Theoretical p.16 a. Genius Loci – Christian Norberg-Schulz p.16 i. In-between Man and Nature p.16 ii. Theme – Analysis p.24 b. Critical Regionalism – Kenneth Frampton p.30 i. In-between Global and Local p.30 ii. Arrière-garde – Analysis p.36 c. Relativity – Aldo van Eyck p.38 i. In-between the House and the City p.38 ii. The in-between Realm – Analysis p.46 d. The In-between definition – Synthesis

p.54

3. DEvelopment 2

part – CASE STUDY p.62 Brief introduction and historical background p.64 Traditional Thai house typology in Central Thailand p.68 In-between Vernaculars : p.72 i. Area beneath the raised house – taitun p.74 ii. Terrace – charn p.80 iii. Veranda – rabieng p.86 iv. Foyer/porch – toen p.92 v. Multi-levels p.96 In-between vernaculars – Synthesis p.102 ND

a. b. c.

d.

4. Conclusion

p.106

5. conceptual projeCT – bangkok under sea, 2073

p.112

6. Bibliography

p.116

7. acknowledgements

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01 S E S S I O N

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CLAY STORMING WITH ANNA HERINGER LINZ, AUSTRIA 2020 DESIGN INTUITION WORKSHOP University of Art and Design Linz - Anna Heringer

In this first module, Anna Heringer introduced us to her design intuition workshop called ‘Clay Storming’ which consists of letting go of our usual way of designing and therefore giving more space to creativity by using our intuition. This module taught us how important it can be to use our other senses and to feel more free in the process of designing projects.

A first exercice was to shape a clay pot, the first time, eyes was kept open then the second time, eyes were shut. The purpose of this exercice was to let loose of our inner judge that often wants to criticize the aesthetic results and consequently holds us back in the creation process. Having our eyes closed taught us to be more aware of how to shape the material with our sense of touch, relearning to use more than one sense.

A second exercice focused on rediscovering our inner child. We had to think back to our hidden favorite childhood places where we felt protected or where we would hide. These spaces often have a window to connect us with the rest of the world. Using tools and malleable clay, we rediscovered parts of our inner child by recreating the experience found in those spaces. It reminded me of a quote from Pablo Picasso saying : « Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up ».

A third exercice was to shape a landscape model in groups, and in turn we switched positions with others so they could implement their own creativity either by adding, transforming or even destroying the model. This allowed for a change of perspective and made us reflect on our reactions to let go of our own ideas and have a better understanding of other’s visions.

We then applied these three design intuition methods to create a project in group. Our project was based on an alternative learning school in Colombia where architecture would coincide with its dynamic learning philosophy. Using earthen architecture, the project defines itself with a variety of rounded shapes and different heights, offering the children spaces to feel protected, to hide and to invite them to larger areas to socialize, play and learn.

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below : destroying own creation to let go of ideas and create new ones right : overview of our clay storming process

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below : third exercise working in a group on a landscape right : Shiva, destroyer and creator, exercice

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above : shape childhood hideouts top right : design childhood’s favourite space bottom right : Shiva, destroy and recreate

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below : alternative school in Colombia model right : materiality of a classroom bottom right : covered entrance

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MARTIN RAUCH’S WORKSHOP SCHLINS, VORARLBERG, AUSTRIA 2020 CONSTRUCTION OF A RAMMED EARTH SKYLIGHT Erden Werkhalle - Lehm Ton Erde GmbH - Martin Rauch

Organized by Martin Rauch and Martin Mackowitz within the framework of BASEhabitat post-grad, the workshop week was an introduction to earth techniques in Martin Rauch’s environment. Taking place in his latest on-going project Erden Werkhalle , meaning «Earth Workshop» this pioneer project is located in Schlins, Austria in the Vorarlberg region famous for its many sustainable contemporary architecture on earth constructions and woodcrafts. From the 24th to the 28th of August, the BASEhabitat post-grad students of 2021 learned and worked with Lehm Ton Erde, Martin Rauch’s architecture office. This workshop introduced us to several earth techniques, providing a comprehensive view on working with earth while learning the building process. Furthermore, this week also provided us with a reflection to Vorarlberg’s building culture, an introduction to Lehm Ton Erde’s team, a visit to their atelier and to Rauch’s House. For this earth workshop, we took part in the construction of a skylight located in the basement providing natural daylight in the future employees workspace. Learning and working on an actual construction site and being part of a rammed earth pioneer project was a rewarding journey.

Erden Werkhalle is a 67 m long and 24 m high wide hall for the prefabrication of rammed earth elements, an imposing machine specially designed for this matter is being built. The hall is in itself an example for rammed earth construction of this scale, the 67 m long rammed earth wall blends in with its regional craftsmanship wooden structure. The rammed earth pioneer’s leitmotiv : improve the tools to make rammed earth more accessible to everyone. This prototype workshop aims to build prefabricated parts on a large scale and demonstrate different earth building techniques as an example for a sustainable future. Nowadays in Europe, earth construction is more expensive than concrete construction, Martin Rauch predicts that with the inflation of a higher rate in cement price and the improvement of earth construction tools, his project seeks at an increase in demands by leading the way in making earth construction as more accessible and visible.

For the construction of the skylight located in the future employee resting space, an inclined rammed earth wall of 6° is meant to be set above a heated earth bench of 6.7 m2 allowing daylight to highlight the rammed earth wall and giving an aesthetic enlightened space in the basement. Our contribution was to construct the earth bench and installing the heating pipes and build the last two parts of the rammed earth wall to be placed along the skylight. We split into two teams assigned for these tasks, I mostly contributed on building the rammed earth walls.

[For further details, see my report on Martin Rauch’s Workshop] XXI

above : rammed earth bench skylight

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below : meeting with Martin Rauch in his Erden Werkhalle project

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below : BASEhabitat post-graduate team sitting on the freshly rammed earth bench skylight

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left : compacting the rammed earth bench below : placing rammed earth walls

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left : section AA’ of the rammed earth bench skylight below : sketch plan of skylight bottom : sketch elevation of the rammed earth walls

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right : ramming the earth walls with a pneumatic rammer for the skylight below : teamwork chain for construction of the rammed earth wall

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below : my first rammed earth wall

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above : Martin Rauch sharing his philosophy on earthen architecture opposite : 24 m high rammed earth wall Erden Werkhalle

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left : testing adobe bricks with Altstätten soil above : different earth mix testing

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above : earth discussion with Martin Rauch and Anna Heringer right : staircase in Rauch House

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KITCHEN HUB WITH NINA PAWLICKI LINZ, AUSTRIA 2020 TRANSFORMATION AND COLLECTIVE DESIGN Über den Tellerrand NGO - Nina Pawlicki

In collaboration with the NGO Über den Tellerrand which can be translated into ‘cooking outside the box’, Nina Pawlicki initiated the project of a Kitchen Hub in Linz. This project aims to improve the integration of refugees in Austrian society by using the universal theme of cooking as a media for cultural exchange, creating awareness for the diversity and cultural richness to promote an active exchange between refugees and natives. The success of their first Kitchen Hub in Berlin, brought together people from all over the world, overcoming barriers and helped strangers to create new social connections through its central topic of cooking.

To achieve this project in Linz, Nina Pawlicki presented her module entitled «Collective Design - Design for Change» which supports the idea that integration and interaction with society can bring real changes towards a more sustainable future. By acquiring a better knowledge of group decisionmaking, we learned in the first part of this module to integrate the decisions of the users and thus allow a collective design adapted for the Kitchen Hub. The result that came out was to transform a former sports club’s canteen into a more welcoming space and to adapt the area according to the various usages of the NGO. Emphasizing on a circular construction approach, the transformation of the space was as follows: the bar area was modified to open up more to the dining space, the layout of the serving spaces was adapted to create a more functional flow, a neglected space was transformed into a multi-functional platform as well as the location of the closet was redefined in a more structured spatial configuration, shelving and a playful stool system were created to make the semi-circular space more attractive.

My group and I worked on the transformation of this neglected space between the entrance and the kitchen, directly connected to the dining area.

Previously it was a seating area with tables, chairs and mural benches hidden behind old-fashioned wooden compartments. This space was mainly used as a storage room. Our strength as a group is that our collective designing was mostly by doing. For a more open space towards the central dining area, we dismantled the old-fashioned compartments wall and mural benches that was enclosing that space and used it as a material source. The users wanted a more structured area with functional storage, more seating places and an area where they could host events, all with a more welcoming look.

Therefore, we transformed the wall compartments and wooden benches into a multi-functional platform, a functional wardrobe area and a bookshelf. 80% of the construction was made out of reused waste material. By turning the wall compartment of 90 degrees, we created a new spatial division which provides space for hanging jackets and storing bags. On the other side, the platform surrounded by benches can easily be transformed from a stage, to a cosy Arabic-style sitting area to a Japanese-like table. It is easily accessible via 3 steps and can be used for performances, concerts, reading groups, tea ceremonies, boardgames sessions or similar activities. Underneath the platform, shelves were installed in order to create further storage space.

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top left : before transformation bottom left : after transformation

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below : sketch overview of the intervention area right : sketch process on reusing the furniture as source material

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above : before transformation top right : sketch overview of the intervention before & after right : after transformation

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right : three configurations of the multi-functional platform

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below : reusing old furniture benches right : construction of the platform

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above : standing point of view from platform right : demonstration of the multi-functionality platform with my team

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top left : detail of bookshelf bottom left : detail of storage beneath platform above : detail of reused wooden benched into platform below : detail of staircase

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panorama : Kitchen Hub inauguration

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EISCH PAVILION WITH JAN GLASMEIER ALTSTÄTTEN, SWITZERLAND 2020 CONSTRUCTION OF A GARDEN PAVILION Karl Zünd - Dominik Abbrederis - Jan Glasmeier

The creation of a landscaped garden of about one hectare including a micro-farm as well as a promenade leading to a multi-purpose pavilion, is intended for the employees of a company, whose founder Karl Zünd initiated the project. With this ecological garden, he wants to promote a sustainable development project. The vegetable garden is not only intended as a food crop but also as an educational activity for visitors. Following the same philosophy of sustainable development, the pavilion was built with local and reused materials to shelter the visitors and thus create a space in harmony with the garden. Located in Altstätten, Switzerland, the BASEhabitat team built this pavilion over a three-month period from August 31 to November 9, 2020. Built with a curved adobe brick wall incorporating wooden furniture and a local wood structure for the green roof, the pavilion allows to host seminars around the ecological garden.

The soil used for the construction of the pavilion wall came from an excavated artificial pond that is also part of the project. This soil was mixed with chopped local straw and sand, as it is very clayey. Approximately 1,750 adobe bricks were produced with a dimension of 32 x 15 x 8 cm. The use of concrete, a 50 cm wide and high wall foundation and the columns base, represented 13% of the construction. Wood waste was reused for the foundation formwork. The adobe brick wall reaches a height of 2.20 m and combines a Dutch bond with an English bond, alternating headers and runners. These earth bricks are masoned with a mortar similar to the construction of the bricks but with a more finely sifted mixture.

To complete the earthen wall, we used lime plaster on the outside to protect the wall from the weather pigmented with an earth color while for the inside, earth plaster was applied. In parallel to the construction of the wall, we prefabricated the wooden structure of the roof in a nearby workshop and then assembled the elements on site. For the extensive green roof, we reused the substrate of a green roof from a former warehouse of Zünd company. Finally, in order to avoid the use of more cement, we opted for a raised floor made of local wood planks.

The construction of this pavilion allowed us to experiment with several different techniques related to earthen construction, including the construction of a curved adobe brick wall, earthen plaster, lime plastering and the incorporation of wooden furniture into an earthen wall. In addition to working with wooden framework, we also built a semi-circular dry stone bench next to the pavilion and helped build a pergola between two containers, as well as a polycarbonate roofed cleaning area for the vegetable garden.

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on both pages : front view of the pavilion LXVII

below : adobe wall with its niches, folding table and bench right : adobe bricks can be seen in the folding table frame

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Excavation depth - 80 cm

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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS top left: sketch transversal section bottom left : foundation plan above : plan design before construction LXXI

ADOBE BRICKS PRODUCTION above : making the mix top right : formwork made of reused wood bottom right : adobe production process

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EXCAVATION & FOUNDATION left: excavation bottom left : concrete pipes installation for roof columns bottom right : foundation filled with recycled gravel

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FORMWORK & CONCRETE FOUNDATION left : formwork for concrete foundation below : concrete foundation of the adobe wall

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ADOBE WALL left : preparation of the earth mortar bottom left : first layers of adobe bricks bottom right : adobe wall finalized

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ROOF STRUCTURE PREFABRICATION left : wooden roof frames bottom left : timber roof construction with Norbert Amman below : building the wooden beams & columns LXXXI

ROOF STRUCTURE INSTALLATION above : assembly of beams and columns top right : placing the roof frames right : finalizing the roof edges

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GREEN ROOF left : reusing green roof material from the old Zünd warehouse below : green roof finalized

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LIME PLASTERING below : lime plastering the outside of the adobe wall with Christian Giongo

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EARTH PLASTERING below : earth plastering on the inside of the adobe wall right : earth plastering with Dominik Abbrederis

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DRY STONE BENCH WALL & PERGOLAS right: pergola roof between the containers bottom left: polycarbonate sheets roof covering a working area bottom right: dry stone wall bench made of local sandstones

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BASEhabitat POSTGRADUATE TEAM 2020 - 2021 Builders of change Postgraduate Degree | BASEhabitat Master of Advanced Studies - Architecture University of Art and Design Linz Photos credits : BASEhabitat Team ‘20 Portfolio made by Alexandre Nicolas April 2021

TOWARDS A CRITICAL THAI VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE The ‘in-between’ concepts of the traditional Thai house in Central Thailand

Through a prospective analysis, this thesis questions sustainable architecture inspired by the current vernacular studies. A series of examples drawn from the case study of the traditional Thai house will illustrate the existential relationship between the social character of a place and vernacular architecture, which attempts to show that cultural identity is intrinsic to architecture. This thesis aims to highlight the anthropological foundation of architecture by investigating the concept of the in-between with a view to reconcile the lack of social cohesion in the representation of Thai cultural identity with its contemporary architecture.

Taking up Paul Ricoeur’s paradoxal postulate - how to become modern and return to sources – the aim of this thesis is thus to initiate a critical reflection on the latter.

Towards a Critical Thai Vernacular Architecture The ‘in-between’ concepts of the traditional Thai house in Central Thailand

Alexandre Nicolas under the supervision of Jan Glasmeier

Master Thesis for the Postgraduate Degree | BASEhabitat Master of Advanced Studies – Architecture University of Art and Design Linz | 2021 September 24th, 2021

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PREFACE

This dissertation is the follow-up of my previous thesis for the Master’s degree in Architecture at ULB La Cambre-Horta in 2017. Entitled « Towards a Contemporary Vernacular Architecture: How to modernise tradition and return to the roots – The heirs of Critical Regionalism », this research paper questioned internationally recognized development aid projects inspired by vernacular architecture through a comparative analysis pinpoiting what inspired these star architects and in what way, moving from traditional building techniques to community living, through a set of examples that highlights this “alternative” architecture of today. Its purpose was to demonstrate the importance of a source of inspiration that could open the way to the architecture of tomorrow.

This thesis has reinforced my conviction that the purpose of architecture is to make the existence of individuals meaningful, i.e. to represent people’s sense of place, the sense of identity. Therefrom, architecture appears to me as symbolic of mankind, inasmuch as it is capable of translating our cultural identity values, since it is also and above all an ‘art of living’ that can make human existence rich in meaning, and that this meaning is a fundamental need of man.

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preface I now have a better understanding of the reason why vernacular architecture has intrigued me for so long: it reveals the understanding we have of our environment, thereby giving man an « existential foothold ». Vernacular architecture defines its raison d’être by creating this harmonious relationship between the natural and the artificial place. It was through Bernard Rudofsky’s « Architecture Without Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture » a book based on the New York City MoMA exhibition published in 1964, that I developed a passion for exploring how these architectures came to be. During my several researches, I noticed that the international vernacular studies often tend towards the concerns of sustainable construction imperatives, as a source of inspiration for innovations in environmental and socioeconomically sustainable design. This approach only focuses on forms and technology, neglecting the experience and symbolic values of the habitat.

I am convinced that vernacular studies must be placed in its framework and should primarily be approached through the social dimension. Indeed, unilateral explanations based on climate, materials, technology, site, economic or religious considerations are powerless to explain the variety and richness of forms, that are above all of a cultural nature.

Following the same path in the study of the vernacular, this thesis is dedicated to exploring further the intrinsic social qualities of spontaneous architecture, in its quasi-anthropological dimension. Unlike my previous thesis, which focused on projects realized for communities in need, the present one highlights the creative potential of archaic architectural places as a source of inspiration in the context of Thailand, a country with which I have strong ties for family reasons.

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INTRODUCTION

The time has come to gather the old into the new, to rediscover the archaic qualities of human nature - I mean the timeless ones. To discover anew implies discovering something new. Translate that into architecture and you’ll get new architecture - real contemporary architecture. Architecture is constant rediscovery of constant human qualities translated into space. Man is always and everywhere essentially the same… Modern architects have been harping continually on what is different in our time to such an extent that even they have lost touch with what is not different, what is always essentially the same. This grave mistake was not made by the poets, painters and sculptors. On the contrary, they never narrowed down experience; they enlarged and intensified it; tore down not merely the form barriers as did the architects, but the emotional ones as well.1 (Van Eyck 1959, as cited in McCarter 2015, p.82)

In the field of sustainable and socially responsible architecture, the 1964 exhibition at the MoMA in New York by Bernard Rudofsky marks a turning point in the way we seek for solutions for an environmentally friendly architecture. Architecture Without Architects a book based on the exhibition of the same name, is an attempt to break down the narrow conceptions of the art of building by introducing the unfamiliar world of vernacular architecture (Rudofsky 1964, p.3). Bernard Rudofsky, an Austrian writer, architect, collector, teacher and social historian, was able to put this anonymous architecture at the center of attention and identify the diversity of harmonious relationships between the architecture and its environment. He (1979, p.18) states in his other book The Prodigious Builders (1979, p.18) that our overview of vernacular architecture is distorted by a lack of documentation. Since Rudofsky’s exhibition brought this undocumented part of architectural history to light, vernacular studies 1 Aldo van Eyck’s Otterlo Circles - CIAM 11 in 1959 9

introduction have now become a growing focus in a wide range of research, especially in the field of sustainable development. A new trend of ecological design studies inspired by vernacular has emerged.

Nowadays, sustainable architecture refers to the materials, construction methods, use of resources and ecological design of a building with a view to its long-term operation. Until now, the technological and morphological approach has been priviledged for the most part. In recent years however, a shift in thinking about how long term change can go beyond the technical sphere is beginning to position sustainable architecture in a much broader framework. Paul Oliver, an architectural historian and writer, famous for his 1997 monumental work Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World , the fruit of ten years of extensive research, advocates an interdisciplinary approach in regard to vernacular studies. Oliver criticizes this systemic morphological approach, that only focuses on forms, neglecting the functions and symbolic values of the habitat (1976, pp. 22-29). By contrast, he mainly promotes an anthropological approach to understand the forms, use and meaning of vernacular architecture. Accordingly, a correlation of technical approach can be made between sustainable and vernacular studies.

The first book dealing with vernacular spatial setting was published by Amos Rapoport, architect and writer, in House Form and Culture, published in 1969. Through more than hundreds of academic publications, he analyzed the elements that determine the habitat and came to the conclusion that culture is most important in the built environment. Rapoport (1974, pp.166-167) assesses the systemic approach to architectural studies as one-sided explanations of climate, materials, technology, site, economy or religion, adding that they are primarily cultural and are powerless to 10

explain the variety of forms. As stated by Rudofsky (1964), vernacular architecture is above all a community art produced by the spontaneous and continuous activity of people, since then, this new ecological design inspired by vernacular should also be put in its true context, i.e. the sociocultural sphere. In order to move forward, architecture needs to distance itself from this too long-applied morphological and technical approach.

The purpose of this dissertation is thus to express a critical view of vernacular studies.

No one can say what will become of our civilization when it has really met different civilizations by means other than the shock of conquest and domination.

But we have to admit that this encounter has not yet taken place at the level of an authentic dialogue. That is why we are in a kind of lull or interregnum in which we can no longer practice the dogmatism of a single truth and in which we are not yet capable of conquering the skepticism into which we have stepped (Ricoeur 1961, p.283).

Although the representation of Thai cultural identity in contemporary architecture is in decline, Thai culture has always been strongly anchored in its rich traditions and beliefs. In the mid-19th century, in order to address the threat of colonization by Western powers, the Thai king and the country’s social elite decided to adopt and implement Western notions and technology as a means to present the modern image of a civilized nation and thus to be regarded as equal to Europe (Tharavichitkun 2011, p.1). Since then, the westernization of Thailand has led to a progressive decline of traditional values, a process which is increasingly influenced by globalization, resulting in a crisis of cultural identity in the Thai built environment. The question therefore arises : How to define a contemporary Thai architectural identity ? The architecture of developing countries such as Thailand is caught in a conflict of two divergent necessities: on the 11

introduction one hand, the aspiration for progress and access to universal civilization, and on the other hand, the will to preserve a cultural heritage. In other words, “How to become modern and return to sources ?” This paradox was raised by French philosopher Paul Ricoeur (1961, p.329). All too often, it is the former objective that prevails, when modernization is misguided by a driver for development which places technology at its core – given that contemporary architecture is governed by the industrial construction sector. The same applies to sustainable architecture, it often tends towards the technical dimension of ecological design and economical concerns and is less committed to the more fundamental concerns of human values, such as the social. This thesis aims to initiate a deeper reflection on the latter – how to return to sources – and investigate the social dimension of architecture as a primary need to be met for real sustainable development.

The objective of this study is therefore to investigate how to recreate social cohesion as a solution to the loss of Thai identity in architecture, especially to redirect modern architecture so as to reengage history, human nature, and local buildings tradition. The ambition of this thesis is to investigate vernacular Thai architecture in its intimate relations to social imperatives and community values. It will also consider the ability of vernacular architecture to “keep and transmit meanings” in the service of helping human establish an “existential foothold” (Norberg-Schulz 1981, p.5). To limit the scope of this dissertation, I will analyse the case study of the traditional Thai house typology in Central Thailand, displaying an architecture that was born directly from the needs, beliefs, traditions and daily life of Thai people, an architecture with meaning that Thai people can identify with. As a matter of fact, Southeastern architecture, is rarely taught in Western universities. Not only Thailand remains the only country in the southeastern Asian region that has not been under colonial rule, but 12

its traditional architecture has hardly been influenced before the advent of globalisation. Central Thailand region is the one with the largest urban development and therefore the one most affected by this duality of needs.

Following in Rudofsky’s steps, I choose to study the Thai house for its human-centred aspects.

To frame this research, this paper seeks to bring a new approach of vernacular studies by introducing the ‘in-between’ concept. This concept is brought about by the search for archaic beginnings of architectural spaces, considered as elementary and fundamental. Here is a first definition of my own observations of such spaces. The in-between can be defined as an intermediary, transitional or mediating space between inside and outside.

It can be identified as a space that generates social encounter and that is largely born of vernacular architecture, e.g. patio, arcades, courtyard, galerie, atrium, veranda, porch. Commonly, these places offer a free space of circulation or appropriation. This thesis sets out to explore how the definition given by Aldo van Eyck (as cited in McCarter 2015, p.82) “the in-between that reconciles conflicting polarities such as public and private”, will be an essential element of this research. I would also like to explore the strategies of the ‘in-between’ through the lens of three architectural theories : Genius Loci by Christian Norberg—Schulz, Critical Regionalism by Kenneth Frampton and Relativity by Aldo van Eyck. All three share a viewpoint according to which, in order to create a meaningful place, architecture must represent cultural identity values, as a means to express the essence of being, an existential and fundamental need. Hence, my attempt to bring a critical view on vernacular studies by highlighting the ‘in-between’ concepts in the traditional Thai house typology case study. Thus, the hypothesis is the following: How ‘in-between’ vernaculars can restore social cohesion and redefine Thai architectural identity ?

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introduction This research paper is presented as a theoretical approach illustrated by a typological study of the traditional Thai house. It aims to analyse the in-between vernaculars that will be used to determine factors for a meaningful contemporary Thai architecture and proposes guidelines for creating a Thai architectural identity. The first section, attempts to define the ‘in-between’ concept, which constitutes the theoretical corpus divided into four parts. The first three parts will analyse the ‘in-between’ concept from each theoreticians’ strategies : Genius Loci, Critical Regionalism and Relativity. These different theories are summarized in the fourth part as a clear definition of the ‘in-between’ and then synthesized in the form of analysis diagrams. This will be applied to the vernacular study in the second section of this paper. The second section presents the case study of the traditional Thai house typology in Central Thailand. Five vernacular ‘in-between’ will be presented then analyzed as archetypes : The area beneath the raised house, the terrace, the veranda, the porch and the varying levels.

A synthesis of the in-between vernaculars concludes this second section, highlighting the key points that will be used to create the project.

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GENIUS LOCI – CHRISTIAN NORBERG-SCHULZ

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Man dwells when he is able to concretize the world in buildings and things. […]

‘Concretization’ is the function of the work of art, as opposed to the ‘abstraction’ of science. Works of art concretize what remains ‘between’ the pure objects of science. Our everyday life-world consists of such ‘intermediary’ objects, and we have to understand that the fundamental function of art is to gather the contradictions and complexities of the life-world. Being an imago mundi, the work of art helps man to dwell (Norberg-Schulz 1979, p.23).

In order to better understand the interest of defining an architectural identity, I will briefly summarize the words of Christian Norberg-Schulz, in his book Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture. The author is a twentieth-century architect, historian and architectural theorist.

In his earlier theoretical works he claims that «architecture represents a means to give man an ‘existential foothold’ « (Norberg-Schulz 1979, p.5). In other words, the human being identifies with an architecture that reflects his lived experiences. For example, a Japanese fisherman would not be able to identify with or live in Dutch fishermen’s houses, as they do not conform to his ways of living. The theorist therefore seeks to investigate the psychic implications of architecture, as it cannot be treated solely from a physical point of view. According to Christian Norberg-Schulz (1979, p.22), the basic psychic functions are orientation and identification, that is the “primary aspects of man’s being-in-the-world. Whereas identification is the basis for man’s sense of belonging, orientation is the function that makes him homo viator (man on a quest) which is part of his nature. It is characteristic for modern man that for a long time he gave the role as a wanderer pride of place. He wanted to be ‘free’ and conquer the world. Today we start to realize that true freedom presupposes belonging, and that ‘dwelling’ means belonging to a concrete place.” However, these two notions can be independent. In order to assert his existence, the human being must 17

IN-BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE be able to orientate and identify himself. But his scientific or analytical approach to architecture appears to him to be incomplete. In Existence, Space and Architecture, he introduces the concept of ‘existential space’ which “is not a logico-mathematical term, but comprises the basic relationships between man and his environment» (1979, p.5). For the human being to have an existential foothold, there must be an existential place. Therefore, he deepens his methods by taking into account the environment in which a person lives.

For Norberg-Schulz (ibid.), existential foothold and dwelling are synonymous: «man dwells when he can orientate himself within and identify himself with an environment, or, in short, when he experiences the environment». For architecture to succeed in being an object of identification and orientation, it must take into account the phenomenas that shape the everyday life of each person. The phenomenology of architecture is the study of concrete (physical) phenomenas eg: people, animal, tree, sun, city, house, door, and intangible (psychic) phenomenas eg: emotions, culture, social, which defines the architecture of place.

But what challenges the theorist more is the latter, the emotions, a more sensitive conception of a poetic architecture. Everyone can remember sensations that have left a deep and lasting impression and that are linked to a particular place: the atmosphere of a kitchen bathed in sunlight in the early morning at the countryside, for example. “Phenomenology was conceived as a ‘return to things’, as opposed to abstractions and mental constructions [science]” (1979, p.8). These phenomenas are thus our everyday experiences and are accompanied by places, as every event refers to a place. In Genius Loci, Christian Norberg-Schulz (1979, p.6) explains that the main objective of his work was to focus on the existential dimension in relation to place. «The place represents architecture’s share in truth.

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The place is the concrete manifestation of man’s dwelling, and his identity depends on his belonging to places».

«A concrete term for environment is place» (ibid.) There are natural (environment) and artificial (architecture) places. Each place is delimited by its presence in space. Thus, an avenue marks its presence by its full-empty relationship with the houses. The author analyses natural and artificial places in three aspects: the phenomenon of place, the structure of place and the spirit of place. The first aspect concerns the phenomena mentioned above, i.e. the content of our experiences. The phenomenology of the everyday environment determines the differences and particularities of each culture.

For example, the climate is a factor that distinguishes different regions and influences our different ways of living. Secondly, the structure of the place is defined by its components: space and character. The term space is abstract because it is a system of place, it deals with the relationship between figure and background. It systematizes a relationship, just as site planning and landscape have a relationship. If the site planning is not related to the landscape, it loses its identity. Character, on the other hand, is defined by «the material and formal constitution of the place», or even «the atmosphere of the place» or «the ambiance». The concept of character is determined by the way things are. The Japanese have a completely different way of organizing space in the home than the Dutch, for example. Since the beginning of time, man has sought to create artificial places that reflect his knowledge of nature. For example, the ancient Egyptians considered vertical columns as a symbolic of the tree. According to C. Norberg-Schulz (1979, p.18), in the history of architecture, artificial places were built in relation to natural places, which are of a larger scale. Indeed, «artificial places are the interpretation of our environment, a microcosm of our world” (ibid.) The genius loci, or spirit of place, comes to us from ancient Rome. «In ancient 19

IN-BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE times, survival depended on a good relationship with place, both in the physical and psychic sense.» According to C. Norberg-Schulz, spirit of place is no longer seen as a guardian spirit but as the distinct atmosphere of a place. The spirit of place, therefore, encompasses the totality of space and character, orientation and identification, thus demonstrating that a thing «exists». The fact that human beings belong to the nature that surrounds them explains why architecture, as an artificial place, must be rooted in it in order to exist, because we are subject to the environment, the climate, the soil or the light. Architecture, as the creation of meaningful places, must visualise the spirit of the place, because man’s identity is interpenetrated by the characteristics of his environment. The genius loci is therefore this existential dimension in relation to the place. In the history of modern architecture, city dwellers no longer identify with natural places, but with things created by man. This leads to a loss of identity and thus to a form of alienation from the environment. Taking inspiration from genius loci would allow us to return to our roots, to our identity values, which, before becoming artificial, were rooted in nature. “We have noticed that this is achieved through buildings that bring together the properties of the place and bring them closer to man. The basic act of architecture is therefore that of understanding the ‘vocation’ of the place; in this way one protects the land and becomes part of an apprehensible whole. What we are arguing here is not a kind of ‘environmental determinism’; we are only saying that man is an integral part of the environment and that forgetting him leads to the destruction and alienation of the environment” (1979, p.23) It is about understanding the essence of man’s interest in anchoring his architecture in his natural and artificial environment. As NorbergSchulz (1979, p.22) would say “human identity presupposes the identity of place”. Thus, to return to the initial problematic – why define an 20

architectural identity – one might wonder how to define an architectural identity. In order to answer this question, it is important to deepen his concept of character which constitutes the identity of the place. As stated

by Norberg-Schulz (1979, p.58) “the character of a man-made place is to a high extent determined by its degree of ‘openness’. The solidity or transparency of the boundaries make the space appear isolated or as part of a more comprehensive totality. We here return to the inside-outside relationship which constitutes the very essence of architecture.” He then quotes Robert Venturi : “Architecture occurs at the meeting of interior and exterior forces of use and space” and comments: “Evidently this meeting is expressed in the wall, and in particular in the openings which connect the two ‘domains’.” Norberg-Schulz refers here to Martin Heidegger’s notion of place, i.e. that a place is delimited by its presence, this being predominantly part of the notion of character in the relationship between «two domains»: part-whole, inside-outside, private-public, interior-exterior, etc. He goes on to describe (ibid.) this essential architectural relationship as “zones of transitions” which: «may also be used to relate the internal structure of the place to the structure of the natural or man-made environment.»

He describes these «two domains» as «contradictions and complexities» and it is the purpose of architecture to «gather» them. For him, to gather attaches to the proper meaning of art and thus of architecture, i.e. to bring together our perceptions of the natural world in a meaningful «new approach”, for example, Van Gogh’s sunflowers. For Norberg-Schulz (1979, p.170) “architecture is born from the dialectic of departure and return. Man, the wanderer is on his way. His task is to penetrate the world and to set its meanings into work. This is the meaning of the word settle.

A settlement sets truth into a work of architecture. To set-in-work here means to build the boundary or ‘threshold’ from which the settlement 21

IN-BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE begins its presencing. The threshold is the meeting of ‘outside’ and ‘inside’, and architecture is hence the incarnation of the meeting.” As an example, he gives (1979, p.179) the architectural element of the window which brings together the contradictory domains of inside-outside with the relationship to light. Norberg-Schulz (1979, p.182) extends this conception of ‘meeting’ to the human environment, i.e. intangible phenomenas such as culture. Social and cultural intentions have to be concretized in a way which respects the genius loci, otherwise the place loses its identity.

The author labels (ibid.) the «creative participation» which categorizes the spheres of the «public-outside» and of the «private-inside», one being the concretization of individual identities and the other that of the community, each having its existential dimension by means of a dialectic. He refers to this dialectic as «theme» and gives as an example (1979, p.184): “Medieval town where the exteriors of houses, churches and town halls are variations on themes which express an integrated form of life.” The result of this ‘creative participation’ is thus the culture and by means of culture, man gets rooted in reality, it constitutes man’s existential foothold. For Norberg-Schulz (ibid.) “a theme is a symbolic form which embodies existential meanings. As such it has to be circumstantial and general. It has to concretize the local circumstances, but at the same time it should present these as a particular manifestation of a general universe of meanings.” He criticizes (1979, p.185) contemporary architecture as having a lack of character, a lack of identity and therefore induces poverty of stimuli. Furthermore, he finds fault in the character of the present day environment for being monotonous. He defines the “presence” of new buildings as very weak and compares the unsubstantial curtains-walls buildings to the experience full of surprises and discoveries of old towns.

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THEME - ANALYSIS

Fig.01 In-between analysis of Christian Norberg-Schulz’ genius loci

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To echo Norberg-Schulz, here is an illustration [fig.01] that synthesizes the stated key points of genius loci that will allow me to define my ‘inbetween’ concept. I therefore propose to analyse it by means of a Venn diagram in order to highlight the relationship between the interested theories. The three sets represents the three aspects of genius loci: the existential foothold, the structure of place and the phenomenology of architecture. The first set includes the identification and orientation elements.

The second set involves the character and space. Thirdly, the phenomenology set represents the concrete and intangible phenomenas. For the purpose of this analysis, I have chosen not to investigate the elements of orientation and concrete phenomenas to focus on the social dimension context of this research. Three overlaps can be collected from the relationships between the sets: the existential place, the cultural identity and the social character of a place. Firstly, the overlapping between the ‘existential foothold’ and the ‘structure of place’ sets represents the ‘existential place’. Constructed by the identification and space elements, it corresponds to the existential dimension in relation to place. Secondly, the overlap between the identification and intangible phenomenas elements result in the cultural identity. Finally, the overlap between the ‘phenomenology’ and ‘structure of place’ sets generate the social character of a place. This last overlapping constitues a space that generates social encounter according to the social ways of living. These overlapping will be used as analytical tools for the case study : Existential place = existential dimension in relation to place Cultural identity = the identity of belonging to society Social character of a place = a space that generates social encounter according to the ways of living Therefore, I consider that the first two relationships reflect vernacular 25

THEME - ANALYSIS

Fig.02 In-between analysis - How to define an architectural identity ?

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architecture. The history of vernacular architecture bears witness to the deep roots of this existential dimension in relation to place, for this type of architecture was born from the soil itself and from community work. The various vernacular constructions can be interpreted as the embodiment of cultural identities and of our understanding of nature. Thus, vernacular studies must necessarily be comprehended first from these two points in order to apply sustainable design to it. These points will help in the understanding of how to return to sources in my analysis. In an attempt to answer the question – how to define an architectural identity ? – I will look more deeply into the last point, the social character of place. Christian Norberg-Schulz’ definition of ‘theme’ will be the next diagram presented as my interpretation of the in-between concept.

Human identity presupposes the identity of place and the identity of place is defined by its character. The character of a man-made place is defined by its degree of ‘openness’, it’s ‘presencing’ , ie. the permeability of interactions between two contradictory ‘domains’. The ‘theme’ consists in a typical spatial relationship between two domains, such as insideoutside. This diagram illustrates [fig.02] my interpretation of the ‘theme’ as the in-between concept of Christian Norberg-Schulz’ genius loci. The social character of a place [fig.01], a space that generates social encounter according to the social ways of living can be defined by this in-between theme [fig.02]. I believe that this concept is an answer to defining an architectural identity by recreating social cohesion. The diagram above helps to visualize these relations. The first set includes the domains of all private ‘inside’ elements, such as part, interior and individual. The second set shows its contradiction, that is the public ‘outside’ domain, such as whole, exterior, communal. The overlap represents the in-between concept, the theme, also known as zones of transitions, meeting, threshold, boundary, gathering middle 27

THEME - ANALYSIS and dialectic. The definition of theme is a symbolic form which embodies existential meanings. As such it has to be circumstantial and general. It has to concretize the local circumstances, but at the same time it should present these as a particular manifestation of a general universe of meanings. Each domain preserves their distinct identities separately, while at the same time unifying one another. This analysis will therefore make it possible to identify in-between places through the following four criteria:

Fig.03 In-between analysis - How to identify in-between places ?

In order not to fall into a retrospective vision and regress into lost forms of vernacular architecture, it is necessary to take into account the new challenges of the impact of the universal civilization. Critical Regionalism, to which I will now turn, preserves architecture’s relationship to its genius loci, maintaining our sense of belonging between the global and local languages of architecture. It is important to consider the bigger picture into which this thesis fits.

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CRITICAL REGIONALISM KENNETH FRAMPTON

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Architecture can only be sustained today as a critical practice if it assumes an arrière-garde position, that is to say, one which distances itself equally from the Enlightenment myth of progress and from a reactionary, unrealistic impulse to return to the architectonic forms of the preindustrial past. A critical arrière-garde has to remove itself from both the optimization of advanced technology and the ever-present tendency to regress into nostalgic historicism or the glibly decorative.

It is my contention that only an arrière-garde has the capacity to cultivate a resistant, identity-giving culture while at the same time having discreet recourse to universal technique (Frampton 1983, p.20).

At the dawn of the 1980s, the notion of Critical Regionalism was first coined in the article “The Grid and the Pathway”1 by Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre (1981). They emphasize the value of both terms, regionalism and critical; one being a tool for analyzing traditional constructs and the other an approach that allows for a dialogue articulating issues of the global and the regional. They explain that this critical paradigm confronts the CIAM2 paradigm of blind faith in a modernisation that is supposed to lead to a social ideal for all. The interest of mentioning these two authors lies in the fact that they were able to take up a theory earlier initiated by Lewis Mumford from various of his writings in the twentieth century (Lefaivre 2003, p.33) and bring it up to date with the many questions that architects are asking themselves today. These include the problem of the acceleration of imminent globalisation; the integration of traditional cultures into the globalisation of architecture; the questioning of the preservation of local heritage; and the imperatives of sustainability in construction. The founders of critical regionalism (Lefaivre and Tzonis 1

TZONIS Alexander, LEFAIVRE Liane, “The Grid and the Pathway: An Introduction to the Work of Dimitris and Suzana Antonakakis”, dans Architecture in Greece, n°15, 1981.

2

CIAM = Congrès Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne

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IN-BETWEEN GLOBAL AND LOCAL 1990, p.488) borrowed the ‘critical’ approach from Immanuel Kant, the famous German philosopher, who explained it in the Critique of Pure Reason. By placing this approach in the context of architecture, they share their view of the proper use of regionalism and modern strategies.

Their work argues for a redefinition of regionalism but does not propose methods for doing so. A few years later, the historian Kenneth Frampton re-appropriated critical regionalism, which he defined as “Six Points of an Architecture of Resistance”. In contrast to the authors previously mentioned, he delivers a form of manifesto of Critical Regionalism and brings new answers in the current context. For a relevant analysis, this chapter attempts to capture the key elements of this movement in order to get an bigger picture of where this research fits in.. The first two points address the state of the art of the – why become modern and return to sources ? – while the third point considers the how. I choose not to include the last three points because they do not provide any additional tools for reflection on the social dimension.

Kenneth Frampton, a British citizen, is an architect, art critic and historian. In his essay, he draws on the phenomenon of universalisation, against which Paul Ricoeur warns in History and Truth, in connection with architecture today. According to the art critic (Frampton 1983, p.17), the development of buildings is conditioned by the technologies of a global civilisation, to the extent that the emergence of new forms is limited. The building imperatives and restrictions imposed by a capitalist system govern any attempt at new forms of urbanisation. According to Frampton (ibid.), today’s architectural practice is on the one hand divided on the approach to “high-tech” production, and on the other hand tries to hide the harsh reality of a universal system based on economics.

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Culture and Civilization Frampton criticizes how construction is governed by the economic world and how our cultures are inevitably affected by this phenomenon.

With regard to the cultures of developing countries, Paul Ricoeur sheds light on this point of view: “the struggle against the colonial powers and the liberation struggles could only be waged by claiming a personality of their own; for this struggle was not only motivated by economic exploitation but more profoundly by the substitution of personality that the colonial era had brought about”3 (Ricoeur 1961, p.329). A crucial question arises: should they integrate this universal system, based on an economic world that is not their own, or else lose the know-how that has been the raison d’être of a people? Or should they extract themselves from it or rather find an alternative?

The Rise and Fall of the Avant-Garde In his second point, Frampton (1983, p.18) returns to the emergence of the Avant-garde. The history of the avant-garde allows us to understand the change in construction technologies, influenced by universal civilisation. For him, the emergence of the avant-garde is inseparable from the modernisation of society and architecture. The avant-garde was a progressive movement that opposed the positivism of bourgeois cultures through its freedom of form. Since the mid-18th century, Neo-Classicism was both a symbol and an instrument for the propagation of universalism.

However, in the 19th century, avant-gardism was able to oppose industrial development and neo-classical forms (ibid.). Frampton sees this as one 3

(free translation) Ricoeur, P. (1961). “Civilisation universelle et cultures nationales” in Histoire et Vérité. Paris: Seuil, coll. Esprit. p.329

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IN-BETWEEN GLOBAL AND LOCAL of the first counter-effects of modernisation to preserve our traditions.

Indeed, the Gothic Revival and Arts-and-Crafts movements emerged as counter-movements to industrialisation. Their supporters preferred craftsmanship to the division of labour caused by modernisation. After the First World War and the economic crisis of 1929, there was a great need for stability. For the first time in history, these events led to a split between the interests of the capitalist states and the free trajectories of cultural modernisation. This change led to the fall of the avant-garde, which could no longer evolve. An artistic movement emerged, PostModernism. The historian considers this movement to be a simulacrum of art and denigrates it in comparison to avant-gardism, which for him was a real free expression of forms, whereas post-modernism only feeds a mass culture (1983, p.19). The postmodern movement marks the decline of opposing critical cultures. The emergence of this new movement brings about a real transformation in architecture. Frampton deplores the fact that technologies, which have become simple forms of universal production, have come to influence construction to this extent.

Critical Regionalism and World Culture The previous two points allow Frampton to place critical regionalism in the context in which it was born. In his third point, which deals with the very definition of the movement, he refers to the observation of Tzonis and Lefaivre. According to the art critic (1983, p.20), in order to move forward, architecture needs to assume a “arrière-garde” position, i.e. by distancing itself from progressivism and from the lost forms of the vernacular. For him (ibid.), a critical arrière-garde must distance itself from the optimisation of advanced technology and the constant tendency to retreat into the past. Frampton argues that only an arrière-garde can draw 34

on cultural identities while cautiously adopting universal techniques. His definition of Critical Regionalism is as follows (1983, p.21) : The fundamental strategy of Critical Regionalism is to mediate the impact of universal civilization with elements derived indirectly from the peculiarities of a particular place. It is clear from the above that Critical Regionalism depends upon maintaining a high level of critical self-consciousness. It may find its governing inspiration in such things as the range and quality of the local light, or in a tectonic derived from a peculiar structural mode, or in the topography of a given site.

But it is necessary, as I have already suggested, to distinguish between Critical Regionalism and simple-minded attempts to revive the hypothetical forms of a lost vernacular.

This last sentence marks a key point in the analysis of the case study.

Frampton (ibid.) argues that Critical Regionalism is closer to a world culture than to a universal civilisation. In this sense, one integrates the cultures of the world while the other imposes a culture.

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ARRIERE-GARDE - ANALYSIS

Fig.04 In-between analysis - How to become modern and return to sources ?

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In order to properly address the hypothesis, it is important to consider vernacular architecture in a broader and more global context. The inbetween approach proposed by Kenneth Frampton helps in this regard and is clearly defined by the arrière-garde attitude. In adopting this position, an arrière-gardiste has to be critical both of hegemonic globalisation and of reactionary regionalism. Thus, with this in mind, this thesis aims to develop a critical vernacular reflection drawn from this mediation between global and local, i.e. to cultivate a resistant, identity-giving culture.

Given its topicality, it is easier to understand how to participate in universal civilisation, while less research has been done on how to revive an old, dormant civilisation. It is therefore essential to approach vernacular architecture from a new angle as much as to seek the optimisation of advanced technologies. Vernacular architecture, hitherto devoid of social studies, can be seen as a real potential as a source of inspiration. The critic has therefore changed. To avoid falling into “simple-minded attempts to revive the hypothetical forms of a lost vernacular”, I believe that the intrinsic social qualities of the vernacular can be a response towards an architecture of resistance.

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RELATIVITY ALDO VAN EYCK

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Can architects meet society’s plural demand ? Can they possibly substitute the present loss of vernacular and still build a city that really is a city ? Can they build a livable place for every large of multitude of people ? […] Can the architecturbanist possibly supplement the lack of a comprehensive social pattern; the lack of a collective concept of vernacular; the lack of direct creative participation on the part of the multitudes ? Can he do, in short, what he was never asked to do before, but is now left to do ? (Van Eyck 1959, as cited in McCarter 2015, p.155)

In order to address the research question on how to recreate social cohesion, this last theory section will highlight the key elements of Aldo van Eyck’s in-between realm. To Van Eyck, this conception is the fundamental substance of architectural place and lies at the root of his architectural thinking (Strauven 1998, p.359). He is a Dutch architect and a leading figure among the founders of Team 10, a group of architects that broke away from the mainstream modern movement group CIAM in the 1950s (McCarter 2015, p.1). Aldo van Eyck argues (ibid.) against modern Western civilisation’s lack of engagement to ancient inspirations, advocating a reconnection to the intrinsic spatial qualities of global South cultures as opposed to the universally applied international style of architecture that ceased to engage with fundamental human values. In the monographs by Robert McCarter and Francis Strauven on Aldo van Eyck’s works, the themes of ‘anthropological foundation of architecture’ and ‘the connection of the contemporary condition to both modern and archaic beginnings’ (McCarter 2015, p.1) will be mainly explored in this chapter among others. Van Eyck’s critical approach between his predecessors at CIAM and even within Team 10 led him to rediscover the social value of architecture through the search for the lost vernacular, which is also the subject of this thesis. Based on the premise that humans are by nature social beings, Van Eyck argues that most of today’s urban housing projects have lost touch with our social dimension, and thus with 39

in-between the house and the city

Fig.05-06 Aldo van Eyck - Amsterdam Orphanage 1960

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our existential foothold. Van Eyck also argues (McCarter 2015, pp.116-118) that: “architects nowadays are pathologically addicted to change, regarding it as something one either hinders, runs after or, at best, keep up with. This, I suggest, is why they tend to sever the past from the future, with the result that the present is rendered emotionally inaccessible – without temporal dimension. I dislike a sentimental antiquarian attitude towards the past as much as I dislike a sentimental technocratic one towards the future. Both are founded on a static, clockwork notion of time (what antiquarians and technocrats have in common). So let’s start with the past for a change and discover the unchanging condition of man.”

Is architecture going to reconcile basic values ? – Aldo van Eyck

In the course of his writings, Aldo van Eyck develops the concept of ‘in-between’ – which for him is the essential space in the definition of architecture – by using numerous aliases : threshold, doorstep, the aesthetics of number, twin phenomena, dual-unity, configurative design, intermediate space, graded transitions, built homecoming and relativity. During CIAM 9, the first notions of threshold or doorstep emerged from the ideas of Team 10, when discussing the issues presented in La Charte de l’Habitat : “the connection of the dwelling to the environment; the need for varying degrees of privacy; the relationship of the dwelling to the urban center; and the appropriate modern means of expressing continuity with the past” (McCarter 2015, pp.76-77). Together with Alison and Peter Smithsons of Team 10, they noted the absence of a community identity and social cohesion in the new urban projects that were once very much present in the streets of the old towns. More specifically, they noticed that daily life was most often carried out in elementary places such as backyards, street corners and doorsteps (ibid). This is where the beginnings of the doorstep were born, but their 41

in-between the house and the city approaches would later diverge. At the Otterlo congress CIAM 11 in 1959, which also marked the dissolution of the last CIAM organized by Team 10, Aldo van Eyck introduced his concept of the in-between as a conclusion to his presentation : “the in-between that reconciles conflicting polarities such as public and private space” (Van Eyck, cited in McCarter 2015, p.82).

This elementary relation is a term he borrows from the philosopher Martin Buber. Van Eyck also takes up Heidegger’s term of presence of place.

He further develops and extends his concept in the attempt to resolve the opposing dualities of : “collective-individual, unity-diversity, part-whole, large-small, many-few, inside-outside, mass-space, constance-change and open-closed” (2015, p.113). He pushes the idea that those polarities could be simultaneously engaged in a design, rather than emphasizing one over the other, thus the in-between includes, never excludes (2015, p.55). Aldo van Eyck provides concrete examples that are translated into architectural elements or forms that intensifies the interaction and communication between two conflicting polarities. [Fig.5-6] These transitional places were elaborately concretized in his exemplary building, the Amsterdam Orphanage built in 1960, articulating the experience value and archetypal ideas he advocated. The in-between place is perceived not as being on the limit between two spaces, but as a real place that encompasses two opposing places. In his 1961 article in Forum, Van Eyck stated (cited in McCarter 2015, p.113) what for him was the essential nature of architecture: “I arrived at the conclusion that whatever space and time mean, place and occasion mean more, for space in the image of man is place and time in the image of man is occasion. […] A house, therefore, should be a bunch of places, and the same applies no less to the city. […] Cities should become the counterform of man’s reciprocally individual and collective urban reality.

It is because we have lost touch with this reality – the form – that we cannot come to grips with its counterform. […] It is human to tarry. Architecture should, I think, 42

take more account of this. The job of the planner is to provide built homecoming for all, to sustain a feeling of belonging – hence, to evolve an architecture of place – a setting for each subsequent occasion, determined or spontaneous.” This shows that he considers there is a loss of cultural identity (form) in contemporary cities and therefore advocates the elementary form-counterform relationship that was once present in old towns. He also prefers the use of more humanized terms of place and occasion – rather than the abstract scientism of space and time – to describe the connection between a house and the city which he also expresses as the whole-part duality. For him, the counterform which embodies existential meanings, is the concretization of our understanding of the cultural identity. Thus, he says that the architect’s job is to bring the architectural of place to the fore. This will allow us to regain this sense of belonging, along with that value of experience and occasion. Van Eyck strongly believed that the ‘form-counterform’, ‘place and occasion’ and man-city mediation could be drawn from what he called the Vernacular of the Heart, i.e., the ‘anthropological foundation of architecture’ in vernacular cultures. With regard to the habitat, he expresses the reconciliation between house and city as the ‘whole-part’ configuration, which means that the identity of each as a component must be reflected in the other in order to exist (Van Eyck cited in McCarter 2015, p.116-118).

In the end, Van Eyck finds fault with contemporary society, believing that it should be referred to as primitive for its weak relationship with the environment. He perceives the modern world as being “represented by the post-modernists as a chaotic collection of unrelated fragments and decentered spaces inhabited by the alienated and anxious, a world where ‘everything is relative’“ (McCarter 2015, p.194). He despises this notion of relativism, that of polycentric places. As opposed to it, he redefines relativity as the basic reciprocity of opposites. This new, simpler definition leads him 43

in-between the house and the city to telescope the past into the present in order to reengage history. ‘The connection of the contemporary condition to both modern and archaic beginnings’ could also be considered as a critical regionalism approach.

Thus, he perceives this reengagement by looking back to learn from the ‘counterforms’ of the past and from the ‘people of lesser importance’, the ‘unsophisticated majority’.

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the in-between realm - analysis A house must be like a small city if it’s to be a real house; a city like a large house if it’s to be real city (Van Eyck 1961, as cited in McCarter 2015, p.113)

Fig.07 In-between analysis - The In-between Realm of Aldo van Eyck

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This figure [fig.07] basically shows the dualities of opposites, among others, that could be simultaneously engaged and reconciled in a design.

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the in-between realm - analysis

Fig.08 In-between analysis - The In-between Realm of Aldo van Eyck

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This figure [fig.08] shows that the in-between reconciles conflicting polarities by intensifying the interaction and communication. The first set represents the human scale named ‘Man’ and the second set, the ‘City’ scale. Each element of a set can be reconciled with its opposite in an architectural element or form. The overlap thus represents Aldo van Eyck’s In-between Realm.

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the in-between realm - analysis

Fig.09 In-between analysis - Habitat – Whole-Part

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With regard to the shape - the configuration - of a habitat, this means that the identity of the whole must be latently present in the components parts, while the identity of each component part must continue to exist in the whole. The habitat thus becomes the counterform of the complete individual-community configuration, with individual and community being more than part and whole: they constitute each other’s ingredients (Van Eyck cited in McCarter 2015, p.118).

The Habitat, to be considered as a real place, must take into account simultaneously the Man scale ‘Identity of the Particular’ and the City scale ‘Identity of the Whole’. Hence, the in-between can reconcile the whole-part, house-city. [fig.09]

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the in-between realm - analysis

Fig.10 In-between analysis - How to recreate social cohesion ?

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This last diagram [fig.10] summarizes the interested key points of this in-between analysis as how to recreate social cohesion. The first set Vernacular of the Heart consists of a return to vernacular inspirations.

The second set comprises the notion of Place and Occasion, each one are interdependent, the place creates the occasion and if there is no occasion, there is no place but a space. Place is where a dimension is formed by people’s relationship with physical settings, individual and group activities.

The creation or preservation of a sense of place is important in maintaining the quality of the environment as well as the integrity of human life within it. The third set reiterates the In-between Realm [fig.06]. The overlapping between vernacular cultures and Place, named as the Vernaculars Archetypes, represents the search for the lost counterforms of vernacular architecture.

The form refers to the concrete and intangible phenomenas. The counterform refers to Art as the interpretation of these phenomenas extracted from their natural context. For example, in Muslim culture, masculine and feminine spaces are separated, this is the form. The architectural element of the mashrabiya therefore embodies this meaningful separation, its counterform. In contemporary society, the lack of a well-defined form caused by universalization makes it difficult to express its counterform. Hence the importance of studying lost vernacular counterforms. The second overlap called In-between Places restates the previous figure of the Habitat: Whole-Part [fig.07]. Finally, the last overlap incorporates the form-counterform relationship, called as the Vernaculars In-between. In response to the lack of social cohesion and the problem of individualism, this analysis therefore proposes a ‘comprehensive social pattern’ and a ‘collective concept of vernacular’.

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THE IN-BETWEEN DEFINITION – SYNTHESIS

the in-between DEFINITION – SYNTHESIS

Fig.11 Synthesis of analysis – In-between vernaculars 56

Several correlations seem to emerge when reading the writings on the poetic architecture of Christian Norberg-Schulz, Critical Regionalism and the philosophy of Aldo van Eyck. The synthesis [fig. 11] sought between the human, the city and nature makes it possible to analyse the concept of the in-between as part of a more comprehensive totality. The analysis of a case study is a way of concretizing what has been said and seeing how vernacular places could offer the architectural qualities of the in-between.

My definition of the in-between is based on the writings mentioned above, relating to the social dimension: The in-between can be defined as a social place, that gathers, mediate and reconciles conflicting polarities such as individual and collective. It is characterized by an architectural element or form that intensifies interaction and communication within a community. It can generate a social occasion as well as offer a niche for the individual, the feeling of being between two presences such as insideoutside, public-private, makes it a meaningful place creating a sense of belonging.

Moreover, it offers a mediative place, a third space that allows the presence of each polarities in itself. The individual can both feel protected as in a house and at the same time feel connected to the outside community by the varying degree of openness of the architectural element. The in-between which embodies the counterforms of daily life, ways of living or cultural identity thus allows a free appropriation of place. The in-between could be seen as the evolution of hiding places in childhood.

57

the in-between DEFINITION – SYNTHESIS

Fig.12 In-between analysis - How to recreate social cohesion ?

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This diagram [fig.12] synthesizes the research done on the different in-between concepts of Genius Loci, Critical Regionalism and the theories of Aldo van Eyck. Various strategies collide between the theoreticians. One evident common point is Heidegger’s notion of presence of place, shown as the in-between vernaculars. The overlaps show the many similarities that can be observed between Van Eyck, Kenneth Frampton and Christian Norberg-Schulz strategies.

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the in-between DEFINITION – SYNTHESIS

Fig.13 Synthesis for a prospective analysis

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The key elements highlighted in the first part are grouped together, under a reading grid which will serve as a prospective analysis [fig.13] for the case study. This analysis provides five reading points which will be applied to each vernaculars in-between. First, the genius loci strategy includes the notion of existential place, cultural identity and social character of a place.

The latter is combined with Van Eyck’s notion and provides the social character of place and occasion. This analytical tool describes what are the social ways of living or cultural form features. The second strategy represents the conflicting polarities and defines which are the dualities reconciled. The third, the degree of openness, describes how the architectural element intensifies the interaction between the mentioned polarities. Fourth, the vernacular archetypes explains how the architectural element is considered as a counterform. At last, the fifth strategy taken from Frampton, the term arrière-garde is a prospection of how this in-between be reappointed in a critical vernacular project.

61

THE TRADITIONAL THAI HOUSE IN CENTRAL THAILAND

CASE STUDY

brief introduction and historical background

64

The 19th century marks a historic shift in Thailand’s architecture.

From the late 18th to the mid-19th century, Thailand formerly known as Siam, was threatened by the neighboring states and by Western powers.

During the reigns of King Rama IV and V, to avoid colonisation by Western powers, the Siamese throne decided to reverse the previous policy of isolationism. In order to diffuse this threat and stay independent from Western colonialism, King Rama IV and his successor, agreed in adopting the European model via the path of modernization, thus absorbing Western scientific and technical achievements. Since then, the westernization of Thailand in political, social, as well as cultural and educational terms had led to a progressive decline of traditional values, a process which is increasingly influenced by globalization, resulting in a crisis of cultural identity in the Thai built environment (Tharavichitkun 2001, p.3). Thai architecture is now faced with this unsuccessful hybridization of modern culture with Thai tradition. Today, Thai architects still mimic western architectural forms to conform with capitalism and the global economy (ASA 1993, 378). Thai people believe in taking Western culture as a civilized pedigree to signify the advancement of their social status.

65

brief introduction and historical background This substitution of personality under the influence of the West has brought a misguidance to Thai society, by replacing community activities with individualist ones, superstition with rationalism, conservatism with ‘development’ and tradition with ‘progress’. In order to claim a personality of their own, contemporary Thai architects need to appropriately develop the foundations of the existing social values and practices (Oliver et al.

1976, p.122). This could mean introducing the existing vernacular patterns of living into technological improvements.

Although the representation of Thai cultural identity in contemporary architecture is in decline, Thai culture has always been strongly anchored in its rich traditions and beliefs. As a predominantly agricultural society, which was once the backbone of the country, the lives of Thai people were closely integrated with their environment (Chaichongrak et al. 2002, p.5).

Indeed, for domestic and agricultural use, early Thai settlements tended to originate near canals and rivers because the livelihood of their inhabitants depended mainly on water (2002 p.20). Group of houses evolved in a linear formation along the waterway, then a market and temple were built.

The market was the centre for the exchange of goods, at first through the barter system and later through the economy system. This notion of exchanges was also characterized by the process of mutual help in the traditional Thai constructions. Vernacular housebuilding in Thailand is a social as well as a religious activity (1976, p.1047). Raising a traditional Thai house is a collective work and many rites are performed to ensure the prosperity of the dweller in order to live in harmony with the spiritual world. Building a Thai house was firstly done on the basis of spiritual beliefs. Thus, the traditional Thai house testifies of social patterns and of a collective concept of the vernacular. The following section will present the traditional Thai house typology in Central Thailand.

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67

68

the traditional Thai house IN CENTRAL THAILAND

For hundreds of years, the traditional Thai house was considered a perfect dwelling as it would closely integrate the lives of Thai people with their environment. Today, Thai people view it as ill adapted to modern cities, finding it too dark and poorly insulated (Chaichongrak et al. 2002, p.19). Central Thailand region, also known as the central plains, is the one with the largest urban development and contains the country’s primate city of Bangkok. The terrain of the region is dominated by the Chao Phraya River valley with a rather flat landscape. The tropical climate is hot and humid throughout the year, with a dry season and a monsoon season.

Thus, the vernacular Thai house is a reflection of the climatic conditions – its elevated platform and large terrace provide protection from flooding due to heavy rainfall and blazing sun. The traditional Thai house typology in Central Thailand is called the Ruen Thai, which simply means the Thai house. A wooden house on a platform raised by posts with a gabled roof, are the main characteristic features. Traditionally, the Ruen Thai was built through a collective work of the village community with traditional carpenters and builders, along with house rituals performed by the dweller.

This architecture without architects was thus supervised by a master builder. According to Chaichongrak et al., the plan of a traditional Thai house is based on adjustment to the physical and spiritual environment rather than on scientific principles related to the trajectory of the sun or the prevailing wind. It is usually aligned lengthwise to be parallel to the nearby road or river. Superstitious and supernatural beliefs are the most important factors in drawing up the plan of a Thai house (2002, p.60).

They are also other typologies found in Central Thailand than the stem’s family’s clustered type, the riverside raft house and the roadside shop 69

THE TRADITIONAL THAI HOUSE IN CENTRAL THAILAND house. According to Punpairoj, the size of a house varies from a single family house to a cluster house. The smaller house is composed only of a bedroom and kitchen, while the cluster house has possibly up to five or six bedrooms units. Every bedroom unit is arranged around the terrace or veranda. From the extended family system in Thai culture, additional bedrooms were added as the family size increased. One unit of the building is composed of a bedroom, a veranda and a part of the terrace which is attached to the central terrace (2010, p.73). The construction process consists of a modular system of prefabricated wall panels and gables erects on site, allowing to be easily moved and re-erected due to floods.

The materiality of the house is of wood, principally teak and bamboo as natural abundant local resources. Eaves were additionally added to protect from the tropical sun and rain damage. The kitchen had many apertures and an open floor for good ventilation to let the strong smells and smoke out.

Rainwater would be collected in jars stored on the terrace, for drinking and cooking, but the washing would usually be made in the canal or river and the washroom was found outside the habitat. According to Chaichongrak et al., the way in which the different components of a traditional Thai house are arranged relates closely to the family structure, spiritual world and social hierarchy. Thai people believe that lives are dependent on both natural and supernatural forces (2002, p. 56). For example, the direction in which a sleeping person orientates his head in a bedroom is a determining factor in the design of the Ruen Thai. The sleeping person should point their head towards south or east, because Buddha faced this way on the day of his enlightenment (2002, p.58). On the contrary north and west are associated with death and destruction, thus bringing bad omen. Also their feet should point to the door, so the inhabitants will not be disturbed when other people enter the room. As stated by Chaichongrak et al., it was a customary for Thai married men to live with the wife’s family as it was 70

believed to cause the least conflicts between the two families. Therefore the new house unit was built opposite that of the parents, with the gabled ends parallel (2002, p.24). During the construction process as per Oliver et al.: “many rites are performed to ensure the prosperity of the owner of the house. The day on which the frame is erected is chosen according to astrological manuscripts. The most important rite takes place the day before; its aim is to ask the permission of the spirit of the ground to build a house in that place. […] To live in harmony with the spiritual world, he [the dweller] must respect the local rules governing relationships with the spirits. […] The dweller must perform rites for the two principal posts of the house, and later respect the sacred places in the house: thresholds, hearth, the top of the staircase. He must build altars in the house, for the ancestors’ spirits, for Buddha, or for magic formulae, and must bring offerings to them” (1976, p.1047). This indicates that Thai architecture was primarily created on the basis of spiritual rather than the physical considerations, thus using the perception of the mind more than the five senses. According to Chitranukroh, the manifestations of traditional Thai architecture express their standing by being tall and erect, rising high into the clouds. All the buildings represent a small universe and a region between hell and heaven (2006, p.126). All in all, the potential vernacular of the traditional Thai house reveals the social character of places, i.e. of the family structure, the community values and the spiritual world. In the following section, the vernacular places of the area beneath the raised house, the terrace, the veranda, the porch and the varying levels, will thus be analyzed through the prospective analysis in an attempt to bring to light the social dimension of Thai vernaculars.

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IN-BETWEEN VERNACULARS

Fig.14 Section of a traditional Thai house typology in Central Thailand (Chaichongrak 2002)

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area BeneatH tHe raiSed HouSe | taitun The central region of Thailand is situated in low-lying areas inundated by frequent rain and floods, therefore the habitat was raised above the ground to cope with it, leaving the area beneath the house for resting, weaving, spinning and other handicrafts, as well as sometimes being used as animal enclosures. [fig.14-15] The area beneath the raised house, called taitun, is thus a multi-purpose area, used as a living area during daytime.

The threshold of the place is marked by the wooden stilts of the Ruen Thai and the above wooden platform. The taitun generates an open place for social encounter between public-private, inside-outside and collectiveindividual. By being simultaneously widely open to the outside on the same ground level and by its delimitation of the raised house, both presence of public and private can be experienced, thus it occasion an intermediate place between the house and the community. It is also an open space to the natural outdoor, sheltered by the indoor platform. This extension of the house could be by analogy seen as the western notion of the garage, like the extension of the house or even more like an atelier for domestic activities. Therefore, it is a central resource for inhabiting the domestic space because it offers different potential uses which are always enriched and renewed by its malleable and transformable character. According to Chaichongrak et al. (2002, p. 48) the raised house provides shelter, privacy and security from animal predators and thieves at night. As stated

by Chaichongrak et al., the useful area can be used to store agricultural implements like carts or ploughs, timber, boats and large pans for making 75

area BeneatH tHe raiSed HouSe

Fig.15 Section of a traditional Thai house typology in Central Thailand (Chaichongrak 2002)

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The traditional Thai house had widely built due taitun to its aesthetics and practicality in the central region. Like many ThaiItvernacular houses in other palm sugar. also provides a place free of appropriation and circulation, regions, such its construction elementsactivities were made as supplementary like rice pounding, a playground or a from wood, principally teak.

The timber floor of bamboo strips (ibid). The taitun working area for washing and splitting the houses was raised above accessible height offers a cool place to rest and provides better ventilation than houses for avoiding seasonal floods. The residents used situated on the ground. The open area under roadside shop houses was a ground level area for multipurpose usage such used to store carts. [fig.16] An analogy can be made with Le Corbusier’ as open living space in the daytime, sheltering pilotis in his famous Five points of architecture. In Thai culture, it is believed animals at night and mooring a boat during times that hell is located underground, natural disasters such as floods are also of flooding (see Figure 2 to 4). implied as hell. By contrast, heaven is located on the upper level of the Recently, the traditional Thai houses have ground. house been considered toThe haveraised heritage valuethus andrefl toects be religious beliefs by being elevated ground. identity. Jotisalikorn a symbol from of Thaithearchitectural (2002) gave an opinion that the traditional Thai house is one of the most enduring icons of Thai Figure 3. Construction elements of an exa traditional Thai house.

Figure 4. Section of an example of a traditional Thai house.

Fig.16 Section of an example of a traditional Thai house - (Punpairoj 2013) JARS 7(2). 2010

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AREA BENEATH THE RAISED HOUSE

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TAITUN

79

Fig.17 Isometric of a traditional Thai house - (Tharavichitkun 2011)

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terrace | CHARN The terrace, called charn in Thai language, is an essential architectural elemental providing the much needed cross-ventilation and continuous air circulation between the housing units. [fig.17] The charn is a semi-enclosed central terrace on the raised platform, a place in-between the sleeping area and the kitchen. The total terrace floor area takes up to 40% and with verandas up to 60%. As stated by Chaichongrak et al., such an emphasis on outdoor space is an obvious architectural response to the prevailing hot and humid climate (2002, p.52). For a Thai house, the charn is as essential as the bedroom and kitchen. Before having air conditioning everywhere in houses, the terrace was an example of a suitable solution for ecological design. According to Chaichongrak et al., this vernacular outdoor place is mainly used as a multi-purpose open area for relaxing, receiving visitors and organizing traditional functions like merit making, a Buddhist practice to acquire karmic virtue through moral and ritual actions. Hence, the terrace is a meeting and gathering place, that expresses the relationship between the individual and the collective. Being a raised outdoor place, it provides a sense of shelter and simultaneously allows an overview on the outside surroundings, thus offering a transitional place between the individual and the community. Architecturally, it draws the difference sections of the houses into a single unit (ibid). This outdoor living area is also connected to the terrace behind the kitchen, used for bathing and washing. Traditionally, this semi-enclosed place has a large flowering tree or fruit tree providing more shade, thus introducing a natural element inside the Ruen Thai. As stated by Chaichongrak et al., it is this integration of inside-outside which is a particularly appealing feature of much tropical 81

TERRACE

Fig.18 Various ways to group traditional Thai houses - (Chaichongrak 2002) 82

CHARN architecture (ibid). The place of the terrace is delimited by: a 30-50 cm higher floor level of the housing units – the veranda, porch and kitchen – the purpose of this gap is for ventilation flow and rain drainage; the floor limits of the raised platform; and by the veranda’s posts and eaves.

However, the charn is connected with the places of the verandas. [fig.18] It can be said that this place offers an important free place of appropriation and circulation within the compound of the house. As the central terrace is situated at the lowest floor level of the Ruen Thai, it clearly represents an in-between place of the public-private, individual-collective polarities, i.e., between the intimate bedroom and the family or community activities. In some houses, the terraces has been adapted and roofed to give additional covered space (2002, p.33). According to Chaichongrak et al., the usually indispensable charn of the traditional Thai house is omitted altogether in riverside shop houses (2002, p.43).

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TERRACE

84

CHARN

85

h o s l s k k

” n t n . e l r

Figure 2. Isometric of an example of a traditional Thai house.

Fig.19 Isometric of a single unit traditional Thai house - (Punpairoj 2013)

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VERANDA | RABIENG The veranda is a covered living area in front of the bedroom or the kitchen connected to the terrace [fig.19]. Also called rabieng, it provides shades, both for open-air terraces and to protect wooden walls and windows from the heat and sun. Oliver et al. states that it protects the house against torrential rains offering a dry space, in which cooling breezes could be obtained and allows a covered free circulation between rooms, taking the function of a gallery (1976, pp.424-426). Usually both extremities sides are walled. Moreover, windows and doors could be left open during heavy downpours when the humidity is high. It is located at the middle floor level between the communal terrace and the private bedrooms floor levels. Covered by the eaves and enclosed by the sleeping quarter walls, it is only open to the terrace, demarcated by the stilts supporting the eaves.

According to Oliver et al., this open-air gallery allows a horizontal place for socializing, working and sleeping and a centrifugal relation to the external environment and social sphere (ibid). The rabieng mediates the dwellers relationships between the bedrooms and the outdoor terrace, providing shelter and safety. This vernacular in-between inside-outside allows one to experience nature through its refreshing breeze, thus generating a convivial place for social encounters. In the traditional Thai house, according to Oliver et al., a veranda is integral to the envelope and appears as a void within the main posts structure because it completes the volume suggested by the continuous gabled Thai roof (ibid). The rabieng’s horizontal space is contained between the 40 cm above the terrace and 40 cm below the bedroom floor level, a middle floor level manifesting an intermediate social status. On roadside shop houses, the particular type of veranda was 87

VERANDA

Fig.20-21 The roadside and riverside shop houses typology (Chaichongrak 2002) 88

rabieng a significative representation of the in-between home-street. [fig.20] The house design was conceived into two sections, the front section for the shop and the back for the living quarters. The shop section on a lower platform, is at the front of the house, providing an open-air place for displaying and storing goods, as well as selling and trading directly to the customers on the street. In riverside shop houses, Oliver et al. (ibid) state that the open-air trading area extended the front veranda to the water’s edge as an in-between house-river. [fig.21]

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VERANDA

90

rabieng

91

Figure 54: Diagram showing an example of categorical spacial differentiation within the single dwelling

Kitchen is one of the most important areas in the Central home. In the past, where every family member spent a long day working, the dinner is the only time when everyone could share their meal. As noted by one of the elderly female that, “We didn’t eat together in the morning, and at lunch we ate in the field…Only in the evening that we got to eat together.”

The foyer (Thoang) The traditional Thai house is composed of several compartments (Ruen) connected by the main terrace platform. Generally, the foyer is used as an entry area for the room(s). The foyer is found in a large number of traditional Thai homes in Suphanburi province where this study is conducted. In some other areas of the central region, such as Ayutthaya, Sing Buri, or Ang-thong province, there may not be a need or a space for the foyer at all. This is because the whole living unit (ruen) is enclosed as one Figure 55:can Diagram showing an examplea of a categorical spatial differentiation the extended large room that be accessed through door that is oriented toward the within verandah

space.

dwelling

135

Figure 73: Various spatial configurations between foyer and the rooms within the living compartment unit

As the typical living compartment is 1 post-span wide and 3 (bay) post-spans

Fig.22-23 Various spatial configuration between the foyer and the rooms

long, the size of the foyer could range from 1 to 2 post-span (approximately 9 to18 m2).

(Nanta 2009)

The location of the foyer/hall is varied and conducive to modification.

92 The living compartment walls are made up knockdown wood panels, which make

it easy for the occupants to reconfigure the space within the living compartment to suit

foyer / PORCH | tOEN

The porch or foyer is a multi-purpose place adjacent to the veranda and bedrooms. Also called the toen, the semi-private area is used as an entry to the bedrooms, thus comprised within the sleeping quarters [fig.22]. It is fully open to the veranda and the rest is enclosed like the bedroom unit, under the gabled roof and wooden walls. The configuration of the foyer in relation to the rooms is flexible due to its knockdown wood panels [fig.23].

According to Nanta (2009, p.151), depending on the needs of the family, the foyer may be used either as a place for prayer, for Buddha or ancestral shrine, or as a sleeping area. If the foyer is more of a porch-like size, it can also welcome a place for receiving guests, for closer acquaintances and for monks to sit during the ceremonial activities (Nanta 2009, p.161).

Indeed, the toen provides a cooler and ventilated place comfortable for relaxing. The semi-private place is thus a multi-purpose area for the family.

Situated on the higher level of the Ruen Thai and on the same floor level as the bedrooms, the toen is a more intimate place than the veranda. An intermediary semi-enclosed place between the bedrooms and the open-air veranda, provides a cooler and more ventilated place than the bedroom, thus many inhabitants prefer to sleep in the toen due to extreme heat and humidity. It is also a transitional place where shoes are taken off before entering the private realm, as in the temples.

93

foyer / porch

94

toen

95

e peak

Thai” ge. In pment rthern 2001). lt due central other made oor of height used such ltering times

have to be alikorn l Thai f Thai

Figure 2. Isometric of an example of a traditional Thai house.

Figure 3. Construction elements of an example of a traditional Thai house.

Fig.24 Exploded axonometry (Punpairoj 2013)

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VARYING FLOOR LEVELS

This last point regroups the architectural elements of a hierarchy of place zoning as a unique character in the traditional Thai house [fig.24].

Varying floor levels express the social hierarchy in Thai culture [fig.25].

This specificity marks the social connection between the individual and the society. Varying levels depends on the function of the in-between places mentioned above. The different floors level, by order of public to private, as cited by Chaichongrak et al. (2002, p.48) are as follows: the area beneath the raised house is on the ground floor; the terrace on the lowest level of the house is found 180 cm above the ground; the veranda is on the middle level at 220 cm; and the foyer at the highest level, as the bedrooms, is at 260 cm. According to Punpairoj (2013, p.121), as there was no use for furniture in Thai tradition, the 30-40 cm interval offerend a convenient sitting area, turning up the upper floor level of the veranda to the terrace as a bench. As previously mentioned, the gaps between these different floor levels provide various opening for free-flowing air to ventilate the living areas inside and outside the house as well as for drainage during pouring rainfall. In addition to offering different degrees of privacy and permitting ventilation, the successive floor levels especially translate the spiritual aspect and the social hierarchy of Thai architecture.

As stated by Chitranukroh (2006, p.123) Thai society: “believe in the high level of heaven to the low level of hell. […] Therefore, zones and steps were introduced in traditional Thai Architecture to classify social position, specific activities and spaces of beliefs. The places people occupied represented their social status. The privacy zone and upper level stood 97

Elevated space in Thailand expresses a highervarying value of mind.

Traditional Thai floor levels Architecture is not only physical but also spiritual. Thai people treated Thai architecture as spiritually relevant to their Buddhist or guardian beliefs.

Zones and steps indicate the meaning of hierarchy in Traditional Thai Architecture. Thai society has the high caste of king to the low caste of slave, they believe in the high level of heaven to the low level of hell. They have different levels of words, speech, and manner; for example. Therefore, zones and steps were introduced in traditional Thai Architecture to classify social position, specific activities and spaces of beliefs. The places people occupied represented their social status. The privacy zone and upper level stood for higher status such as royalty, monks and elders. Spaces and steps were applied in traditional Thai Architecture.

Figure 6: Section of a Thai house showing separated zones and steps

ayanin CHITRANUKROH and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vorasun BURANAKARN

Fig.25 Section of a Thai house showing the different floor level (Chitranukroh 2006) 98

123

for higher status such as royalty, monks and elders. […] Elevated space in Thailand expresses a higher value of mind. Traditional Thai Architecture is not only physical but also spiritual. Thai people treated Thai architecture as spiritually relevant to their Buddhist or guardian beliefs.” Another social character of Thai living is the custom of taking shoes off before entering a space, as the hot ground was considered as hell and the cooler ground of the inside as heaven. Nowadays, as cited by Nanta (2009, p.131), the three-level flooring is found unpractical and a single-level is preferred for maintenance and mobility reasons, to make the house seem larger and to prevent intruders to access through the gaps.

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varying floor levels

100

101

102

in-between vernaculars SYNTHESIS

For the thesis statements, it is interesting to compare each analysis made from the vernacular places of the traditional Thai house. Accordingly, each of the vernaculars that reflects the Thai cultural identity respects the genius loci, especially the social character of place. A shaded, protected open-air place in tropical climate region, allowing free appropriation of the space and circulation, thus provides the determined or spontaneous occasion for a social encounter. In addition, the hierarchy of different degrees of openness enables various in-between places, from public to private. These transitional places further the mediation between the Thai individual and his community, and also his connexion to nature. But above all, the in-between vernaculars translate the social hierarchy and spiritual aspect of Thai architecture. As a result, the in-between vernaculars of the Ruen Thai integrates all three notions of whole-part, form-counterform and circumstantial and general previously described by theoreticians. On the whole, this traditional Thai architecture without architects reflecting its rich traditions and beliefs is proof of a real source of inspiration.

Consideration of the social dimension and why it is important for Thai society to include its cultural identity in its architecture is fundamental to giving existential meaning to this once soulful architecture.

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IN-BETWEEN VERNACULARS – SYNTHESIS

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105

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CONCLUSION

Faced with the problem of representing Thai cultural identity in contemporary architecture, where Paul Ricoeur sees the conflict of two divergent needs, Kenneth Frampton’s strategies of critical regionalism have offered a mediating solution to the philosopher’s paradox. It should be noted that Frampton’s critical strategies date back almost half a century and that things have changed since then. Taking up his arrièregarde attitude into my research paper, I realized that the critical approach to the vernacular had to move away not only from the unrealistic impulse to return to architectural forms of the past, but also from the current development drive wrongly guiding vernacular studies. Having said that, I think that studies on vernacular architecture should be approached mainly through its main core, its anthropological dimension, rather than through the dominant one-sided studies centered on environmental and technological ecological design. This applies even more to developing countries, where the study of social identity ought to be taken into account before the comfort needs of an ecological architecture. This is what I personally consider as true sustainable architecture. While the tendency to revive nostalgic forms of the past remains questionable in my opinion, I am more interested in valuing the true meaning of an art of living that reflects the social identity in the lost architecture of place and thus taking this example to revive the essential architectural relationship of the inbetweenness of place. The in-between vernaculars can therefore be seen as a critical approach to vernacular studies on how to return to sources and to emphasize what should be learned from the past. Again, this thesis 107

conclusion aimed to initiate a deeper reflection on one part of the equation, i.e. to reconciliate the need for progress and access to universal civilisation with the need for the preservation of a cultural heritage. I believe that the role of the architect who is inspired by the vernacular is therefore to preserve this in-between relationship which constitutes the very essence of architecture.

On the basis of this dissertation, I conclude that these in-between vernaculars can be considered as archetypes. Archetypes are universal, innate patterns of architecture that reflect people’s cultural identity, ways of living, social character of a place and play a role in influencing human society against individualism and lack of social cohesion. These inbetween archetypes must thus be extracted from their context, in this case the traditional Thai house, and appropriated in the more global context of the construction industry. In contrast to current so-called contemporary Thai architecture, which is individualistic and influenced by the West, the archetypes of the in-between thus propose a bunch of places that can generate social encounter according to the ways of living of a given culture.

In my opinion, contemporary Thai architects ought to distance themselves from the all-too frequent imitation of Western architectural forms that have no other source of inspiration than the capitalist values and the goals of the world economy, and to remember that the Thai architectural identity finds its expression in its religious symbols and cultural beliefs, guarantors of the maintenance and the restoration of the relationship between the house, the inhabitants, the neighbourhood, and the social and spiritual values of the Thai society. Learning from the past, it is my conviction that we do not perceive things only by means of the classical five human senses. There is something greater, that can be seen as the sixth sense, i.e. the mind. With regard to architecture as a work of art, it 108

seems obvious to me that the significant experiences of Norberg-Schulz’s phenomenology of architecture and Aldo van Eyck’s in-between of place and occasion consider the in-between more as a metaphysical relationship.

Indeed, through its representative capacity, the in-between place is where being is realized. This meeting or reconciliation of polarities, constantly renewed occasion, as stated by Strauven is: ”in relation to the poetic notion of mind – a notion that itself implies an in-between. The ‘mind’ is located between emotion and intellect, between spirit and desire, and can compromise both simultaneously. It covers both mental and emotional subjectivity, and can be regarded as an essential human characteristic, a subjectivity not restricted to the individual subject but extending between subjects too” (1998, p.357).

Architecture has always been a borderline discipline between art and technology and as vernacular studies in architecture often tend to be analyzed through a scientific prism and less as an artistic approach, this essay goes against the grain of hegemonic academic scientism. The scientific approach involving the necessary design of a project within the framework of a thesis on architecture therefore limits the reflection of writing about architecture and bypasses the creative sense of the work of art. Where is the creative part where the student cannot choose the final product ? Writing a dissertation on art is first and foremost an attempt to record a reality, to organise one’s thoughts in order to build a vision of the professional world one is destined to enter. At the same time, it is a means of positioning oneself personally, and of taking a distanced and questioning look that marks a stage for the individual. It allows one to question the certainties established by professional circles. Therefore, a dissertation on architecture should enable research in a plurality of areas in which the student is not bound to situate its theory in a limited architectural 109

conclusion design of: site location, building type, program, concept, architectural composition, selection of materials, construction aspects, climatic aspects and a physical model. I therefore ask myself: why should the reflection of the writing on art necessarily translate into a model ?

In addition, to conceive a project from this thesis subject requires to jointly study the greater whole of which this thesis is part, i.e. the second part of the equation – how to encompass modernity. According to Frampton’s critical arrière-garde position, it would seem necessary to tackle the second approach at the same time, in order to mediate the global and the local. Designing a project on the basis of this dissertation would mean to design a hypothetical project in Thailand, which – on account of the anachronism - would not fit the purpose of this thesis. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, I cite as an example the collective housing unit project of Candilis and Woods, called Nid d’abeilles, built in 1952 in Casablanca, Morocco. Although admired by Aldo van Eyck for their extensive research into vernacular Moroccan building form and settlement patterns, this intended social architecture was later on proved dysfunctional for the lack of closeness to the community. According to McCarter (2015, pp.76-77), the architects Candilis and Woods : “studied local building traditions such as the kasbah house, including the way in which the extreme desert climate was tempered through the rooms being organized around a central courtyard, as well as the spatial and formal organizations of the bidonvilles themselves, in which they found inventive transpositions of the inhabitants’ indigenous patterns of living. Candilis and Woods’ housing took the form of non repeating courtyard housing […] at the periphery, and larger multistory slab housing at the center of the district. The multistory slab housing, like the courtyard housing, is only one room deep, and is shaded from the hot sun by deep balconies, 110

to allow through ventilation and shaded openings into interior rooms; the inner faces of the balconies are painted in bright primary colors.” Because the project was about building the largest possible number of houses for the smallest possible budget, only based on theoretical ideas rather than primarily taking into account the social needs of the inhabitants, the project was not seen as a sustainable solution. As I came to the conclusion that the traditional Thai house is first and foremost the expression of a spiritual architecture, I was convinced that applying the theoretical approach in a hypothetical project would go against the grain of my master’s thesis. To pursue my thesis, the next step should be to build with a Thai community and thus design according to real needs. I therefore opt for art as the final architectural expression of my reflection, in the form of a conceptual product without any concrete context but in the prospective context of the city of Bangkok underwater in 2073.

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2073, Bangkok under sea CONCEPTUAL PROJECT

WATERWORLD 2073, BANGKOK UNDER SEA

2073, Bangkok is under water. The average annual temperature has increased by 4°C, causing a 7-meter rise in sea level. Due to the thermal expansion of the oceans, the polar ice cap has almost completely melted. The scarcity of resources caused by the crisis in the world economy leads each country to depend on its own resources.

Chaos is thriving, but so is solidarity. The state of emergency forces the inhabitants of the capital to rebuild with local resources. The economic system has collapsed and goods are exchanged through the barter system. Architecture returns to its roots as a refuge, the ancient lifestyle of the houses on the water comes back to life. The goods produced are no longer for sale but for domestic use. Architecture thus becomes once again a community based work of art, produced not by specialists, but by the spontaneous and continuous activity of the community, depositary of a common heritage and obeying the lessons of a common experience. The character of a capitalist world thus evaporates and the inhabitants of the city gradually reconnect with nature, but the conditions of the scorching sun prompt people to rebuild the once social, shaded and ventilated in-between places.

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‘WATERWORLD’ 2073 | BANGKOK UNDER SEA

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS Chaichongrak, R. Nil-athi, S., Panin, O. and Posayanonda, S. (2002). The Thai House : History and Evolution. Bangkok: Asia Books Co., Ltd. Frampton, K. (1983). ‘Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance’ in The Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture, Seattle: Hal Foster, coll. Bay Press. p.16-30.

McCarter, R. (2015). Aldo van Eyck. London: Yale University Press.

Norberg-Schulz, C. (1979). Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture.

Reprint 1991. New York: Rizzoli.

Oliver, P. (1976). Shelter and Society. 2nd edn. London: Barrie & Jenkins.

Rapoport, A. (1974). Pour une Anthropologie de la Maison. Paris: Dunod.

Ricoeur, P. (1961). Histoire et Verite. Paris: Seuil, coll. Esprit.

Rudosfky, B. (1964). Architecture Without Architects. New-York: Doublday.

Rudofsky, B. (1977). The prodigious builders, etc. London: Secker & Warburg.

Strauven, F. (1998). Aldo van Eyck : The Shape of Relativity. Amsterdam: Architectura & Natura.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

JOURNAL ARTICLES Lefaivre, L. (2003). ’A Facet of Moderne Architecture since 1945’, in Crititcal Regionalism: Architecture and Identity in a Globalized World, New York: Prestel.

Punpairoj, P. (2010). ‘Recalibrating the Thai New Vernacular Architecture’, in JARS (7)2.

Tzonis, A. and Lefaivre, L. (1981). ‘The Grid and the Pathway: An Introduction to the Work of Dimitris and Suzana Antonakakis’, in Architecture in Greece, n°15.

WEB ARTICLES Horangyangura, V. ‘In Search of Fundamentals of Thai Architectural Identity : A Reflection of Contemporary Architecture » Athens Journal of Architecture’, Athens Journal, (3), p.21-40. [online] Available at: https://www.athensjournals.gr/ architecture/2017-3-1-2-Horayangkura.pdf (Accessed: 24 June 2021).

Kundoldibya, P. ‘Transfer of the Cultural Heritage of the Traditional Thai House: Usiri Family Houses’, Conference Article, Taiwan, 2016. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305825081_Transfer_of_ the_Cultural_Heritage_of_the_Traditional_Thai_House_Usiri_Family_Houses (Accessed: 28 June 2021).

Rhum, R. M. ‘Modernity and Tradition in Thailand’, Modern Asian Studies, (30)2, p.325-255. [online] Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/313011?seq=1 (Accessed: 3 May 2021).

Smithson, A. ‘Team 10 Primer 1953-62’, Ekistics, 15(91), p.349-360. [online] Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/43616184 (Accessed: 14 May 2021).

Teyssot, G. ‘Aldo van Eyck’s Threshold: The Story of an Idea’, Log, (11), p.3348. [online] Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41765182 (Accessed: 14 May 2021).

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THESIS Chitranukroh, J. (2006). Sentiment in Traditional Thai Architecture. Master Thesis, Chulalongkorn Unviersity, Bangkok.

Nanta, P. (2009). Social Change and the Thai House: A Study of the Transformation in the Traditional Dwelling of Central Thailand. PhD Thesis, University of Michigan, Michigan.

Punpairoj, P. (2013). The changing use of Materials in Construction of the Vernacular Thai House. PhD Thesis, University of Bath, Bath.

Tharavichitkun, B. (2011) Rethinking Thai Architecture and Cultural Identity. PhD Thesis, University of Westminster, Westminster.

ENCYCLOPEDIA Oliver, P. (1997). ‘Vernacular’, Encyclopedia of vernacular architecture of the world.

New York: Cambridge University Press.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The preparation of this thesis has been possible thanks to the help and contributions of several people to whom I would like to express my sincere thanks.

First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Jan Glasmeier for his support and advice.

I would also like to thank my family for encouraging me throughout my studies.

In particular, I would like to thank my father for his invaluable help in proofreading and editing my thesis.

Finally, I would like to thank Wafa for her warm reassurance, thanks to whom the moments of doubt seemed bearable.

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