Contribution to a local way of building. Mekong House by PAVA architects
15/02/2024.
[Loei] Thailand
metalocus, JORGE MARTINEZ
metalocus, JORGE MARTINEZ
PAVA architects has designed a new home within the rich landscape formed by the Mekong River as it passes through Chiang Khan, a district in the northern part of Loei Province, in northeastern Thailand. The home is conceived from the need to express a sensation of simple vernacular architecture.
Aligned with the edge of the Mekong River, the building generates a contemporary home that establishes a simple dialogue with the vernacular architecture, generating a tranquil atmosphere within a tropical climate. This atmosphere transforms depending on the time of day thanks to the excellent work of natural lighting that the architects developed for the design.
Aligned with the edge of the Mekong River, the building generates a contemporary home that establishes a simple dialogue with the vernacular architecture, generating a tranquil atmosphere within a tropical climate. This atmosphere transforms depending on the time of day thanks to the excellent work of natural lighting that the architects developed for the design.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Ground floor plan. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
First floor plan. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
Section plan. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
Section plan. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
Elevation plan. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
Elevation plan. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
Constructive detail. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
Estructure plan. Mekong House by PAVA architects.
Mekong House, a home designed by the PAVA architects studio, combines the local lifestyle with a simple and open rectangular floor plan, in a modern style. On the second floor, a series of balconies are incorporated that serve as transition spaces, in addition to serving as a shading device for the ground floor.
The materials used for the construction of the building were mainly reused from an abandoned rice mill. The earth mixed with the rice straw wall finish contrasting with the native red wood is the way to express the beauty of local craftsmanship that the architects intended to illustrate with the project.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
The materials used for the construction of the building were mainly reused from an abandoned rice mill. The earth mixed with the rice straw wall finish contrasting with the native red wood is the way to express the beauty of local craftsmanship that the architects intended to illustrate with the project.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Project description by PAVA architects
Mekong House is carefully crafted to express down to earth owner’s personality, the rich environment of the Mekong river and a sense of simple vernacular architecture. The strong horizontal line of the house elevation reflects the stunning line of the serene Mekong river. In order to create a tranquil atmosphere, all of the architectural elements are designed to be simple and humble, yet honest and straightforward.
The planning of the house is designed by the combination of the modernized open-plan and local vernacular way of life. The simple rectangular floor plan of Mekong House is the key to embrace natural ventilation, and meanwhile to create the panoramic river view of the project. A series of second floor timber balconies, inspired from the local north eastern village of Thailand, are designed as a transitional space, multi activity area and shading device. Under the big shade of the vernacular gable roof, the project packs all of the mechanical works, electrical utilities and bathrooms as a one single concrete core to maximize the house’s opening and clean surface of the house’s facade.
The main building material and structure is the reused timbers from an abandoned small scale rice mill. The earth mixed with rice straw wall finishing contrasting with the native red timber (Xylia xylocarpa) is the way to express the beauty of local craftsmanship. Handmade architectural tectonics blended in the rich landscape reflects the owner’s belief to be a small part of nature. The building material, such as wooden shingle, timber beam and column are all weathering materiality which illustrate the picture of changing climate over seasons. Absorbing wetness, the house is painted to be a darker color in the storm season of tropical climate. On the other hand, the timber becomes brighter and pale in the dry season.
Mekong House by PAVA architects. Photograph by Spaceshift Studio.
Mekong house's atmosphere at day time is different from the night. Resulting from the strong sunlight, the perception of dark shade of the roof ceiling at day time is a unique character of this tropical house and provides comfortable interior living space. On the contrary, to avoid disturbing the dark sky, the roof ceiling at night is indirectly highlighted to glow by a hidden spotlight integrated with the timber rafter.
Throughout the seasonal change, the project creates a humble contemporary living space with the simple language of north eastern vernacular architecture of Thailand. Slowing down modernized lifestyle is resulting in a serene atmosphere and simple floor plan that is aligned with the Mekong river. Shade, shadow and material texture matter in this house. As a result, the project is crafted to absorb the rich tropical climate and express itself as the down to Earth design blended to the rich Mekong environment.
More information
Architects
PAVA architects.- Pacharapan Ratananakorn and Varat Limwibul.
Client
Slow Life Community.
Area
200 sqm.
Dates
2022.
Location
Chiang Khan, Loei, Thailand.
Photography
Pacharapan Ratananakorn, Varat Limwibul. PAVA architects
PAVA is an interdisciplinary environmental project practice studio that was founded in 2018 by Pacharapan Ratananakorn and Varat Limwibul in Bangkok. In response to the climate challenge, environmental degradation and urbanization, they practice interdisciplinary boundaries and conduct research to comprehensively revive, adapt and transform architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture and urbanism.
PAVA considers project practice as a growing process and a holistic system. Time, place and context matter. They believe that architectural practice should reflect the multiple dimensions and invisible layers of economics, politics, culture and the environment. What the project “does” is empowering, calling out memories of the past and hope for the future.
PAVA has been recognized and received with project awards both internationally and locally. In 2023, Kaomai Museums and Tea Barn was the winner of the creative reuse category at the World Architecture Festival and was also praised by Architectural Review at the AR New into Old Awards. The Teak Pavilion and its research were exhibited as the main thematic pavilion at Architect Expo 2023, Bangkok. Kaomai Estate 1955, a master plan and adaptive reuse project, received the 2018 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Prize for Cultural Heritage Conservation in the category “New Design in Heritage Contexts”. The Guggenheim Helsinki 2014 design proposal was chosen as a participating architect with ASWA by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The ASA Lanna Headquarters of Northern Thai Architects 2014 competition received the second prize from the Northern Siamese Architects Association under royal patronage.
Pacharapan Ratananakorn worked as a licensed architect and licensed interior architect under the Council of Architects of Thailand and has previous experience with Architeckidd co.,ltd. She was awarded the Holcim Asia Pacific Gold Regional Award 2014 and as a finalist for the Holcim Global Award 2014 for the Protective Wing (Bird Sanctuary) project with Architectkidd from the Lafarge Holcim Foundation, Zurich. She is an adjunct professor and visiting critic in architecture, interior architecture and urban design programs at several universities including Chulalongkorn University, INDA, and Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Pacharapan holds the Bachelor of Architecture in Interior Architecture with Second Class Honors 2012 from Chulalongkorn University and the Master of Advanced Studies in Urban Design 2017 from ETH Zurich.
Varat Limwibul has previous experience with Architects 49 Limited in Bangkok, Bjarke Ingels Group in New York and works as a registered architect and landscape architect under the Council of Architects of Thailand. He is an adjunct professor and visiting critic in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design programs at Chulalongkorn University, INDA, and Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Varat worked with Harvard professors GSD for Practices of Landscape Architecture and Landscape Core Studio as a teaching assistant. He worked with Chula Unisearch supporting architectural and landscape designs. Varat holds a Bachelor of Architecture with First Class Honors 2012 from Chulalongkorn University and a Master of Landscape Architecture with Distinction 2019 from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.
PAVA considers project practice as a growing process and a holistic system. Time, place and context matter. They believe that architectural practice should reflect the multiple dimensions and invisible layers of economics, politics, culture and the environment. What the project “does” is empowering, calling out memories of the past and hope for the future.
PAVA has been recognized and received with project awards both internationally and locally. In 2023, Kaomai Museums and Tea Barn was the winner of the creative reuse category at the World Architecture Festival and was also praised by Architectural Review at the AR New into Old Awards. The Teak Pavilion and its research were exhibited as the main thematic pavilion at Architect Expo 2023, Bangkok. Kaomai Estate 1955, a master plan and adaptive reuse project, received the 2018 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Prize for Cultural Heritage Conservation in the category “New Design in Heritage Contexts”. The Guggenheim Helsinki 2014 design proposal was chosen as a participating architect with ASWA by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The ASA Lanna Headquarters of Northern Thai Architects 2014 competition received the second prize from the Northern Siamese Architects Association under royal patronage.
Pacharapan Ratananakorn worked as a licensed architect and licensed interior architect under the Council of Architects of Thailand and has previous experience with Architeckidd co.,ltd. She was awarded the Holcim Asia Pacific Gold Regional Award 2014 and as a finalist for the Holcim Global Award 2014 for the Protective Wing (Bird Sanctuary) project with Architectkidd from the Lafarge Holcim Foundation, Zurich. She is an adjunct professor and visiting critic in architecture, interior architecture and urban design programs at several universities including Chulalongkorn University, INDA, and Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Pacharapan holds the Bachelor of Architecture in Interior Architecture with Second Class Honors 2012 from Chulalongkorn University and the Master of Advanced Studies in Urban Design 2017 from ETH Zurich.
Varat Limwibul has previous experience with Architects 49 Limited in Bangkok, Bjarke Ingels Group in New York and works as a registered architect and landscape architect under the Council of Architects of Thailand. He is an adjunct professor and visiting critic in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design programs at Chulalongkorn University, INDA, and Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Varat worked with Harvard professors GSD for Practices of Landscape Architecture and Landscape Core Studio as a teaching assistant. He worked with Chula Unisearch supporting architectural and landscape designs. Varat holds a Bachelor of Architecture with First Class Honors 2012 from Chulalongkorn University and a Master of Landscape Architecture with Distinction 2019 from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.
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