ASA JOURNAL 14/2023

TIME PASSAGES
81
The project itself is distinctive for being a revamp of old
rice barns that removed unnecessary components to
reveal the original timber structure and new spatial
context, its design should be recognized for the way it
represents an entwined dialogue between architecture
and its surroundings.
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ผังอาคารชั้นล่างของ
โครงการ
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ผังอาคารชั้นสองของ
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“One thing I admire about Thai wooden architecture
is how it reflects the characteristics and lifestyles
of its users and dwellers. If we look even further and
deeper into the social characteristics of nomadic
communities, we can see how wooden buildings
were designed to be small but expandable. They
could be dismantled, reassembled, and transported
using less advanced vehicles, such as an ox cart.
Other components, such as tall poles, were derived
from the need to elevate the built structure from
flooded terrain during the rainy season.”
Rush Plean-suk, the architect of Sumphat gallery,
recalls his childhood memories of ‘Lhom Khao, or
rice barns, commonly found in a northern part of
Thailand, which included not only the architectural
details of the columns, which were placed on the
periphery with the walls built further inside, but also
how it was a place where community members
gathered to talk, socialize, sing, and share meals.
Rush is the mastermind behind the transformation
of three rice barns into a collection of buildings
that is home to exhibition spaces and semi-public
recreational areas that welcome everyone to step
inside and enjoy the presence of nature as well
as a wide range of dishes and drinks. The design
divides the functional programs of the right and
left wings of the building cluster into the ground
floor, which houses the exhibition and activity
spaces, and the upper floors, where the office
space is located. The upper part of the structures
was built with components from traditional rice
barns in the northern region, while the exhibition
showing smaller-scale works is placed on the
right side of the premises, with the small building
in the center housing the project’s service areas.
The new building complex is named ‘Atelier VELA’
and is located in the Banna district of Thailand’s
Nakhon Nayok province. While the project itself is
distinctive for being a revamp of old rice barns that
removed unnecessary components to reveal the
original timber structure and new spatial context, its
design should be recognized for the way it represents
an entwined dialogue between architecture and its
surroundings. The concept became the essence of
the design of the three buildings, whose placements
and orientations correlate with pre-existing trees
growing on the site, such as the towering rain tree at
the project’s entrance.
In response to the shade provided by the spreading
canopies of the rain trees, the three structures are
arranged in a U-shaped layout in an east-west
orientation. Because of this, the structures and
spaces become a canvas for the paths of natural
light and cast shadows throughout the day. Through
their interactions with light and shadow that move
about the premise, the walls of the buildings
enhance one’s perception of the constant progression
of time. The built structures interact with the
surrounding nature and architectural components
when the course of sunlight changes, adding to the
project’s concept of “workspaces in the shade.”