ASA JOURNAL 14/2023

AT THE HEART OF IT
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The steel framework is used with the details
of the wooden columns and roof frame, with
cement boards cladding the inside. The imported
pine wood panels are used as the finishing
material of the exterior, installed to align with
the vertical arrangement of the columns.
Building materials were once varied by the conditions
and regions in which they were used. The
dawn of the modern world, however, has resulted
in mass innovation, production, and transportation
of construction materials throughout the world.
As technology and logistics continue to advance,
Thailand has seen an influx of a diverse range of
materials from overseas, such as imported pine
wood from the northern hemisphere from sustainably
operated plantations that ensure a well-balanced
production and harvest.
While the world has grown accustomed to modern,
industrial materials such as steel and concrete
being used as the shells of architectural structures,
wood retains incomparable characteristics, from
its warm touch that exudes a close connection
with humans to its superior flexibility compared to
industrial materials, and thus remains at the top of
the list of preferred alternatives when it comes to
building construction.
The “Glass Hall,” sitting in the Khao Yai region
of the Pak Chong district of Thailand’s Nakhon
Ratchasima province, is part of the meditation
center. The structure stands out with its minimalistic
modern architecture combined with traditional
elements, such as the rows of columns that resemble
the “Nang Rieng columns” commonly found in
religious architecture. Duangrit Bunnag Architect
Company Limited, the assigned architecture
team, designed the layout to optimize the natural
landscape of the site, where the foothills of the
mountains converge.
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