House in Contours

The project is a large holiday home located in Khao Yai, Thailand, for a client and his extended family members.  The brief dictated that the house be spacious, airy and open-plan since the client is claustrophobic.  Privacy and security are predominant amongst his concerns. The client is averse to decoration and artwork, preferring landscapes and views out to nature instead.  The outlook of the house should be unique and outstanding amongst the architecture in this quaint, thematic town; whilst addressing the site context.

Khao Yai (literally translates into ‘Big Mountain’ in Thai) is known for its mountainous terrains, rich biodiversity and largely unblemished landscape.  Also known as an outback not far from Bangkok City, it is a popular retreat destination amongst locals due to its ranches and farms.  It is also home to the KhaoYai National Park.  Our site sits on a slope, directly facing the National Park.  

Taking cue from the topographical contour lines of the site, the house is conceived as layers of shifting planes configured in response to the existing topography.  The shape of each floor plate was designed in conjunction with the site contours so it feels that each floor is at ground level and feels continuous with the surrounding levels.  Designing with the contours also resulted in the shifting of axis within adjacent spaces within the house, resulting in a unique and constantly changing spatial experience when moving though the house.     

Perched over the terrain, the house with its cantilevered slabs offers panoramic views of the surrounding lush greenery and wildlife from within & without. The material palette is kept subtle - neutral tones of off-form concrete and natural timber accents, resulting in a timeless architecture which act as a foreground for the dramatic views of the natural landscape beyond.  there is an emphasis on keeping the material palette and details neutral yet modern.  The client does not appreciate traditional architecture.  

Functionally, the house is separated into 2 wings unified by shingled roof planes shaped to appear contiguous with the distant Khao Yai Mountain Range. The main wing comprises of main living, dining, master and children’s suites. The living & dining spaces are interconnected and extend seamlessly onto the pool deck which overlooks the distant mountainscape. On the upper floor, bedrooms are angled away from each other for privacy & to maximize views out towards the landscape. The guest wing, more intimate in scale, is kept to the other side of the entry court. 

The overall language of sinuous lines is applied consistently to the design of the house at different scales – from the overall building form to details such as window portals that peel away from the off-form concrete walls.

The resultant form/architecture shows that standing out in this local town doesn’t need to equate to more exciting thematic architecture.  Rather it’s the result of working with the landform and being at one with the topography.  The finishes and materials are sourced locally in Thailand, an effort to return back to the Thai economy.  

We worked with the landscape architect to plant a total of 407 mature trees, across 81 species.  The site was originally covered with overgrown shrubs. We made it our main objective to reinstate the local landscape here, creating a landscape framework yet leaving gaps for the local species to weave their way in.  There was a focus on upcycling of materials, such as the rocks found during excavation process; they were reused as low retaining walls and also in the reconstruction of the water creek.  The creek is a respite for any passing by faunas, encouraging micro-biodiversity. With this flowing stream, seed dispersers and pollinators are able to pick here as pit stop and nests to breed.  There is also a rain garden acting as rainwater collection ponds and a detention pond at the bottom of the site.  This allows water to be retained during wetter seasons and used for watering of plants.