ASA JOURNAL Vol.2 | 2018

constructed as an annex or an extra living unit and built at the
the load of the house to the ground and functioning as a
and the use of light and airy mass and building shell to optimize
structure system lies in the basic rule of architectural planes,
same time as the main house. The main house, which is often
structure that offers vertical support. However, finding 12-15
natural ventilation.
comprising of the vertical and the horizontal. The vertical
used as the owner’s sleeping area, can be determined by the
straight, strong and beautiful trunks with usable height
plane is comprised of poles whereas the horizontal plane is
presence of a sacred pole. The secondary house is traditionally
(10-15 sok) is not an easy task. Only 2-3 poles are usually found
The specification of sizes and proportions incorporates
made of beams-joists and crossbeams-purlin structure. The
smaller than the main house, known as hern Orn or Ruen Lek.
in a season or a year. For a son to get married and start a new
the law of three to various dimensions of the architecture such
additional inclined plane is created for the roof structure and
This particular area houses a kitchen and/or a sleeping area of
family, he has to wait until sufficient wood is procured. The
as the 3-room program or 3-portion height of the house. The
extension of functional space through the expansion of walls,
the married son.
role of female members in the household includes assistance
use of the three-room house, which can be found throughout
in which the vertical structure is inclined with the structural
in weaving the material such as ‘fak’ for the house’s floor and
Southeast Asia, and can be applied to the general standard of
elements of the vertical and horizontal plane help to support
The specification of the height follows a clear formula,
walls and assembling ‘ka’ for roofing. Essentially, the division
vernacular design and allocation of functional spaces of a
the transmitted weight.
presumably reflecting the family’s financial ability. As a result,
of labor can be simply categorized with the male members
standard house for a single family, while the extension of the
the heights of Tai Yai houses vary considerably. ‘hern ma nung’ 5
responsible for the house’s structure whereas the female
house can be applied for extended spatial needs of a contem-
The realization in the demands for construction re-
(a sitting dog house) is a house with a lean-to roof and the floor
members handles the house’s shell as well as preparing meals
porary house.
sources, the specification of structural parts such as the nine
that is elevated to the height for only a dog to walk through.
for family members during the construction of the house.
piles of wood and the collection of wood from different
This type of house is usually an alternative for families with
The utilization of human scale in the design and con-
seasons emphasizes the architecture’s resource usage
limited resources or the need for a quick and simple shelter after
a relocation or settlement on a new piece of land. The waist-high
6. Construction
struction of vernacular design should be further experimented
by contemporary architects and designers. There has been the
requirement. A good structural design refers to the knowledge
and understanding in the structural system, which is derived
house or (‘hern piang ew) is constructed with the floor elevated
Tai Yai’s belief regards home construction as both a
use and reference of the human scale as a part of the universal
from the basic rules of weight bearing including the
approximately one meter from the ground, and is also an option
physical and social process. For a house to be lived in physi-
system developed by the western system. By referencing the
adjustment of axes to suit different materials from wood to
for families with limited resources. For a standard house, ‘hern
cally and spiritually, a ritual is performed with the process that
experience of the actual users, the specification of span lengths
concrete and steel.
hang’, the floor is elevated high enough for human to walk
underneath. The specification of the house’s vertical height
often uses ‘sok’ or ‘elbow scale’ and ‘kueb’ or ‘hand scale’ as the
follows the modus operandi of Tai Yai’s house construction as
shown in Image 7. The poles are cultivated to stone footings
beginning with the sacred pole, which is usually the one
and ranges can help the architecture attain the more suitable
scale. For instance, the addition of kueb, which equals 10-15
centimeters, to a span or a range can help achieve the most
Conclusion
measurement unit. The height of a house is divided into three
situated towards the northeastern direction or the adjacent
suitable proportion. The details are gradually and minimally
Vernacular design is developed on the conceptual
different parts. The height of the elevated floor equals 4-5 sok,
pole located towards the east. The sacred pole can be cultivated
added to the design along the construction process, which
basis of vernacular architecture, and as a result, contains sim-
while the house body is usually a little bit higher. The height of
at any other locations as indicated by the calculation of the
similar to the method of cooking as well as the way other
ilar natures to vernacular structure for the great flexibility and
‘jom hern’ or ‘yod ruen’ is between 2-3 sok. The indication of
owner’s birth date as a result of Brahma influence in Tai Yai
vernacular creations are made.
versatility of style. Vernacular design is varied by different
the roof ’s sloped angle is derived from the proportion between
culture. A house may contain one or two sacred poles, with
contexts and each builder’s preferences. Designers applying
the angle of the inclined roof and the range to the center of the
the latter pole traditionally constructed to support the first
The specification of the form and program of the main
vernacular design, therefore, should learn to conceptualize the
beam (the leaning angle is a little shorter than the range to
crossbeam. When all the poles are bolted, the beams are
building and future expansion all derive from the smallest
rules before applying their design works. The design output
center of the beam). The standard angle of the inclination
brought in to fasten the structure together. The joists are
fundamental unit. The expansion is usually driven by new
depends on the application, in which the designer is able to
ranges between 35-40 degrees while the height of a standard
placed on the beams before starting the construction of the
functional demands and increased number of users. The
capture and choose to apply into their design works.
house (from the ground floor to the top of the roof) is between
roof structure, which comprises of crossbeams, purlins and
methods vary from the expanding of functional space through
10-15 sok or approximately 5-8 meters.
rafters. The tightly woven meshes are placed as the base of the
floor and wall extensions all the way to the construction of
Vernacular design is the concept that associates itself
5. Structure
roof. Walls and floors are then installed as the final step. The
construction process takes up to 3-5 days to complete.
additional structures in order for the annex to be built in
parallel with the main house.
to human ecological design, whose primary objective is not
to fulfill aesthetic purpose but to correspond to environmental
The structural system comprises of vertical and hori-
factors and fulfill users’ demands. The success of vernacular
zontal frames as shown in Image 6. Tai Yai builders explain
that nine different piles of wood need to be prepared for the
construction of a house. The nine piles include all the wood
needed for the house’s structural construction and consist of
Some Lessons from Tai Yai House
Case Study for Contemporary Vernacular
Design
The well-calculated transition of spaces is executed
through the variation of floor levels, the specification of the
spatial boundary, partial enclosure of space, are all the
mechanisms of vernacular design utilized to create a series of
design is, therefore, reflected from the architecture’s abilities
to integrate local wisdom into actual context as well as the
comfort that is created for its users.
poles, beams, joists, crossbeams, purlins, rafters, walls, floors
In terms of environmental design, Tai Yai house is an
planes for a house. Spaces are allocated and the floor is raised
and roofs. Father and sons take the responsibility of collecting
example of a simple timber building structure that is easy to
in different variations instead of the use of furniture for sitting
the wood and other resources for the construction of a house
follow, such as the way the floor is elevated above the ground,
and sleeping. Such spatial manipulation also encompasses
of their own and the new house for a son’s new family. The
the use of vertical and horizontal plane to create transitioning
the arrangement of spatial hierarchy, presence of light and
most important and most difficult resources to find are the
levels, the provision of shade and enclosure, the lean-to roof
shadow as well as air ventilation and energy circulation. The
poles that serve as the key weight bearing element, transferring
that enhances efficient rain water drainage and heat ventilation,
understanding in the timber structure based on post-and-beam
5
For instance, during the time of disaster or sudden relocation, which often takes place after a strike of natural disaster or wartime.
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วารสารสถาปัตยกรรมของสมาคมสถาปนิกสยาม
ในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ Issue 02 / 2018
Academic Journal of The Association of Siamese Architects
under the Royal Patronage