The 20 years old design firm wanted to move from rented space in the city to outer part of Bangkok. The 400 sq.m. land in Pakkred, Nonthaburi was purchased a decade ago.
Surroundings govern the building lay out. An old rain tree branches over the full width of the street side. The building is set on the plot's east side, behind the tree, creating an open space on the west side.
The building is small; room’s size is dictated by a 4 meters span and a standard 6 meters long steel parts, Interior walls are clear glass to make the rooms feel larger. The east side wall is solid to block the view of the adjoining vacant lot, and to reach out to outdoor space, large openings fill west-side elevation which is 6 meters high by 16 meters long, facing afternoon sun. System of sunshade protect these openings from heat and extreme light while open to the view.
Raised ground floor create crawl space that would be used as storage and for maintenance. Air flow would disperse heat; shaded ground would get increasingly cooler by time. Traditional Thai houses have raised ground floor to avoid annual inundation. The country-wide severe floods in 2011 prove the idea is still relevent.
Steel skeleton and steel-deck flooring keep the construction process clean and less annoying for the rain tree. Solid walls are made of lightweight bricks and concrete covered wire mesh panel with foam core. Windows are low-emissivity glass. A set of solar panels give out 1 U.S. $ daily electricity, equal to 10 years return.