Beauty of design is also in the eye of the beholder. Take Baan Huay Sarn Yaw Wittaya School in Chiang Rai province, for instance. For some, the shape of the place conjures the image of woven carp fish, usually made from leaves. For others, the design brings to mind the image of khanom tien, a traditional triangular-shaped Thai dessert wrapped in banana leaf.
Clearly, the fascinating aspects of design are open for visual interpretation. But ML Varudh Varavarn, the architect who designed the school, surprisingly said that he did not have any reference to Thai style in mind.
"There is no visual reference. I just want to create a simple design, a kind of building that becomes part of community, and not make villagers think of architects as trying to leave their legacy and create their name," said Varudh, founder of Vin Varavarn Architects. The firm is one of nine architectural teams invited by non-profit research-and-design initiative Design For Disaster (D4D) to draw up the school and structures brought down by the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in northern Thailand in May 2014.
"I just imagine pleasant, casual classrooms that make students want to go to school every day," said the architect, whose works include Khao Yai Botanica in Nakhon Ratchasima province, and Pine Crest Residence, a condominium in Soi Tonson in Chidlom.
ML Varudh Varavarn. Photo: Jiraporn Kuhakan
Built mostly with local materials, the Chiang Rai school was named Pordee Pordee Classroom. It was the name given by Varudh to connote the concept of self sufficiency underscoring his design. With a 1.7 million baht budget, the building contains three classrooms, enough for 100 students. Despite its simplistic look, the design is challenging, as the architect needed to blend safety and beauty. The outcome is subtle -- at each façade of the school, the architect designed the x-shape features which serves as bracing. The bracing helps the structure withstand seismic forces.
The construction of the school was completed almost two years ago, and students reportedly enjoy the new casual ambience of their classroom, the stunning view of the mountain and the leafy surroundings of their new playground. The Pordee Pordee Classroom has become famous, with architectural students from universities coming to study the design.
Baan Huay Sarn Yaw Wittaya School also recently won first runner-up in the school category from the World Architecture Festival 2016, held in Berlin, Germany. The model of the school had also been displayed at the exhibition space within Thailand Pavilion, under the title "The Class Of 6.3" as the part of Venice Biennale earlier this year.
The project apparently illustrates the new role of architecture in society. While architecture is usually perceived as part of the real estate and commercial art fields, Thai society is witnessing architects increasingly using their expertise for social causes or, in the case of Varudh, using their free time to do pro bono design.
There are civic groups founded by architects such as D4D, formed in 2011, in response to the epic flood. Recently, Yossapon Boonsom, one of the founders of Shma SoEn, a respected landscape architectural firm, launched a social campaign known as Friends of the River (FoR) to protest against the 14 billion baht Chao Phraya promenade, proposed by the junta government. In terms of design, Bangkok's landscape is more diverse, modern and responsive to social needs.
"Architectural design constantly changes. Design will somehow reflect change in society as architects are taught to use design to solve problems," said Varudh.
Clear examples of eco-friendly design can be seen in more open space, buildings with a vertical garden or materials to save energy. "Currently, you will see a lot of nature incorporated into architectural design and buildings that make use of environment-friendly energy and public spaces," said Varudh.
"It's a very good time for architecture in Thailand. There are many new architectural firms with young faces whose work keeps getting better and more interesting," said Varudh. "Those elements reflect the maturity of our local architects. It means that local architects look into the problems our society is facing and uses design to address them."
Baan Huay Sarn Yaw Wittaya School in Chiang Rai province. Courtesy of Vin Varavarn Architects
