ASA Journal 05/22

THE DETAIL OF SIMPLICITY
149
“Our interior designers have to be able to handle the architecture, at least to a certain extent,
and the architects have to know interior design to a certain point. We would talk about this
from time to time, and everyone has said that they like how this way of working since it allows
them to learn and practice on something that isn’t entirely their expertise. I think when a
designer looks into the architectural part of a project, they can see certain flaws in the interior
design better, and they can also see how certain elements complement each other. And
vice versa, having a better understanding of how interior design works allows architects to
know how the things they design affect the architecture. In the end, I think this method and
approach is beneficial for everyone.”
For the people who wish to be a part of STUDIO TOFU, “discipline and patience’ are what
Weerapat finds to be more important than talent while the most significant trait of all is the
willingness to learn and be open to new things. To Weerapat, the way STUDIO TOFU works is
an ongoing learning process.
“What’s more important than talent are discipline and patience. Those are the first
qualities I look for. But the people who are determined to pursue a career in this line
of work have to love to be creative, to think and always be ready to be open to new
things. I’m like that. I’m always ready to learn because I think I will be a student for
the rest of my life. I learn from working with my team and the clients.
5
“We want to work to create the actual works. The best marketing strategy is to do
good work so that people can see for themselves and recommend your studio to
others.”
05-06
พื้นที่และการตกแต่ง
ภายในบ้าน
Some of the first clients STUDIO TOFU had were through friends’ recommendation, then it
became friends of friends. When the work is good, words spread, and STUDIO TOFU has
gradually made a name for themselves. Another group of clients that Weerapat considers to
be a significant part of many of the studio’s memorable projects are the project owners whose
varying expertise allow him and his team to constantly experiment on something new.
“Personally, I’m very attentive to details. So, when I work with people who are even
more detail-oriented than me, the experiences automatically force me to continue
developing myself. For example, when I work with hotel owners, it’s a new learning
curve because these people have the knowledge and expertise in the hospitality
field, which is something I can learn from. Some of the back of the house operations,
or the management side of things are something designers may never know or even
think about before. Our clients work with us, give us feedback and provide in-depth
information that we need to or should know.”
STUDIO TOFU’s portfolio is diverse since they don’t work only on specific type of projects,
but anything from houses, condominiums, hotels, shopping malls, cafes, restaurants, or even
for fashion brands. Every completed work is the manifestation of the team’s interdisciplinary
knowledge and interests, applied and executed with the practice of design that is based on the
same conceptual core or principle.
“We’re interested in art, including the newer forms of art. We’re into graphic design and we’re
obsessed with architecture. We utilize the things we’re interested in, things we have learned.
We express concepts differently but they’re based on the same conceptual core or principle.”
6
“To us, working is about the process.”
As the studio grows older, thought processes changes and experiences accumulate. One of
the things Weerapat realizes from how STUDIO TOFU works is the focus that has been put on
the work process. Through countless hours of experimentation and trial and error, more lessons
are learned and they’ve grown into a team of professional practitioners with more experiences.
Everything gradually forms into a work process where everyone is able to fully contribute their