Multi-Place

จ.สุราษฎร์ธานี, Thailand

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Multi-Place

จ.สุราษฎร์ธานี, Thailand

Firm

EKAR

Type

Residential › Multi Unit Housing
Commercial › Retail
Hospitality + Sport › Hotel
Government + Health › Medical Facility

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2016

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$10M - 50M

Photos

sofography (29), EKAR (11)

How could we transform the middle of pollution, noise and messy context to be a home?

MULTI-PLACE

Two siblings with backgrounds in pharmacist and veterinarian, who once lived apart and had one own clinic, decided to buy a narrow land in a heart of Surat Thani for living together and commercialized purpose. The requirements had led to the Multi-Place - a place to live and to work harmoniously.

The Complex Conditions

This project was developed under such labyrinthine conditions. From the aspect of the clients, the buildings need to be able to live and work. The architects maximized the limited space of 480 square-meter land to support the clients’ businesses, including pharmacy, veterinary clinic, pets shop, hostel, cafe and rental meeting rooms. Also, the separated residential areas for two families needed to portray a detached house-like feeling to this mix use buildings. Besides, due to its site that sat along the main road, other issues which needed to be concerned are the legal restriction of buildings as well as dust and noise pollution.

Reveal, Conceal and Airy — The Multiple Patterned Concrete Screen Blocks

Step by step, the architects were working on numerous potential solutions under the complex conditions, and then synthesized into the best solutions. Started with the legal restriction which a length of the building could not be over 20 meters, the architects divided the architecture up into two buildings; front building and rear building. The split area was converted into a peaceful garden in which brought a natural sunlight into the massive architecture and acted as a natural boundary between public area and private area. According to clients’ need which was to separate their residential space from one another, the architects added this garden to be a relaxing linkage between two detached residential spaces. The garden’s walls composed of easy-to-find glass blocks allowed sunlight to shine through creating dynamic shadow effects from the movements behind themselves as well as an airy-like sensation. In terms of concealing their own privacy from the prying eyes as well as dust and noise pollution, concrete screen blocks (from the local factory) became the best solution for the facade. Composing the multiple patterned concrete screen blocks together screened the pollution yet allowed air flow smoothly; meanwhile, created privacy for people inside without feeling cramped. Align with the garden design, the lighting from the interior could pass through the combination of the concrete screen blocks meaningfully casting countless shadow effects on the architecture.