Rapit Suvanajata
C G
ivic / overnment
projects
Rapit Suvanajata
City Plaza + facilities
The design communicates to the city and its people the contemporary identity of life and culture of the city. The plaza works with eight ‘landscape’ buildings to generate the new meeting point in the city.The design is proposed as a landmark that can be seen from all levels: pedestrian, buildings and from the air, from dawn until dusk.
Project cost calculated in Thai Baht according to local market cost models converted into GBP.
www.spacesyntax.com/projects-clients-partners/archives/year-2003/
Client: Udonthani Municipality (www.udoncity.go.th) 6m GBP, Phase 1 completed (Stage A-L) 112,000 sqm Udonthani, 2003-2006
Rapit Suvanajata
Space Syntax analysis (with C+A Lab)
City plaza + facilities All eight buildings become‘second layer’ of the City plaza providing much needed green areas in the city centre. Accessible from the plaza level, the building offer unique and comprehensive views across the whole plaza and the city Local sand stone Stainless balustrade Polished stainless steel panels
Artificial grass Polished stainless steel panels
Black granite sheet
Stainless steel bench with hardwood seating Metal sheet Aluminium grill
Drainage
WC entrance Machine room entrance
Green tinted tempered glass in aluminium frame
Drainage Polished concrete floor
Polished concrete floor
Building facility, Phase I
Rapit Suvanajata
City plaza + facilities
Rapit Suvanajata
City plaza + facilities
Rapit Suvanajata
City plaza + facilities Plaza & fountain, Phase I
Rapit Suvanajata
Stainless steel fence Grass
City plaza + facilities
Waterproofing membrane Concrete block Sand stone
Concrete slab Metal deck
Grass Waterproofing membrane Concrete block Concrete slab Compact soil Metal deck
Stainless steel panel Steel truss Steel truss RC wall
Metal sheet
Translucent PVC corrugated sheet Steel frame RC wall
Grass Stainless steel fence Stainless steel strip
Sand stone Stainless steel strip Granite panel
Stainless steel + wood bench
Granite panel Polished concrete
Gutter
Aluminium grills Polished concrete Gutter
Building facility, Phase II
Rapit Suvanajata
City plaza + facilities
Rapit Suvanajata
Market
County council
Farm School
Local government office Client: Bangtathane Municipality 420k GBP, Planning permission package (Stage A-H) 1,250 sqm, Supanburi, 2007 The design of the office for a newlyformed local government is the reflection of the project site, the local characters of built environment and the attempts to create the heart of the community.The building accommodates various departments providing state services as well as new civic facilities by the river. The building programmes and areas were carefully discussed and calculated through series of workshops collaboratively arranged with social scientists from central government and local academics. The design of architectural elements are influenced by simple yet unique solutions found in local architecture of houses, shops,furniture,crafts and canal boats.
Project cost calculated in Thai Baht according to local market cost models converted into GBP.
Rapit Suvanajata
Local government office
Rapit Suvanajata
Local government office
Rapit Suvanajata
Local government office
Metal sheet 0.57mm Stainless steel sheet Steel truss
Stainless steel sheet Steel frame
Stainless steel rainwater pipe dia.4�
Rapit Suvanajata
Local government office Materials and construction methods are low-cost and straightforward. Wood panels will be sourced from old abandoned sheds around the area.They will be treated and cut into small pieces to create the facades of the building. Local craftsmen will be employed to assemble the facades which integrate t r a d i t i o n a l - s t y l e f u r n i t u re a n d balustrades design found in buildings in the community. Construction cost is kept to the minimum by using readily-available prefabricated construction material such as locally-made concrete planks for floors, steel frame and corrugated metal sheets. This approach will also help keeping the cost of the maintenance low and the building will be compatible with its surrounding where such materials are widely used by the community.
Rapit Suvanajata
Local government office
Rapit Suvanajata
Primary school & Kindergarten Client: Bangtathane Municipality 2.5m GBP, Planning permission package (Stage A-H) 6,480 sqm, Supanburi, 2007 Based on Montessori principles, the school is seen as experience connecting children to nature, environment and to one another.Space is linked with series of curves suggesting possible connections and meeting points. The concept is translated into architectural elements which become walls leading children’s movement from one activity to another, openings focussing children’s attentions and landscape of steps linking classrooms to the school environment.The skylight on the roof provides indirect light for the classrooms and office space. The design complies with legislation concerning the minimum size of land for school building, classroom size, fireescape location and number of toilets. Cooking and waste m anagement facilities have a dedicated and direct connection with public utilities and are placed in semi-outdoor zone of the building for fire and odour consideration. Pump, MDB and transformer rooms are kept in service zone with direct access to the main road for easy connection. Project cost calculated in Thai Baht according to local market cost models converted into GBP.
Link and Learn
Rapit Suvanajata
6 1
3 4
2
5 6
1- Primary school/ 2- Kindergarten/ 3 - School office/ 4 - Learning facilities & school office/ 5 - Canteen/ 6 - Playground
Primary school & Kindergarten
Rapit Suvanajata
East elevation
Primary school & Kindergarten All parts of the school are designed with child-friendly features. The classroom walls are colourful polycarbonate sheets which soften light through.Ventilation of the classrooms is through small voids incorporated in the classroom polycarbonate walls. These voids are placed at the top half of the walls so that students can concentrate during class. Walls of other buildings are made of wooden planks fixed on wooden struts; local techniques are used on these walls. Extra slit windows are scattered along the walls to gain indirect light reflected from the ceilings.
Rapit Suvanajata
Primary school & Kindergarten The building is raised over the ground to allow extra ventilation and to prevent flooding and insects.Children can run out to private playground at the back of the building. Teachers’ offices are located across the hall from the kindergarten classrooms.
Rapit Suvanajata
Primary school & Kindergarten The building is designed to float above the ground to help with high humidity of the site. The classrooms are set back under big roofs. All buildings have reinforced concrete beams and columns, metal sheet roofs with large insulated space gaps between the roof and the classroom ceilings. Classrooms have walls made of polycarbonate sheets which are tough but lightweight and soft to the touch with a wide range of colours to choose from.
Rapit Suvanajata
Primary school & Kindergarten
Extra protection for kindergarten pupils includes prefabricated panels fitted along classroom corridors. The panels have aluminium frames and local bamboo sticks are used as balustrades.
Rapit Suvanajata
Primary school & Kindergarten
Cement board
Ventilation board
Gypsum board
Steel tube
Translucent sheet
Metal sheet
Metal sheet
Translucent board
Aluminium flashing
Rapit Suvanajata
Existing buildings
Community Theatre Client: Bangtathane Municipality 150k GBP, Planning permission package (Stage A-H) 160 sqm Supanburi, 2006 The theatre is located in an old floating market and connected to wooden walkways on one side and the river on the other. The theatre occupies a small plot in a row of shophouses along the main thoroughfare in the market. The character of the theatre was inspired by local design of shophouse and pier construction techniques. The materials used in the theatre are also inspired by what is used in shops and houses in the market. The site is flooded during the rainy season and the theatre can be reached from the canal by boats. It becomes a meeting point and the gateway of the community.
Project cost calculated in Thai Baht according to local market cost models converted into GBP.
Rapit Suvanajata
existing structure
existing structure
walkway
existing structure
existing structure
Community Theatre
seating area
seating area
seating area
stage area
stage area
River
Rapit Suvanajata
Hardwood shingles 200 x 600 x 25 mm
Seating area level Market walkway level
Wall details
Community Theatre
Rapit Suvanajata
Community Theatre The theatre incorporates three main types of structure: steel trusses on the roof, wood panels with metal struts for the walls and floor and precast piles. This small theatre is in a fresh market next to a canal where only pre-cast RC piles can be manually transported to the site, are used for theatre foundations. A pile is driven down 12 metres in the ground by three men using traditional tools. Columns are cast on site and rise to support steel beams under the theatre’s wooden floor. Prefabricated theatre walls are attached to steel columns that support a lean-to roof.
Construction process
Rapit Suvanajata
Community Theatre
Rapit Suvanajata
Top of the roof level
Steel frame Roof beam level Steel truss Aluminium cladding Aluminium frame @ 1.00 m. Aluminium cable Aluminium frame grid system (200 x 600 mm) Hardwood shingles 200 x 600 x 25 mm
Roof section
Steel frame Steel truss (refer to structural engineering dwg) Steel frame C profile @ 1.00 m. Aluminium frame grid system (200 x 600 mm) Aluminium cladding Roof beam level
Community Theatre
Ceiling level
Steel frame C profile @ 1.00 m. Hardwood shingles 200 x 600 x 25 mm RC column 300 x 300 mm
Stage area level See detail A
Seating area level
Typical section
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The gate is located on the traffic island at the edge of the City of London on the junction of Aldgate High Street and Houndsditch. The location marks the eastern-most gateway of former City wall. Coincided with London Olympic 2012, the design strengthens the history of ‘Ale-Gate’ as the gate that welcomed all to London. The gate is designed to address all users engaging with the site: pedestrians, vehicles and city fauna passing and crossing the junction. The design concept emphasises ‘space between’ the gate and its immediate surroundings resulting in the unique geometry of the design and the inbetween space which continually changes with speed and directions of the passerbys.The design works not only as an actual gateway but also as the facilitator of many spatial gateways that define the street space around it. Its overall silhouette attempts to bridge the scales of the skyline of high-rise buildings in the City and that of medium-height buildings in the East End.
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Design competition London, 2010
BP
SARACEN'S HEAD YARD
IES MINOR
‘Gate for All’
Bank
EET JEWRY STR
PH 16.1m
88 90
94
ersity ldhall Univ London Guin Cass College and Sir Joh
Bank
95
Rapit Suvanajata
Aldgate High Street
‘Gate for All’
Creating dynamic gates for all
Houndsditch Duke’s Place
Rapit Suvanajata
Ceramic brick cladding
‘Gate for All’
stainless steel mesh
steel structure
RC footings
Rapit Suvanajata
‘Gate for All’
Aldgate
Houndsditch
Duke’s Place
Rapit Suvanajata
‘Gate for All’ Facades of the Gateway are supported by the main steel structure anchored to the reinforced concrete footings.The whole structure is wrapped with stainless steel mesh on which stainless steel plates are installed to support rainscreen panels. Openings among panels allow ventilation and light inside the structure. Over a period of time the mesh will provide support to small plants and becomes habitat for city faunas.
Facade concept
Rapit Suvanajata
‘Gate for All’
Rapit Suvanajata
‘Gate for All’
Rapit Suvanajata Architects Council of Thailand Association of Siamese Architects,Thailand Architect Registration Board, UK Royal Institute of British Architects, UK Fellow, Higher Education Academy, UK Institute for Sustainability, UK PhD (Design strategies, Bartlett, London) M.Arch (Pratt Institute, New York) B.Arch (Chulalongkorn, Bangkok)
dssrapit@gmail.com