ASA JOURNAL 14/2023

1922 ARCHITECTS
163
we believe that our approach should
be the relationship between people
and nature. Architecture should not be
used to separate people from nature;
rather, it should enable people to live in
harmony with nature. This will be our
overarching theme.
colleague architect from Chiang Rai,
was the source of our good fortune. Her
family also works as contractors here.
However, they are contractors, not plain
peasants. It’s like rallying the entire community
to come together and work. One
of them is a wood artist, but his specialty
is general woodworking. Because there
are numerous details in our work, it may
be tough at first because they always
work via their conventional experiences
from generation to generation. After
coming to work with us for the first time,
it would be tough to see the visuals of
the design not matching up, therefore
we needed to communicate properly.
We want people to open up because
what we’re proposing may be something
they’ve never done before. We didn’t
sure if it would be successful, but we
wanted to give it a shot. They didn’t
understand us at first, but once the task
was completed effectively and received
positive feedback from many people,
they began to feel encouraged and
proud. After that, it became easier to
communicate with one another and to
see more of the same picture.
Based on previous instances of
1922 Architects’ work, do you
consider yourselves a studio that
seeks to present the utilization of
natural materials or local works?
Songtam Srinakarin: Personally,
I am not interested much in any local
traditions. Ordinary wooden houses
appeal to me. We don’t have a set of
rules. I believe it is an issue of perception
more than problem or what exactly it is.
Then we communicate our thoughts
through our architecture. For our own
wooden house and collaboration with
local artisans, I think that could be one
of the reasons why so many people see
us in that light. Actually, we merely strive
to stay connected to our surroundings.
We are constantly thinking about how
to keep structures from generating difficulties
for the environment, in such a way
that it will no longer be garbage if we die.
As a result, we believe that our approach
should be the relationship between
people and nature. Architecture should
not be used to separate people from
nature; rather, it should enable people to
live in harmony with nature. This will be
our overarching theme. In terms of other
matters, further issues will be added as
needed.
Can you explain how 1922 Architects
sees its work in relation to
nature?
Songtam Srinakarin: Part of it is
presumably due to the use of environmentally
friendly materials. In our own
home, for example, I used almost entirely
natural wood. Wood, in our opiniown, is
quite sustainable. When we look back
in time, we can see that there are many
old buildings that are hundreds of years
old that are built from wood, but because
real wood materials today are not able
to meet both the lifestyle and the needs
of people in the present era, such as
changing weather conditions, maintaining
or even building in the ancient local style
is difficult and requires specialized know-
ledge. As a result, the wood received
is becoming less popular and more
expensive. As a result, people resort to
other materials that better meet their
demands, are easier to work with, or
are more convenient for their lifestyle.
This is not to say that present materials
aren’t useful. There are numerous natural
options available nowadays. However, if
you look at what has been created, you
will notice that if we have the possibility
to use natural resources, we will use
as many as we can. However, we must
consider the appropriateness of both
the utilization of that location and the
concerns that we have received. If using
natural resources is a burden on people,
we must decrease their use and explore
for substitute materials that are environmentally
beneficial or entertaining to use.
What do you think the future holds
for Studio 1922?
Songtam Srinakarin: We’d previously
decided we didn’t want a large-scale
studio. We also intend to work only in
our current location, with the intention
of experimenting and developing new
methods of working in areas that interest
us. As in the case of wood If we want
to make wood popular again, we may
have to solve each problem one at a
time, such as thinking of every technique
to make it easier for current technicians
to work, the appearance of the work, and
the details of the construction, which
may not be as good as local work, but
the main core is already good. That was
carefully considered. How to use it in
our own way, how to make it contemporary—this
is one aspect that should be
expanded and researched in the future,
including whether there is a possibility
to share various experiences we have.
Many younger people have recently
contacted us to inquire about internship
opportunities. It would be beneficial to
help us promote our ideas and have
someone continue or develop them
further, making them even better with
design work.
1922architects. com