PAM Lecture series : EKAR Architects -- YAP JIA CHERNG 1001642857
THE OTHER'S PLACE
EKAR ARCHITECTS
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| Ekaphap Duangkaew |
EKAPHAP DUANGKAEW
born in Chiang Mai
Founder of EKAR (2014-present)
Co-founder of NOTDS (none other than design studio) (2009-2014)
Awards
Finalist of WAN awards 2014 (UK) for T-House (a House of T-Shirt maker in Nontaburee, Thailand)
Double finalist of Architizer Awards 2015 (Factory and Cantilever categories) for The Power house of SCG (the mechanical building in Bangkok, Thailand)
“Baitong 3x3x3”, a steel house design competition by Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand in 2009.
Education
Graduated in Architecture at Chiang Mai University, and he is now the principal of EKAR.
EKAR believes the architecture is originated from a perfect mixture of beautiful aesthetic senses and functional usabilities occurred through thinking process. EKAR creation is like a research combining science and art together to bring out proper design efficiency to create a sense of place which will lead to positive changes and expand to the whole society.
T-House, a combination of home, office, a warehouse using the cotton textile as the main idea to represent the family-run business.
EKAR pulled out the essences of Pornputhakul family and blended them together with Thai living habit and Western ideal. As a wholesaller of the undergarment, the design of cloth line was intended to be simple and monochrome mainly using white, grey and black. They focuses on the cutting and fabric more than its striking patterns, so they introduced this characteristic through the house with an idea of minimalism.
‘Jai Baan or a heart of the house’ locating perfectly at the heart of this two-storey dwell. This centered piece is composed of two crossing staircases functioning to connect all rooms on the second level. It ties the working spaces between two floors together which is the main working area (GF) and the executive office (2F). Meanwhile, another staircase connects the private spaces, whcih include living area, bedrooms, kitchen (1F), and two bedrooms (2F).
ENERGY SAVING
EXTERIOR
The exterior appearance is shaped in pure geometric form to reflect each function straightforwardly inside out. EKAR swirled the building shape according to the weather condition; to sheild the house from receiving too much direct sunlight and heat from the West.
OPENINGS
Multi-Place is a place to live and to work harmoniously, designed for two siblings with backgrounds in pharmacist and veterinarian, who once lived apart and had one own clinic, decided to buy a narrow land in a heart of Surat Thani to live together and commercial purpose.
THE COMPLEX CONDITION
The buildings need to be able to live and work. EKAR maximized the limited space of 480 square-meter land to support the clients’ businesses, including pharmacy, veterinary clinic, pets shop, hostel, cafe and rental meeting rooms with the combining of two separate residential to this mix use buildings. Besides, due to its site that sat along the main road, other issues which needed to be concerned are the legal restriction of buildings as well as dust and noise pollution.
EKAR believes the architecture is originated from a perfect mixture of beautiful aesthetic senses and functional usabilities occurred through thinking process. EKAR creation is like a research combining science and art together to bring out proper design efficiency to create a sense of place which will lead to positive changes and expand to the whole society.
PROJECTS
T-HOUSE
T-House, a combination of home, office, a warehouse using the cotton textile as the main idea to represent the family-run business.
EKAR pulled out the essences of Pornputhakul family and blended them together with Thai living habit and Western ideal. As a wholesaller of the undergarment, the design of cloth line was intended to be simple and monochrome mainly using white, grey and black. They focuses on the cutting and fabric more than its striking patterns, so they introduced this characteristic through the house with an idea of minimalism.
‘Jai Baan or a heart of the house’ locating perfectly at the heart of this two-storey dwell. This centered piece is composed of two crossing staircases functioning to connect all rooms on the second level. It ties the working spaces between two floors together which is the main working area (GF) and the executive office (2F). Meanwhile, another staircase connects the private spaces, whcih include living area, bedrooms, kitchen (1F), and two bedrooms (2F).
ENERGY SAVING
Three small overhead skylights is designed on the rooftop in order to limit the amount of heat accessing the house. The heat will reach only the top volume of the staircases, which is less use by the occupants in the house.
IDENTITY OF HOUSE
They also installed numerous cotton stripes weaving above the stairs. With its translucent but transparent material profile, it functions to screen the direct sunlight to reach the lower volume. It also separate the public and private space apart, and give the sense of the occupacy between the outsiders and the habitants. At the same time of representing the icon of this house, the characteristic of these hanging fabrics remind the dwellers of the famiy business and the history in which the family has been through.
They also installed numerous cotton stripes weaving above the stairs. With its translucent but transparent material profile, it functions to screen the direct sunlight to reach the lower volume. It also separate the public and private space apart, and give the sense of the occupacy between the outsiders and the habitants. At the same time of representing the icon of this house, the characteristic of these hanging fabrics remind the dwellers of the famiy business and the history in which the family has been through.
SPACE CONNECTION
The designers intended to create a crossed circulation between the public zone and the private zone by stacking two T-shaped staircases together. As a result, the executive room on the second floor is able to view the activities of the habitant on the ground floor through the double-volume space. Two bedrooms on the second floor were also facing each other connected by a bridge, thus the owner is able to see the working area down anytime. Living space on ground floor was planned based on the criteria of owner’s mother who would like to have a traditional Thai living room, one that consisted ‘Tang or big wooden sofa bed.’ The designer then transformed the form of the olden Tang using the western-styled sofa to form a new different shape with multi-functions of sofa bed.
The designers intended to create a crossed circulation between the public zone and the private zone by stacking two T-shaped staircases together. As a result, the executive room on the second floor is able to view the activities of the habitant on the ground floor through the double-volume space. Two bedrooms on the second floor were also facing each other connected by a bridge, thus the owner is able to see the working area down anytime. Living space on ground floor was planned based on the criteria of owner’s mother who would like to have a traditional Thai living room, one that consisted ‘Tang or big wooden sofa bed.’ The designer then transformed the form of the olden Tang using the western-styled sofa to form a new different shape with multi-functions of sofa bed.
EXTERIOR
The exterior appearance is shaped in pure geometric form to reflect each function straightforwardly inside out. EKAR swirled the building shape according to the weather condition; to sheild the house from receiving too much direct sunlight and heat from the West.
OPENINGS
The position of 30 windows composited around the house were integrated responding to human functions of which creating the unique views and new dimensions for this house.
MULTI-PLACE
THE COMPLEX CONDITION
The buildings need to be able to live and work. EKAR maximized the limited space of 480 square-meter land to support the clients’ businesses, including pharmacy, veterinary clinic, pets shop, hostel, cafe and rental meeting rooms with the combining of two separate residential to this mix use buildings. Besides, due to its site that sat along the main road, other issues which needed to be concerned are the legal restriction of buildings as well as dust and noise pollution.
CENTRAL COURTYARD
With the legal restriction of the length of the building could not be over 20 meters, the architects divided the project into two buildings; front and rear. The in between area was converted into a garden which brought natural sunlight into the massive architecture and act as a natural boundary between public area and private area. According to client, the requirement was to separate their residential space from one another, this garden is to be a relaxing linkage between two detached residential spaces. The garden walls is composed of glass blocks which allows sunlight to shine through and creating dynamic shadow effects from the movements behind themselves as well as an airy-like sensation.
BARRIER
In terms of privacy as well as dust and noise pollution, concrete screen blocks became the best solution for the facade. Composing the multiple patterned concrete screen blocks together not just only screened the pollution yet allowed air flow smoothly; meanwhile, created privacy for people inside without feeling cramped.
ReGen HOUSE
This house was designed for a family which three generation intended to live closely and able to take care of each other. This building combines the old existing architecture and build a slightly modern style building at the side of it. The ReGen comes from the relationship of the family, which the grand generation take care of their youth, and then the youth take care of the new generation, the new generation then take care of the grand generation. The overall design is like three boxes, each box for each generation/ family.
TEMPLE TOILET
The idea behind this toilet is actually quite interesting, EKAR thinks that a toilet should not only a "pee and go" place, it is a place where people clean themselves and and rest, it is why they design it with more attention this time, creating pleasing architecture space where people can stay and have a break. His opinion towards toilets is very different that I think is worth to take a deep look in.
Q&A
James : How does Chiang Mai influence for your design?
Ekaphap : The Different country will be having a different condition of the site and the most influential part is that the context of the site.
Random Girl : How do you organize your work with your partner, with EKAR? Is there are some people doing this work and other people working for different things?
Ekaphap : There are 9 of us in EKAR, and not to say organized the work, but all people of EKAR have to do all the works.
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