ASA Journal 12/2023
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
ECO ARCHITECT<br />
131<br />
“When I interview someone, certain responses let me know whether the person<br />
shares the same vision and direction as me or not, which plays a significant role in<br />
my decision to ask them to join our team.” The work they have done serves as the<br />
initial filter, although it does not completely determine the choice I make. We may<br />
not be able to work effectively together even if someone has an excellent portfolio<br />
but has an altogether different attitude or philosophy, which is usually expressed<br />
during the interview.”<br />
Working on Eco Architect entails working closely with Khamron. One staff member will<br />
be in charge of three projects, each of which will take 1-2 years to complete. Seniority exists<br />
despite the flexibility of the work system, and everyone looks out for one another. While<br />
everyone has their own tasks and duties, the senior members of the team will show the<br />
younger ones the ropes.<br />
13<br />
บ้านลอยลม ภูเก็ต<br />
14<br />
แบบจาลอง บ้านลอยลม<br />
ภูเก็ต<br />
13<br />
Eco Architect’s work method splits employees into two teams: production and design. The<br />
design team starts the work process, while the production team works on all the details to<br />
develop working drawings. The building process begins with the design team supervising and<br />
ensuring that everything is done according to plan. Members of the design team must keep<br />
their eyes on a project’s complete overview, from architecture to interior and landscape design.<br />
Despite the fact that we have architects and interior designers on our team, no clear line is<br />
drawn between the scopes of work. The members of the design team must be able to work<br />
on the architecture and interior design while overseeing the overall look and feel of landscape<br />
architecture. Details that are more complicated or require special expertise typically involve<br />
collaborating with outsourced landscape architects. But each design team is responsible for<br />
a project from inception to completion, from client presentations to finishing and handing over<br />
the completed work.<br />
“I try to teach my staff about every aspect of the job because our approach encompasses the<br />
design of both architecture and the ecosystem, and the works are like these unified creations<br />
of these two components that are interconnected and inseparable.” Despite having their own<br />
tasks and duties, every team member helps ensure that the jobs get done properly. This implies<br />
that while working in different locations, members of the two teams will always be in the loop.<br />
These factors keep Eco Architect in unison, much like the great works they create.<br />
14<br />
A house that breathes the same air as nature.<br />
Almost throughout their decade-long career, Eco Architect has built a client base, with half<br />
of their clients being in Phuket and the other half being owners with projects around the<br />
country and beyond. Their most distant project to date is a restaurant in Malta that they codesigned<br />
with another architect from New York, as well as a project in Seim Reap, Cambodia.<br />
While the quantity of their overseas projects has declined owing to a variety of constraints,<br />
the majority of their clientele in Phuket are predominantly expats. The Bangkok branch, on the<br />
other hand, only has Thai clients. As a result of this distinction, the portfolios of the two offices<br />
vary. Projects in Phuket and other areas outside of Bangkok where nature is still a dominant<br />
element and weather conditions are still relatively good tend to have styles that differ from<br />
those in Bangkok, where spaces, neighborhoods, and several limitations and factors must<br />
be considered. Nonetheless, 80% of Eco Architect’s projects are domestic, with the basic<br />
principle of the design being “a house that breathes the same air as nature.” Meanwhile, in<br />
other projects such as hotels, resorts, restaurants, and cafés, “comfort” remains at the center<br />
of every design, from living to dining and resting spaces.<br />
“We create works to improve people’s quality of life; to allow them to take a<br />
full breath of fresh air because we want to design a house that shares the same<br />
breath as nature. That is the area in which we wish to excel.”