Baan San Kraam is located in Petchburi near Hua Hin, a beach resort town 200 km South of Bangkok. The project consists of 13, 4 storey condominiums with shared common facilities and extensive landscaping. The site is a typical pan-handle site, with the shortest edge of the site connecting to the beach, and with two tall buildings on either side. The main design challenge was to connect the site with the beach.
The landscaped shared space on ground level is a continuous water feature, connecting the beach and sea to every condominium. Timber walkway’s, waterscape, and planting wind and overlap, linking each condominium block with the atmosphere of its location.
A shared gym is sunk below the surface of the pool, ensuring that does not block the view from the units to the landscaping and the sea. The landscape around the gym is carved out to create the sunken court yard which becomes the water feature as well as light well for the gym. The gym’s roof becomes a shaded deck space.
The arrival lobby was designed as an open pavilion with sliding / folding glass doors that could be closed for rainy season. The lobby serves as a service buggy waiting point, but more importantly, frames the view toward the pools and landscaped areas.
Each building is shaped according to its location on the site and a desired and strategic relationship with its landscaped surroundings. All units are planned with full perimeter balconies to allow for outdoor living and to provide shade from the sun. The balconies curved outward to cater for maximum outdoor space, and were placed in a different position at every floor to allow for maximum sun light. The architectural fins which were inspired by a sail’s shape, and are designed in several modules to create an interesting pattern and variation. The fins are placed around the buildings for privacy from the neighbour and passers-by at ground floor level. At the rear common corridor, the fins are placed to protect the rain so that the corridor can be naturally ventilated.