Houses by Thai Architects 4: Contextual Modernism

Modernism’s influence has become ubiquitous in the architecture and design of Thailand. Increasingly, houses and other types of buildings in the region are negotiating the traditional aesthetics, material assemblies, and construction techniques of local structures with the simple forms, functional layouts, and minimal ornamentation that typically characterise modern design. Despite varying programmatic and aesthetic qualities, the houses contained in this volume are no exception. The architects’ persistent struggles to compose, organise, arrange, and rearrange the massing of the houses is indicative of the extent and complexity of the design directives. Light, heat, topography, views, and a multitude of other criteria play a key roles in the resolution of a single dwelling.