A/H/P_01 is part of INchan visionary project based on our interest in critical socioeconomic issues taking place broadly in Thailand.
This year we take a serious urban family issue of “aging society” in Thailand. Such an issue concerns all everyone in the family, and is directly related architectural solution in finding ways to facilitate the love and care within the family.
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To begin with, let us portray a simple situation of a family who has lived in a plane 2-story house, with the size of 180-190 sq.m., sitting on a typical 60-sq.wa land plot. The parents of this family are becoming elder people as their kid (let us say, a son) is having a new family. The new family plans to have its own kids, and of course it requires its degree of privacy. However the son cannot deny worrying about his aging parents, of whom he needs to take care. And if he needs to buy a property of his own, it will cost him a lot and it will be surely far from his parents’ house. Here usually comes a question to an architect: “Is it possible to make a proper renovation of the parents’ house for which a new family can comfortably live? The parents’ house should mostly be kept for many reasons. However, the new family wants more areas to manage more requirements as well as more new residential technologies. What can an architect offer a solution to such a situation?
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To offer a solution, we propose A/H/P_01. This prototype challenges new limit-space ways of construction – from the substructure up to the superstructure. Firstly A/H/P_01 plans to keep two third of the parents’ house, so called the existing house, and take down one third of it in order to provide some empty space for the new house for the new family. However the roof of the existing house must be re-structured and turn it to be a flat roof. This will really provide a new outdoor family space – the roof playground. Then the new house can be built next to the existing one by aligning the levels in order for offer smooth functional relationship between the two. The two houses will only touch on another, NOT binding them, so they can move freely. Further more, the new house will have a plane structure going over the existing house to offer an elevated terrace garden. Hence this green terrace will directly be related to the flat playground roof.
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In details, on the first floor level, the existing house will keep its common area for the parents. The rest will offer spaces for 3 parking slots along with garage storage, and a small entrance hall for the new house. On the second floor level, the existing house still provides a big bedroom plus an en-suite bathroom for the parents. Then the existing stairs’ hall will connect to the entry hall of the new house. On this floor the parents can cross over to the new house and spend time at the common area of the new family; however it can be closed down to provide privacy to the new family when needed. On the third floor level, the existing house will turn into a new roof playground, and at the new house will be 2 more bedrooms for the new family. What is more on the new house is that the stairs will continue leading to a big roof terrace garden. This terrace offers various outdoor activities for all family members, for which we believe it will bring better living quality.
Project: ASA Showcase Exhibition "Refocus Heritage"
Type: Commercial + Residential
Architect: INchan atelier
Location: The Association of Siamese Architects
under the Royal Patronage