Client
Dr. Suwin Kraibhubes
Location
Ramintra Bangkok
Area (m2) 2,950
Completion 2015
This house seeks to reconcile the client’s American suburban aesthetic with the architect’s modernist philosophy. The client’s affinity for vintage automobiles and motorcycles dramatically influenced the design, but the house also needed to be flexible in order to accommodate an intergenerational family including two small children and their grandparents. Located on a 3,200 square metre plot of land with no trees, the primary challenge was to re-create the atmosphere of a house in the American countryside. After researching American-style houses, which include small window openings, chimneys, and steep roofs with shallow eaves, it became apparent that they were inherently incompatible with the Asian style houses the architects had grown accustomed to designing. The cottage adopted some of these formal characteristics, but abandoned others in favor of more practical climatic considerations like solar orientation and air ventilation. To reflect the character of American countryside houses, natural materials like wood and stone are used liberally for both the exterior and the interior. The cottage consists of a thin U-shaped mass that encloses a central courtyard and a swimming pool. It contains a separate ten-car garage, a grand living area displaying a collection of automobiles and motorcycles, a party room modelled after a scientist’s laboratory, and a carp pond located underneath a glazed walkway that connects the living area with the dining room and pantry. Every room on the ground floor connects to the others visually, but their privacy is maintained by careful partitioning. On the second floor, the master bedroom cantilevers over the swimming pool, and its expansive windows provide a beautiful and serene view of the newly-planted trees outside. These trees also protect the room from the sun’s heat during the day. Additionally, this floor contains a private family area meant to nurture the young boys’ relationships with their parents and grandparents. This space is also designed to provide the owner a view of his car collection from above, like having a private showroom in the house. Other spaces are similarly designed to showcase varying collections such as vintage cameras, typewriters, and books. The house exemplifies a timeless, rustic quality and thoughtfully negotiates the relationships between the family members, the owner’s collections, and the surrounding site. It is truly a Cottage Reinvention.
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