Asia-based studio Linehouse has refurbished the CentralWorld shopping centre in Bangkok, Thailand, introducing a double-layered facade punctured by arches.

According to Linehouse, the revamped facade and seven floors of retail space depart from typical shopping centres by drawing from the history of the site and creating opportunities for "peace in the chaos".

"The design conceptually explores contradictions between the chaotic and peaceful nature of Bangkok, offering a moment of respite in a dense urban district," the studio told Dezeen.

"Located in an area once abundant in lily pads, we examined the stemming, radiating and circular profile of the lily pads, translating this into a spatial narrative to the exterior and interior condition," it continued.

Linehouse used CentralWorld's existing structure as an underlay for its design. The updated facades are formed of concrete arches applied over the original elevation to frame views of the inside.

"The existing perimeter skin of the facade was treated as black render and a secondary skin in concrete formwork was applied to break the regular rhythm of the column structure," Linehouse explained.

Openings are carved behind several of the external arches to host terraces and add visual porosity to the shopping centre.

"We punctured a series of terraces offering exterior gardens for the food and beverage floors, providing a depth to an otherwise flat elevation and blurring the exterior-interior condition," the studio said.

Internally, a central atrium rises between the retail floors, shifting as it ascends to create a network of overlapping ceiling planes.

To support the shifting planes, Linehouse treated existing structural columns with radiating white fins that branch out to form distinctive canopies.

"Upon entering the interior, one is transported to space full of light and volume, offering a meditative journey away from the intensity of the surrounding streets," the studio said.

"As one ascends the interior atrium, the ceiling plane treatment shifts in materiality, beginning with tectonic green metal grids, evolving to natural and tactile textures, timber trellis and woven cane ceilings."

A food hall occupies the shopping centre's fourth floor and was configured to overlook the neighbouring park from the rounded facade opening.

Understated, neutral materials such as timber and stone line the interior to help create a calm atmosphere.

Linehouse is a Hong Kong and Shanghai-based architecture and interior design studio established in 2013 by Alex Mok and Briar Hickling. The duo won the emerging interior designer of the year category at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.

The studio has also recently designed the interiors for a Hong Kong residence that respond to coastal views and a Shanghai restaurant with arched details informed by the New Wave art movement.

The photography is by Jonathan Leijonhufvud and Depth of Field.

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Gabled forms clad in blackened wood are curved and pulled apart to create "dynamic and memorable" spaces at Harudot, a cafe in Thailand by local studio IDIN Architects.

Located in the beachside town of Chonburi, Harudot was designed for both the cafe brand Nana Coffee Roasters and the owner of the site.

IDIN Architects said the owner has a "particular interest in unique plants", which informed the curving shapes of the cafe.

Harudot is organised across three interconnected buildings. A meeting room, toilets and kitchen are contained in a rectilinear structure to the north, while seating areas occupy the curved structures to the south.

In these southern structures, the seating hugs circular areas of planting, with the gable roofs pulled open to allow for natural light to enter from above.

This roof opening also creates space for a large baobab tree to grow.

"The building is separated into smaller masses to make it more human-scale, which established different zones such as the bar, coffee drinking zone, a lounge, a meeting room and the restrooms," explained IDIN Architects.

"The giant gable roof form of each mass is pulled apart at certain parts, allowing the tree to penetrate through a void to the sky creating a semi-outdoor space underneath," it continued. "It appears as if the seed of the baobab has been planted long before and grew out through the architecture as time passes."

Large triangular entrances lead into the two curving forms, with full-height glazing incorporating doors that connect the external seating areas with the interiors.

While separate from the outside, the three forms are connected by large arched openings internally. Flowing lines and text embedded in the stone floor between them provide wayfinding and create a sense of continuity.

Harudot's exterior is clad in vertical blackened timber planks that emphasise its curving form, contrasted internally by pale timber and black furniture and fittings.

The visual identity of the cafe is informed by Japanese design, which led to an approach described by IDIN Architects as "humble simplicity with attention to details".

IDIN Architects was founded by Jeravej Hongsakul in 2006, and its name is an acronym for Integrating Design into Nature, a strategy that carries through all of the studio's work.

The studio previously completed another cafe for Nana Coffee Roasters in Bangkok, the same city in which it created its own charred-wood office.

The photography is by DOF Sky|Ground.

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Architecture studio All(zone) has created Under the Rain Trees, a holiday house with five curved wings nestled under tree canopies on the banks of the River Ping in rural Thailand.

Under the Rain Trees was designed by All(zone) to seamlessly fit into the natural landscape without disturbing the existing trees.

The dwelling features five wings that each fan out towards the surrounding forest. Connected by a central hall, several wings accommodate the owner, three hold guest apartments and the final wing has a shared living space, the studio said.

Crafted from concrete, with sleek glass walls and elevated on stilts, the design nods to tropical modernism.

The typology of the apartments in the building was informed by Thai vernacular homes found near water, with wooden rooms floating on an elevated platform in the tree canopy as a practical response to the region's fluctuating river tides.

"The shade of tree's canopies already creates a nearly perfect climatic condition for living," the studio told Dezeen. "The ground [is] mostly untouched, allowing wild vegetations to merge with the house."

Displaying hallmarks of tropical modernism, the building's form is reminiscent of works such as architect Lina Bo Bardi's Glass House and architect Oscar Niemeyer's Casa Das Canoas.

The design employs a tiered approach to enclosure, with the central platform entirely open to the elements. The building's five wings are progressively more enclosed, with dark stone walls transitioning into sheet glass that gives views across the landscape.

"The enclosure of each wing is gradually dissolved, from solid masses surrounding open platform at the centre to [a] completely open platform surrounded by the leaves," explained the studio.

The structure's roof mirrors the contours of the floor below, with curves extending gently upward at each wing's end, helping to connect the building to its verdant surroundings.

A roof terrace acts as a communal piazza, offering proximity to the treetops and sky.

Internally, Under the Rain Trees continues to mirror the spatial typology of vernacular riverside houses, with each apartment conceived as a separate boxed dwelling.

Each apartment has its ancillary spaces to the rear and its bedrooms and living spaces at the ends of each wing in the glass areas, maximising natural light and views across the river's edge.

All(zone) is a Bangkok studio led by Rachaporn Choochuey. The studio is the latest designer for the ninth edition of MPavilion in Melbourne, creating a bright orange canopy that celebrates outdoor life in the city.

Elsewhere in Thailand, CUP Scale Studio has created a compact pocket cafe with curved walls of reclaimed wood in Nakhon Sawan, and PHTAA has completed a pink-hued house in with glass walls in Bangkok.

The photography is by Soopakorn Srisakul.

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An exposed concrete frame, red brickwork and a large silver curtain define House K in Thailand, which has been designed by local studio Bangkok Tokyo Architecture.

Designed for a mother and her son who wanted to rebuild their family home in Bangkok, the residence has an exposed, "understandable" structure that is intended to be easy to customise, adapt and modify over time.

"We wanted to expose the most typical building materials and construction method found in the surrounding context," said Bangkok Tokyo Architecture senior architect Poom Prakongpetch.

"This way, the architecture becomes comprehensible and accessible to everyone," they told Dezeen.

Each of the home's three floors serves a different function. The ground floor contains an en-suite bedroom for the mother, separated from a private living area by a central wall.

Above, the first floor contains a shared living, dining and kitchen area, and the third floor has a bedroom and bathroom for the son.

The floors have each been set back as they move up the building to create space for external terraces. One of these faces a neighbouring building and is enclosed by a brick wall, while another overlooking the street is sheltered by a large silver curtain.

A large concrete base forms a patio around House K, creating areas for planting and space for the house to be extended in the future.

"All the floors are designed to feel like a continuous one-room space with an accessible outdoor area," said Prakongpetch.

"For us, a house is something that can be continuously built upon and appropriated," added Prakongpetch. "Putting the house on a concrete plinth suggests the house as a 'platform' for various uses and adaptations."

Inside, the brick and concrete structure has been left exposed, teamed with white partition walls and white-tiled bathroom areas.

Large metal-framed windows, sliding doors and skylights provide each floor with ample amounts of natural light as well as access to the external terraces.

"The look and feel of the house will depend on whoever is viewing or using the space – we did not intend to communicate a certain look or feel through the design of the house," explained Prakongpetch.

Elsewhere in Thailand, Bangkok studio PHTAA also used a visible concrete frame to create a home called House R3, which is infilled with pink-toned concrete panels.

Other houses in Bangkok featured on Dezeen include Basic House, a residence by Brownhouses that exhibits its owner's car collection, and an inward-facing family home that Thai architect Kuanchanok Pakavaleetorn designed for her own family.

The photography is by Soopakorn Srisakul.

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Reclaimed wood fashioned into panels covers this small cafe designed by CUP Scale Studio in the centre of Nakhon Sawan, Thailand.

Called Boobun Pocket Cafe, the compact building comprises a coffee bar on the ground floor and seating areas on its upper storeys that are formed from interlocking wooden platforms.

CUP Scale Studio designed the building to slot into a 10-metre-by-10-metre plot, which is nestled behind two private properties fronting a busy road in the Pak Nam Pho district.

The cafe is raised above the ground on a small plinth and open at its base. This creates an open public space and entrance to the building that helps reduce internal temperatures.

"The raised space under the building is a public space to connect activities," the studio told Dezeen.

"Elevating the floor creates a separation of usable areas for maximum use in a small space."

Boobun Pocket Cafe's facades are made from panels of recycled tropical hardwood collected by the owner. These are of the Teng and Mai Daeng hardwood varieties, which have a distinctive reddish hue.

The facade is gridded, with distinctive curved corners and clerestory windows to bring light into the upper seating areas.

Red-steel I-beams support the floors and the facade. The four primary columns are inset from the elevation and rise up through the building.

On entering Boobun Pocket Cafe, a coffee counter and bakery shelves line the back wall of the open ground floor. Landscaped borders define the perimeter.

Wooden stairs lead to staggered half-landings and niches in the seating areas, described by the studio as a "living room", for visitors to the cafe.

A focal point of the interior is a lightwell that helps to illuminate the seating areas.

The raised form of the cafe is informed by Thai vernacular architectural techniques, in which wind passes under the building to help reduce internal temperatures.

Raising the building also helps to minimise the moisture that would cause the wood to shrink and prevents termites from damaging the facades.

CUP Scale Studio is a Thai practice founded by Santi Aramwibul. Boobun Pocket Cafe is shortlisted in the hospitality project category of the Dezeen Awards 2023.

Other cafes in Thailand recently featured on Dezeen include a glass and concrete building in a stepped circular landscape by Looklen Architects and a building consisting of a series of minimal pavilions by IDIN Architects.

The photography is by Chamaiphorn Lamaiphan and Santi Aramwibul.

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Architecture practice 11.29 Studio used rotating bamboo screens to allow this painting studio in Thailand to be opened up to the surrounding landscape.

Located alongside a pond in an agricultural area in Rayong, Furnish Studio is designed for a local oil painter who desired a well-ventilated, open space that could serve as both a work and display area.

In response to this, 11.29 Studio created a square space surrounded by a verandah that allows ventilation and sunlight to be controlled via full-height, rotating screens made using local bamboo.

"Thailand's hot and humid climate, along with the owner's preference not to use air conditioning in the primary work area, necessitated a strategy to maximise natural ventilation," 11.29 Studio's founder Kantinan Na Nakorn told Dezeen.

"Working within a limited budget required us to seek ways to minimise construction costs," Nakorn added.

"A square floor plan emerged as the most economical option since it reduces the number of pillars and minimises the need for walls."

The entrance to Furnish Studio is framed by two high concrete walls, which were constructed using surplus cylindrical and cuboid spacers from a nearby factory.

Steps lead up into the studio, which is raised off the ground to mitigate the risk of flooding and to prevent animals from entering.

"We aimed to integrate elements of the local environment into our design," Nakorn said.

"For example, we utilised bamboo for the surrounding walls to support local farmers, and we explored alternative materials such as concrete spacers, which we obtained for free from the concrete plant of the surrounding industrial estates," he added.

Inside, Furnish Studio contains a double-height space with an exposed concrete frame and a high-level display cabinet that is accessed via a blue ladder.

A storage room and skylit bathroom sit on either side of the central space and have been pulled back from the edge of the building to allow them to be enclosed without disrupting the openable bamboo screen facade.

"During less busy periods, the common area serves as a resting place where one can appreciate the accumulated artwork," explained Nakorn.

"Consequently, a cabinet for displaying collectables was incorporated above the storage room, and colourful furniture was added."

Furnish Studio was recently longlisted in the workplace project category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

Other artist's spaces recently featured on Dezeen include the conversion of a 1950s garage in Edinburgh into a studio with a sense of "civic grandeur".

The photography is by Beer Singnoi.

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A circular volume formed of concrete steps and planting wraps up and around The Pomelo Amphawa Cafe, completed by Bangkok studio Looklen Architects in Thailand.

Set in a lychee garden overlooking the Mekong River, the north-facing cafe is contained within a rectangular glazed volume framed by the stepped circular landscape.

It is the latest addition to The Pomelo Amphawa, a masterplan comprising five buildings intended to integrate with the greenery of the site in Amphawa.

According to Looklen Architects, The Pomelo Amphawa Cafe building is also designed to explore the "relationship of geometries".

"We introduced a rectangular interior glass space that is embraced by a circular concrete amphitheatre," said the studio.

"The building is free to be approached from all directions while taking advantage of the surrounding landscape," it added. "The circular amphitheatre's lower side faces the river and serves as a viewpoint, letting visitors enjoy the scenery of the Mekong River."

The concrete landscape rises from ground level, stepping up the sides of the cafe. At the back of the building, it reaches roof height to allow guests to access a rooftop deck.

Guests can enter the cafe through glass doors at either end of the building, positioned at the lowest level of the landscape.

The walls of The Pomelo Amphawa Cafe are fully glazed, with panes of glass set in timber frames. The horizontal elements of the framing are set at gradually increasing heights, mimicking the stepped form of the concrete landscape.

Inside, bar-style seating as well as an arrangement of tables and chairs offer spaces for dining with views of the surrounding garden.

Across the top of the volume, the stepped concrete levels and timber planters double up as casual amphitheatre-style seating areas, making the space suitable for hosting events that overlook the river.

Underneath, Looklen Architects has introduced seating areas for outdoor dining that are shaded by the landscaping above.

"Inspired by the traditional Thai house, the space under the amphitheatre resembles Tāithun – a semi-outdoor space under a Thai House – where public activities can be engaged with during daytime while being protected from the sunlight," said the studio.

"In the evening and night, the upper part of the amphitheatre can be fully used for public events that face toward the river scenery," it added. "This design language allows the architecture to be active day and night."

In places, Looklen Architects has created voids within the circular concrete volume. Some are left as holes for trees to grow through while others have black netting stretched across them to create casual lounge areas.

Other cafes recently featured on Dezeen include a Chinese eatery informed by greenhouses and local brick buildings and another in South Korea made from a grid of concrete blocks topped with roof terraces.

The photography is by Rungkit Charoenwat.

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A blocky pink form and curving glass walls define House R3, a residence by Bangkok studio PHTAA on a compact roadside site in Thailand.

Made from concrete, the 400-square-metre home features living spaces across five levels to maximise the available space for a family of five.

To give privacy from the nearby road, PHTAA infilled House R3's road-facing facade with concrete panels so that it is almost entirely solid.

Meanwhile, the opposite wall that faces a quieter street is lined with floor-to-ceiling glazing. On two levels, the glazed areas curve inwards to create a wavy facade.

"The concrete stair core in the back position of the home had to be solid due to building regulations," studio co-founder Ponwit Ratanatanatevilai told Dezeen.

"So we utilised that law to serve the purpose of mitigating the vibration and noise pollution originating from the road," he continued.

"The front part of the home contains all the living spaces and faces the smaller road in the peaceful village, so we tried to put the open windows on this side," added Ratanatanatevilai.

On one side of the building angled towards the main road, PHTAA added a triangular terrace that is cut into the main volume and bordered by angled windows.

"When viewed from the back, the exterior looks solid," said the studio. "Instead, it reveals an opening from the side of the building in a twisted form."

A pink-toned, slatted gate separates the home from the street and offers access to the ground floor. Here, there is a parking area for the family's two vehicles.

On the other side of the covered parking area is a circulation space with a curved concrete staircase and kitchen.

Personal living areas and bedrooms for each member of the family are arranged across the other floors, excluding the second floor where there is a living room.

House R3's bedrooms have matching plans and take advantage of the curved glazing, which punctures the rooms and frames views of the village below.

To provide privacy, curtains can be pulled around the curving glass walls, which open onto covered balconies on both levels.

The living room that takes up House R3's second floor has a straight, glazed wall on one side.

Its remaining walls are lined with wooden panelling as well as dark wooden joinery and mid-century furnishings that have been collected by the owner over time.

Other Thai homes recently featured on Dezeen include a home and music studio with raised living spaces and an inward-facing family home designed to prioritise privacy and airflow.

The photography is by Kukkong Thirathomrongkiat.

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Architecture studio Snøhetta has revealed its design for Cloud 11, a large glazed building with commercial, hospitality and cultural spaces that the studio says will create a "new neighbourhood" in Bangkok.

The 254,000 square-metre development, which the studio designed in collaboration with A49 Architects, will take the form of a large glazed volume raised above a central courtyard.

The building, which will be located in the upcoming CyberTech district of South Sukhumvit, was designed with large openings to create better air quality in the open spaces.

Snøhetta aimed to create plenty of public green spaces, which are rare in Bangkok, as a part of the development. As a result, Cloud 11 will feature a number of pocket parks and elevated gardens, one of which – the central lawn – will be the largest in Thailand.

The water of a nearby canal will be treated with a deep shaft cleaning system.

The project, which has already begun on site, will have a number of restaurants that operate from a central kitchen as well as a gym, stores and two hotels, all of which will be connected by "village-like" alleys, plazas, streets, stairs and escalators.

Cloud 11, which Snøhetta is designing for property developer MQDC, will also have a library, educational venues and a number of workspaces.

"We have had the opportunity to not only create a building, but a new neighborhood in the center of Bangkok," Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen said.

"An urban artifact providing a thriving place for culture and creation, and green public spaces that will improve the quality of life for people living in the South Sukhumvit area," he added.

"With an increasing number of people moving into urban areas, it is crucial to develop communities fit to accommodate the needs of the future cities in a sustainable way, both socially and environmentally."

Cloud 11 will be located close to a BTS Skytrain station and will also have a centralized logistics system that will transport food and other products from an automated warehouse and the central kitchen. Deliveries will be managed from a centralized distribution hub.

"I am confident that Cloud 11 will set a new standard for a project that responds effectively to the needs of innovators, local communities, and future generations to come," said Cloud 11 project director Onza Janyaprasert.

The project is set to be completed by the end of 2024.

Other recent projects by Snøhetta include a quarter of wooden cabins that overlook a fjord in Norway and an urban farm in Hong Kong.

The images are by MIR.

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Thai practice IDIN Architects has created a series of minimal, pavilion-like structures for Nana Coffee Roasters in Bangkok, which feature mirrored mosaic ceilings to reflect the surrounding gardens.

Located in Bangkok's Bangna district, the project occupies an oasis-like site of dense greenery alongside a busy road.

IDIN Architects were tasked with expanding an existing structure on the site, which houses the cafe and roasters' "Slow Bar" by adding a new "Speed Bar" serving area, additional seating, and bathroom spaces.

Rather than create a single, large structure, the practice created three narrow, mono pitched steel structures at the front of the site, with glass walls and mirrored ceilings that would allow the surrounding gardens to "infiltrate the gaps in between."

"The main buildings in the front [of the site] are the result of maintaining continuity in the roofline with the existing building, which extends into three masses where the Speed Bar and indoor seats are located," explained the studio.

"Green areas of the landscape infiltrate the gaps between these masses and flow into the interior with the use of reflective glass mosaics on the ceiling."

"Through this concept, the boundaries between the three practices - architecture, interior, and landscape – are blurred," it continued.

Contrasting the black steelwork of the existing building, the new structures have been built using white steel frames and concrete, with oversized roofs that extend to shelter external terraces.

The southernmost structure contains the new bar, with a large, white counter accompanying by black stools runnings along its entire length and continuing through a glass end wall to become an external table with mirrored legs.

Small glass link corridors lead through to the two adjacent seating structures.

Both are fitted with undulating countertops designed to "heighten the coffee-drinking experience" and reference the mountainous areas from which the coffee originates.

At the rear of the site, the new bathrooms are housed within white cube forms with external sinks, connected by a paved bath that winds through the garden.

"All [of the] buildings are designed to be simple and functional, and this simplicity continues to the design of the interior, where the main focus still revolves around the coffee-drinking experience," explained the studio.

IDIN Architects was founded by Jeravej Hongsakul in 2006, and its name is an acronym for Integrating Design into Nature, a strategy that carries through all of the studio's work.

Previous projects by the firm include the design of its own studio in Bangkok, which features a blackened timber exterior and planters for tall trees designed to give it an "invisible presence."

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Architecture studio Enter Projects Asia has completed a private gallery for a collector in Chiang Mai, Thailand, featuring an undulating rattan structure designed by an algorithm that weaves its way in and out of the building.

The 2,000-square-metre gallery complex comprises gardens, water features and a series of pavilions for displaying the owner's collection of silverware, fine china and porcelain, including what is reportedly the largest collection of Wedgwood porcelain in Southeast Asia.

Enter Projects Asia, which is based on the Thai island of Phuket, developed a holistic proposal for the project that spanned everything from spatial planning to lighting and furniture, with the fluid rattan structures providing a consistent element throughout the scheme.

The aim was to create a less "clinical, antiseptic" interpretation of a traditional gallery, based on the studio's research into parametric design and dynamic forms, Enter Projects Asia director Patrick Keane explained.

"We sought to create an immersive experience, giving the space a warmth and depth uncharacteristic of conventional art galleries," he said.

The gallery features two wings arranged on either side of a central entrance. Each wing contains an exhibition space, with a private dining area also accommodated in the larger of the two volumes.

The rattan installation begins at the entrance and traces an overhead route through the building, seamlessly transitioning between inside and outside.

At several points, the suspended structure drops down to create bulbous open-sided pods, incorporating shelves for displaying artworks and objects.

The installation's complex form was generated using generative design software and is intended to simulate the movement of clouds and steam.

Its shape seems to change constantly when viewed from different perspectives, adding visual dynamism to the interior.

Lighting integrated within the overhead structure creates a warm glow both during the day and night, while concealed lights illuminate the display areas.

The three rattan pods – measuring five, four and three-and-a-half metres in height respectively – were fabricated in a factory during the coronavirus lockdowns before being transported to the site and assembled.

Enter Projects Asia regularly works with rattan palm, which is a naturally abundant resource in the region. Previously, the studio produced a similarly sculptural wickerwork installation for an office and factory building in Waregem, Belgium.

During the pandemic, the practice also launched an initiative called Project Rattan that focuses on creating bespoke rattan furniture and lighting using local craft skills.

According to Keane, the fast-growing palm species are well suited to use in interior design, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional building materials.

"It is not hard to be sustainable in construction if we adapt to our environment," he said. "Why would we use synthetic, toxic plastics when we have all the noble materials we need at our fingertips?"

Keane founded Enter Projects in 2005 after completing his studies in Australia and the USA. Since relocating to Asia, the firm's projects aim to combine a focus on innovation with a strong sustainable agenda.

Previously, a rattan studio the practice designed for yoga brand Vikasa was named leisure and wellness interior project of the year at the 2020 Dezeen Awards.

The photography is by William Barrington-Binns.

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A zigzagging form gives extra privacy to the medical staff living in Thai studio Plan Architect's nurse dormitory apartment block at Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok.

Comprising 523 rooms, the building, which has been shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2022, is formed of 26 floors with diamond-shaped openings at their centres. Plan Architect designed the apartment block to be a restful home for nurses working in the hospital, which is run by the Thai Red Cross Society.

"The main aim was to create the most comfortable residence for the nurses at the hospital," project architect Jittinun Jithpratuck told Dezeen.

In response to the dense arrangement of the city, Plan Architect aimed to design a building that offers the residents plenty of privacy.

"With the dense high-rise buildings in Bangkok, we aimed to provide enough space for each room to have its own privacy without directly facing other buildings and to allow natural ventilation to get through the rooms," Jithpratuck continued.

To ensure the rooms didn't directly face the surrounding high rises, the studio gave the apartment block a zigzagging form.

On each floor, the apartments are arranged along two corridors separated by a central opening that lets more natural light enter the corridors and facilitates natural ventilation from the floor to the roof.

Most rooms are separated into two parts by a sliding door, with one half acting as the bedroom and the other containing a dining area, pantry and bathroom. The bedrooms are intended to sleep two people, with the beds on opposite sides of the room for privacy.

Balconies placed at an angle extend from each room, forming snaking rows along the structure.

"Since the dormitory is close to other nearby buildings, we designed the balcony to have a slanted angle," said the studio.

"This avoids a direct sightline to other buildings and allows more sunlight into the area, making it suitable for planting trees and drying clothes."

Aluminium railing and perforated aluminium sheets provide further privacy and shading on the balconies.

"This facade and balcony composition create the pattern of light and shadow that reflects the simple systematic design of the building while concealing the various lifestyles of the users," the studio continued.

Additional facilities in the block include a library, public dining room, co-working space, and laundry room.

An enclosed courtyard is formed in the space between the apartment block and three of the neighbouring buildings. Separated from the busy hospital, this courtyard offers green space and a peaceful area for relaxation for the nurses.

"The nurses feel it's a lot better than where they lived before because it can give them privacy even when living with each other, and the natural cross ventilation really works including the zoning in the room that makes it easier to work while the other occupant needs to rest," the studio said.

Plan Architect's project has been shortlisted in the housing project category of Dezeen Awards 2022. Other projects shortlisted in the category include a colourful apartment block in Melbourne and a green tower in Amsterdam.

The photography is by Panoramic Studio.

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Thai firm IDIN Architects has completed an office building in Bangkok, featuring angled metal cladding that reflects sunlight away from a nearby shrine and helps prevent the interior from overheating.

IDIN Architects designed the Suanphlu Office for a site next to the Lao Pueng Thao Kong shrine in the Thai capital's commercial district. The private office building also contains a penthouse for the owner on its top floor.

The building's main elevation faces west and receives strong sunlight. Its proximity to the shrine informed a design that aims to be an attractive backdrop and to minimise how the sun's rays reflect onto the shrine.

The facade design shields the glazing behind a layer of aluminium cladding that reduces the amount of sunlight entering the building.

"The double-skin facade is designed to protect the building from the harsh sunlight, reduce the reflection on the glass facade, and encourage the wind flow and ventilation," said IDIN Architects.

Demand for high levels of comfort and external views from inside the building also influenced the positioning of the different types of cladding panels.

In some areas the window openings are left exposed, while in others the glazing is shielded by perforated or opaque metal screens.

The cladding is broken up into vertical sections that are individually angled to limit reflections onto neighbouring buildings.

IDIN Architects explained that "the diagonal cuts in the design visually separate the facade into panels across the building, creating movements and adding dynamism."

The metal surfaces feature a semi-gloss titanium finish that produces constantly changing patterns of light and shadow throughout the day.

The building's facade also steps back in places to incorporate pocket courtyards.

The planted voids extend the full height of the building and help to reduce the overall area of the reflective surfaces, as well as adding variety and a natural element to the exterior.

The position of the planting alternates on each storey to provide varied views from within the office.

Full-height openings or bands of windows look out through the greenery towards the surrounding neighbourhood.

IDIN Architects was founded in 2004 by Jeravej Hongsakul. IDIN is an acronym for Integrating Design into Nature, which describes how the firm's projects respond to Thailand's tropical climate.

The practice designed its own studio to slot into a narrow site in Bangkok and obscured it using tall trees. It has also completed a house on the outskirts of Bangkok that is enclosed by wooden shutters to prevent it from overheating.

The photography is by Ketsiree Wongwan.

Project credits:

Owner: Vinsmor group
Architect: Idin architects
Team: Jeravej Hongsakul, Eakgaluk Sirijariyawat, Sakorn Thongdoang, Wichan Kongnok
Interior designer: Inblock studio
Structural engineer: C-insight company
System engineer: Eakachai Hamhomvong, Panot kuakoolwong
Contractor: Sorawee Karnchang, Inblock group

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Dogs and humans live side-by-side in specially designed spaces at this home and dog hotel in Thailand, completed by local practice EKAR Architects.

Combining a dwelling for its dog-loving client with a care centre, salon and hotel for pups, the Bangkok-based firm designed Dog/Human House using subtle changes in scale to create spaces that are tailored to both species.

Two forms sheltered by large pitched roofs of corrugated plastic and metal create an L-shape around a central dog park and pool, with the dog hotel and salon to the north and the human dwelling and guest areas to the south.

Informed by nearby agricultural buildings, the two building's roofs extend to almost touch the ground, creating small pockets of space at their edges and punctuated by structural and non-structural concrete posts that allow dogs to easily mark their territory.

"What we found was relative between dogs, humans and architecture is a simple thing called scale – whenever we want to communicate to a dog, we need to bow ourselves to get closer," said the practice.

"The roof indicates where people can walk, where they cannot, where they can see, where they can sit, where the dog can run or lay down," it continued.

The southern building is split into two blocks on either side of a central landscaped garden sheltered by transparent plastic sections of corrugated roof, with gaps allowing taller trees to grow through.

Overlooking this courtyard is a snack bar and waiting area for human visitors, leading to a terrace overlooking the dog park where they can watch their pets.

Opposite, a main bedroom, guest bedroom and living, dining and kitchen area are contained in the second small block, which opens onto another terrace above a shallow pool.

Throughout, the simple concrete and steel structure has been left exposed, with dark wood used for window frames and panelling.

The minimal living spaces have been finished in grey plaster, with a full-height sliding glass door in the bedroom allowing it to be opened up to the surrounding garden.

"All of the design aims to encourage [dogs and humans] living with each other, to make them closer, to make them grow together and be more respectful to the other lives on earth," said the practice.

EKAR Architects has completed several projects that play with the combination of often separate programmatic elements.

Previous projects include a house with an adjoining cafe and music room, and a house containing living and work spaces for vet and pharmacist siblings.

The photography is by Rungkit Charoenwat. 

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Promotion: hotel brand The Standard is set to open a Bangkok outpost in King Power Mahanakhon, featuring bright interiors by Spanish designer Jaime Hayon and The Standard's in-house design team.

Named The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, the design-led lifestyle hotel in Thailand will open in May 2022 and become The Standard's Asia flagship.

The 155-room hotel is being developed in the pixelated King Power Mahanakhon.

Its interiors, which are being designed by Hayon in collaboration with the brand's in-house designers, are hoped to encapsulate the "unmistakable energy of the Thai capital".

"There is nothing in Bangkok, or the entire region, like what we have created here," said The Standard's executive chairman Amar Lalvani.

"We love the energy, style and culture Bangkok offers and couldn't be more proud to partner with King Power to open our flagship for the region in this awe-inspiring building, in this incredible city."

The 78-storey King Power Mahanakhon was chosen as the host building for the hotel in recognition of its iconic architectural design and setting within Bangkok's central business district.

It is also in close proximity to Bangkok’s Old Town, which the brand said: "has recently become the chosen enclave for the city's dynamic creative community".

The interiors of the hotel will be distinguished by bright colours and fluid shapes. There will also be a mix of art installations and greenery.

These finishes have been developed by Hayon to challenge the usual aesthetic of other luxury hotels in Bangkok.

Hotel rooms will range in size from 40-square-metre guest rooms to a spacious 144-square-metre penthouse.

In addition to the hotel rooms will be a meeting and events room, as well as shops and a gym that will be open to the local community.

Like all other hotels by The Standard, there will also be an outdoor terrace pool and a mix of restaurant, lounge, bar and nightlife venues.

The terrace, described by The Standard as "the highest alfresco sky beach in Bangkok" will have sweeping views of the city.

The Standard was established in 1999. It is known for its design-led approach to hotels.

Its Bangkok outpost joins the US and European flagships, named The Standard, High Line, and The Standard, London, as well as waterside retreats in Miami, the Maldives, and Hua Hin. The Standard, Ibiza is also opening this spring.

To celebrate the opening of The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, the brand is offering a pre-opening discount of 25 per cent on bookings until 31 Jul 2022 for stays until 28 Feb 2023.

For more information on The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, and its opening, visit its website.

The imagery is courtesy of The Standard.

Partnership content

This article was written for The Standard as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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A cluster of shipping containers sheltered by a steep metal roof defines a series of indoor and outdoor spaces at this home in Thailand, designed by architecture studio Tung Jai Ork Baab.

The Container Cabin is part of a wider project by the studio called OOST Campville, transforming a former paddy field on a floodplain in Nakhon Nayok into a place to "get away from city life" with rentable accommodation, orchards and playgrounds.

With poor availability of both materials and construction workers in the area, the studio decided to re-use shipping containers to create prefabricated spaces that could then be brought onsite and assembled.

In order to mitigate flooding, a small reservoir was dug out to create a raised area for the Container Cabin, which overlooks this new area of water atop a long, thin concrete base, split into two around a central communal space.

"The key idea was to create an outdoor getaway destination, with a connection between the outdoor and indoor space used to create the spatial configuration of the house," explained the practice.

To the west, a stack of containers contains the living spaces and bedrooms of the home, while to the east a single container housing an additional bedroom overlooks a swimming pool surrounded by decking that overlooks the reservoir.

Due to high heat transfer through the containers' metal walls, the living spaces are sheltered by an oversized A-frame roof, which creates a series of "in-between" terraces and balconies around and atop the cabins.

In the centre of the main living area, the stacking of cabins creates a void below, where raised wooden decking has been used to create a shaded terrace signalled by a horizontal metal canopy protruding from the roof.

"Part of the A-frame roof is the steel plate louvres, that can protect from rain and sunlight but still let the wind flow through the whole house," said the studio.

Inside, containers have been merged along both their short and long edges to create a varied of wider and longer spaces, with areas of their walls replaced by full-height windows and sliding doors.

Original container doors and some of the cut-away wall sections have been repurposed as shutters, providing further shading or privacy to the interiors.

The metal surface of the containers has been left uncovered, painted white internally and grey externally to match the A-frame roof structure.

Other homes created using shipping containers include a portable home in Poland by Wiercinski Studio, and a home on the outskirts of Stockholm created using eight stacked, elevated containers by Swedish architect Måns Tham.

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Architecture firm Sher Maker has designed a home and music studio in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with a cluster of raised living spaces connected by wooden walkways that enjoy expansive views of its rural surroundings.

Designed for a musician and their family, the two-storey Khiankai Home and Studio draws on the vernacular architecture of the area to foster an "intimate connection" with its natural surroundings.

The home is divided into two contrasting levels that surrounding a central paved courtyard, planted with a large tree that extends up through the building.

On the lower level, a concrete base has been dug into the gently sloping site, providing privacy and acoustic control to the music studio and two bedrooms.

Above, a lightweight timber grid frames a series of bright, independent living and dining spaces, connected by wooden walkways and terraces that overlook the landscape.

"The main body of the house is dispersed along the length of the land, with the main terrace linking every function together," explained the local studio.

"The front side runs along with a small village road, and the back side with the existing trees and a rice field," it continued.

A series of pitched wooden roofs clad in traditional lanna tiling shelter the living and dining spaces, covering the central walkways but leaving those around the edge of the home open to the elements.

Bifold wooden doors allow the kitchen and dining space to be opened out onto the wooden terrace looking out towards the rice field.

Full-height areas of glazing face in the opposite direction over the village path.

To the west, an independent volume houses the bathroom spaces, raised on concrete pillars and accessed via a short bridge clad in corrugated plastic.

Due to the sloping site, the first floor of the home can be accessed directly from the road, with a wooden staircase in the central courtyard leading down to the ground floor.

Throughout the interiors, the timber structure of the upper level is complemented by wooden window frames, shelving, fittings and furniture, creating a layering effect when looking through the home.

"There was an abundant use of wood to create a link between the house and the natural surrounding landscape," said the studio.

"The wood was found and treated... in the local area, and then incorporated into many small elements in the home," it continued.

Open-air spaces and local materials were central to Sher Maker's designs for its own architectural studio, which is also located in Chiang Mai.

Elsewhere in Thailand, Vin Varavarn used local bamboo and soil to build an agricultural learning centre.

The photography is by Rungkit Charoenwat.

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Architecture studio Sher Maker used salvaged and standard construction materials to build its own workspace in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which it arranged along either side of an open-air courtyard.

Sher Maker set out to create a studio space which embodies its values as a small-scale office that enjoys experimenting with the architectural design and construction of buildings using local resources.

"Sher Maker is an architectural design studio with an interest in the process and meaning behind architecture methodology," said the studio, which is shortlisted in the small workspace category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

"We are interested in the origins of architectural formations which depend on the context of local technology and materials," the architects added. "We are also interested in the design of the atmosphere that affects the building in both physical and ambiance."

The studio building occupies a previously vacant lot on the edge of a lake close to Chiang Mai International Airport. The site is nestled in a forest and lined with acacia trees that the architects wanted to preserve wherever possible.

The studio is divided into two floors that accommodate offices and workshop facilities, including areas for material testing and furniture making.

The building's simple structure utilises old timber and steel frames, while the floor is made from bricks from a nearby kiln, along with construction gravel to help reduce costs. The architects stated that the total cost for the project was approximately £15,000.

The two-storey structure is topped with a corrugated metal roof that extends almost to ground level. The metal sheet is punctured by openings that allow existing trees to continue growing through it.

The exaggerated gable roof conceals the internal spaces and focuses views towards the central courtyard, which contains breakout areas with communal seating and a pingpong table.

An office space on one side of the ground floor is lined with glazing and doors that open to allow cooling breezes to reach the interior. On the opposite side of the courtyard, the sloping eaves shelter a workshop and storage area.

According to Sher Maker, the building's design evolved in response to the available resources and labour as it was designed and built.

"During the design and construction of this building we had no idea of the exact language or shape of the architecture that was being formed," the architects explained.

"It was a building that was built with many limitations and also full of pitfalls, but when it was completed and in use for almost a year it became a real part of our daily lives."

Sher Maker was established by Patcharada Inplang and Thongchai Chansamak, who work with a team of builders and crafts specialists to develop projects that explore the possibilities enabled by local materials and technologies.

The Sher Maker Studio features on the small workspace shortlist for Dezeen Awards 2021 alongside projects including a renovated barn for an artist in Devon, England, and an office interior in Amsterdam featuring cave-like spaces surrounded by rippling laser-cut curtains.

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Vin Varavarn Architects has used local materials and construction techniques incorporating bamboo and soil to design an agriculture learning centre in Thailand's Pak Chong District.

The PANNAR Sufficiency Economic and Agriculture Learning Centre is located on a formerly arid 14-acre (5.7-hectare) site that has been transformed with reservoirs and farming areas, based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and New Theory Agriculture of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thai studio Vin Varavarn's design, which has been shortlisted in the cultural building category of Dezeen Awards 2021, intends to promote how these ideas of self-sufficiency can apply to construction in rural areas, and not just be confined to traditional building types.

Under a large faceted steel-framed roof clad with local bamboo shingles, the centre comprises a two-storey activity centre with meeting rooms for seminars and workshops, offices and a kitchen alongside an external canteen and gathering spaces.

"The Activity Centre is placed as the landmark among the vast agriculture fields, designed to facilitate flexible usage with natural light and natural ventilation," explained the studio.

"Local craftsmanship and materials can be transformed to create modern designs which are attractive, well-suited for present-day ways of life, durable as well as achieving harmony with the environment."

Spaces are arranged in the central structure as stacked blocks cantilevering outwards into the covered external spaces. Large windows benefit from the shade provided by the roof and a series of terraces look across the landscape.

Its distinctive orange-brown colour was created by using a local technique of mixing soil with the plaster that was then used to cover the redbrick structure.

The bamboo for the roof was treated by soaking it in one of the canals on the site in order to improve its durability, before cutting it into the required shapes.

With its faceted form, the roof structure is designed to direct water into small channels close to the structure, which in turn lead to the reservoirs on the site to be used during drought season.

The gathering spaces below are finished with concrete floors and no fixed furniture, meaning they can be entirely flexible to suit a variety of uses.

"The activity centre reflects the belief that architecture is a living science that must transform and grow with new developments in technology in response to evolving human needs and behaviours," said the practice.

"By valuing local wisdom and encouraging local craftsmen and producers to upgrade their capabilities, the project has served as a bridge between the knowledge of the past and the process of transformation to a more sustainable future for the community."

Previous projects by Vin Varavarn Architects include an earthquake-resistant school raised on metal stilts in northern Thailand.

Also nominated in the cultural building category of Dezeen Awards 2021 is Manuel Herz Architects pop-up synagogue at Babyn Yar in Ukraine.

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The latest edition of our Dezeen Weekly newsletter features Thai architect Kuanchanok Pakavaleetorn's family home in Bangkok.

Pakavaleetorn, founder of Kuanchanok Pakavaleetorn Architects, designed her own family home to prioritise privacy and airflow due to the house's busy and polluted urban setting.

55 Sathorn is arranged around a large atrium, allowing windows to face inwards rather than outwards. The facade also incorporates sliced openings, strategically placed to encourage the breeze to flow through the building.

Readers are impressed. One called it, "Fantastic and fascinating".

Other stories in this week's newsletter include our lookbook featuring ten minimalist bedrooms designed for a dreamy night's sleep, a townhouse in London inspired by 1970s Californian modernism, and news of Bjarke Ingels' residential design company that aims to create a range of affordable, modular homes.

Subscribe to Dezeen Weekly

Dezeen Weekly is a curated newsletter that is sent every Thursday, containing highlights from Dezeen. Dezeen Weekly subscribers will also receive occasional updates about events, competitions and breaking news.

Read the latest edition of Dezeen Weekly. You can also subscribe to Dezeen Daily, our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours.

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Thai architect Kuanchanok Pakavaleetorn has built her own family home in Bangkok, with a design that prioritises privacy and airflow.

Pakavaleetorn, founder of Kuanchanok Pakavaleetorn Architects, designed 55 Sathorn to make the best of its busy and polluted urban setting.

The four-storey-high building is arranged around a large atrium, allowing windows to face inwards rather than outwards. The facade also incorporates sliced openings, strategically placed to encourage the breeze to flow through the building.

"The location is in the very centre of Bangkok; the noise level is very high, and the traffic flow of people and cars is a safety and security concern," explained Pakavaleetorn.

"So I designed the house to take a defensive fortress-like posture," she told Dezeen.

The building is primarily constructed from concrete masonry, which integrates a mix of rectilinear and curving elements. This means that some parts have a more solid aesthetic, while others take the form of smooth ribbons.

There are three main openings into this massing: one that slices though the south elevation before cutting round to the west, one that wraps the southeast corner, and one within the roof.

There's also a narrow vertical slit concealed within the eastern facade.

Although they appear to be design flourishes, each opening is there for a reason, according to Pakavaleetorn.

"The large openings are positioned precisely to maximise wind flow," she said, "and they frame specific viewing angles."

Large windows positioned within the atrium line up with the openings, to ensure that plenty of natural light can reach the interior.

The layout of the 460-square-metre building is generated by the atrium – most floors contain two main rooms, one on each side.

The ground floor contains a home office and gym, while the living room and kitchen are located on the first floor. There are then three bedrooms, located on the second and third floors, and a secluded roof terrace.

The concrete surfaces are visible inside the house, but have been treated with a textured coating. They are combined with a palette that includes natural wood veneers, stone tiling and various shades of grey.

Other details include black aluminium windows, a mezzanine library accessed via a spiral staircase, and a kitchen with an entire wall of storage.

Pakavaleetorn currently lives in the house with her husband and one-year-old daughter, but she expects her parents to move in at some point in the future.

The photography is by Wison Tungthunya and Kittipong Bumrungchaokasem.

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Human hair can be a tool for measuring the toxicity of a city, according to London-based architects Deborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel, who have also created a textile made from hair.

Through their research studio, Pareid, Lopez and Charbel have been analysing hair samples as a way of mapping the levels of pollution across different areas of Bangkok. Samples containing larger quantities of heavy metals indicate higher levels of environmental toxicity.

"Pollution is becoming a gigantic environmental problem," Lopez told Dezeen, who founded Pareid with Charbel.

"We were interested in the capacity of the human body to become a sensor to this, to reflect and record the environment where you live, where you breathe, and where you eat and drink."

The project, called Follicle, started out as an investigation into the potential of hair as an architectural material.

Research suggests that around 6.5 million kilos of waste human hair is produced in the UK alone every year, so Lopez and Charbel felt this material could be an untapped resource for sustainable construction.

However, after learning about the presence of heavy metals in hair, the pair realised they could also use the substance as a research tool in cities with dangerously high levels of pollution.

They set up their first test station in Bangkok, a city that hit the headlines in early 2019 after high levels of smog forced all of its 437 schools to close.

The architects created an installation at Bangkok Design Week 2019, inviting visitors to voluntarily cut off a small amount of their hair and submit it for analysis, along with details about their day-to-day environment.

As the hair toxicity is affected by lifestyle choices – smoking and dying your hair both led to increased metal content, for instance – visitors were asked to also provide some anonymous information about themselves.

Although there was some reluctance, Lopez and Charbel were surprised by how many people were willing to donate their hair. They ended up with hundreds of samples.

The toxicology analysis suffered long delays, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis unfolding at that time, but when they finally received the results they were able to see significant links between certain types of environment and certain metals.

For example, people who lived near major highways were found to have a notably higher volume of arsenic in their hair.

"From that moment we were able to link these two stories together, hair toxicity and pollution in the context of Bangkok," said Charbel.

The architects have been using the information gathered to produce a "toxi-cartography", an interactive 3D map of the city that charts the varying toxicity across different areas. This is available to view on a dedicated website.

The pair are currently presenting their research within the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Going forward, Lopez and Charbel hope to be able to set up test stations in more cities, so that they can start to build up a wider understanding of the links between urban conditions and hair toxicity.

At the same time, the architects are also continuing to explore ways that waste hair can be used in building construction.

They have used a felting machine to create a hair textile, which has featured in both the Bangkok and Venice installations. Lopez suggests that this felt could be used as an insulating material, or as some kind of acoustic panelling.

The main obstacle to overcome is the stigma surrounding the cleanliness of hair, Lopez said.

"We find it interesting that we feel comfortable with the hair of non-humans, with animal fur, but we feel so disgusted by our own hair," she stated. "We want to find a way to use this material to create something that people feel attracted to."

Human hair has been used in a number of recent design projects, including designer Céline Arnould's ceramic vessels cast from the hair of her friends and family and a collection of bricks made from hair and manure.

Project credits:

Architects: Pareid Architects (Deborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel)
Collaborators: Konlawat Meklalit, Noppa-on Plidtookpai, Pitisuda Sukumalchantra, Phatsorn Mutanone.
Support: Matter of Trust, Embajada de España en Bangkok, Bangkok Design Week 2019 and TCDC
Photography and images Pareid & Visut Innadda
Hair analysis: Mery Malandrino, Alberto Salomone, Marco Vincenti (Department of Chemistry - University of Turin, Italy)
Website design: Pareid Architects (Déborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel)
Website development & Data Visualization: Sherif Tarabishy
Sound design: Donnie Brosh

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Foster + Partners has released visuals for The Forestias, a multi-generational residential neighbourhood on the edge of Bangkok, Thailand, which will have a large forest at the centre.

The Forestias has been designed by Foster + Partners' local studio to address a "growing disconnect between contemporary city life and family traditions" in the country.

Design offers "template" for urban living

Once complete, it will combine housing and shared facilities that accommodate the lifestyles of different generations, enabling extended families to live in close proximity.

These will be interspersed with green spaces shared by the community, which will encourage residents to engage with nature to boost wellbeing.

It is hoped to provide "a template for healthier and happier urban living in Thailand", according to Foster + Partners.

"Traditional Thai families often have strong intergenerational ties that are being strained due to the demands of urban life, with the younger generation moving to the city for work while the children and the older members of the family remain at home," explained studio partner Sunphol Sorakul.

"The Forestia's masterplan takes inspiration from the layout of traditional Thai houses to create a contemporary interpretation in the form of flexible community spaces, focussed on health and nature, that can expand and adapt as the needs of the family grow."

Variety of house types to feature

The Forestias is divided into two zones. The north side will contain commercial, public facilities, while the larger southern zone will be residential.

Both zones will be built with "smart city principles", such as autonomous vehicles and wireless sensor networks.

The southern zone is planned with a variety of different house types, ranging from large villas to high-rise condominium blocks.

There will also be "cluster-home residences" – groups of interconnected dwellings designed to support co-living – alongside housing for the elderly.

The north side is expected to feature offices, retail and food outlets, alongside entertainment, cultural and sports facilities, as reported by the Bangkok Post.

Forest will form heart of neighbourhood

At the heart of The Forestias there will be a large forest to form a relationship between nature and the built environment.

Smaller planted areas and green spaces will also feature throughout the entire development, offering residents "a sense of escape into an urban oasis".

The masterplan will be complete with The Forest Pavilion – an "experience centre" in the first that will contain interactive exhibits that showcase the vision of the neighbourhood alongside an elevated walkway through the trees.

Foster + Partners is an international architecture studio, founded by Norman Foster in London in 1967. Elsewhere in Thailand, it recently completed an Apple store with a tree-like column as its centrepiece.

Other projects currently being developed by the studio include a quartet of aluminium-clad skyscrapers in Qatar and the conversion of an abandoned gas plant in Madrid into offices.

Visuals are courtesy of Foster + Partners.

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Austrian architecture studio Precht has used more than 7,000 handmade bricks to create the floors, walls and stepped seating in this Bangkok cafe for coffee brand % Arabica.

Located within a retail space in Central World – the largest shopping centre in the Thai capital – the 120-square-metre cafe benefits from a large, glazed facade that looks onto a busy plaza.

It features stepped seating areas located to the right of the entrance and at the rear of the space, while a counter, roastery and storage room run along its length.

"When we started the design process, memories from previous travels in Thailand came to mind," said Chris Precht, who co-founded Precht alongside his wife Fei Tang Precht.

"I was always impressed that Thai culture values the 'chat' – an engaged conversation that is often depicted in local murals."

"In Austrian coffee house culture, we are reliant on chairs and tables for a conversation," he continued. "But in these Thai murals, the landscape or the traditional architectural topography was used in a joyful way."

Informed by these informal conversation settings and the rectangular terracing found in traditional Thai buildings, Precht stacked thousands of bricks, handmade by local craftspeople, to create a stepped "seating topography" within the % Arabica cafe.

Each block measures 15 by 15 centimetres and is made from a "concrete-like" material, with some left hollow and others inlaid with white ceramic tiles.

The brick modules were used to form the steps, seats and serving counter inside the % Arabica cafe. The same bricks were also used to line the store's walls and floors.

"It's one simple module for the entire programme," said the studio.

Both the blocks and the ceramic tiles were handcrafted by local artisans to create a design that is tactile and rooted in its context.

"We wanted to bring a certain handcrafted atmosphere to the place," Precht told Dezeen. "We think a haptic feeling fits the story of a barista and the making of a coffee."

"The handcrafting of the blocks infused the clean, nearly minimalist design with a little hint of wabi-sabi – rich in texture, with delicate imperfections, keeping the space bright and fresh, yet haptic and sensual," he added.

The hollow blocks were used to form a perforated brick wall, which divides the % Arabica store from the interior of the shopping mall while allowing passersby to see inside.

Integrated planters with trees were added to create the feeling of one connected landscape, where the floors merge into the furniture and walls.

The cafe is located right next to the dramatic Apple store that Foster + Partners designed for the plaza of Central World. Opened last year, the shop has a timber-clad column at its centre and an overhanging roof that resembles a tree canopy.

Other recent interior projects in the city include Enter Projects Asia's rattan restaurant design and Space Popular's green-hued spa interiors.

Photography is by WWorkspace, Sherman Chong and Chris Schalk.

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Dezeen promotion: the tropical gardens and luxury residences of this condominium building in Bangkok are set to be furnished with classic and bespoke pieces from French company Ligne Roset.

The eight-storey Scope Promsri is currently under construction in the Thai capital's lush and vibrant Sukhumvit neighbourhood, slated for completion in November 2022.

Developed by local real-estate Scope, the low-rise building will include 150 units that range from 28 to 34.99 square metres.

A collaboration with Ligne Roset through Ligne Roset Contract – the brand's first residential project in Southeast Asia – will see the brand furnish common areas and residences with existing and custom designs.

All Prado settees in the project will be designed to perfectly fit Scope Promsri's layouts, with the owners of the residences able to choose the fabric colours for their unit's Prado settee.

"We worked together with Ligne Roset extensively to refine the size, materials, and special colours and fabrics that can truly achieve what the design is meant to do," said Scope CEO, Yongyutt Chaipromprasith.

The building is organised around a central pool and tropical garden, influenced by the cenotes of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, and offers residents the use of several communal outdoor, semi-outdoor and indoor spaces.

These lounge and relaxation areas will be furnished with Ligne Roset's Taru, Valmy and Saparella collections, amongst a curated selection of others.

Promsri Edition residences will include the Promsri Table designed specifically for this project, along with the Prado sofa by Christian Werner, which can be customised with the owners' choice of colour and fabric – only possible due to the bespoke manufacturing capabilities of Ligne Roset Contract.

Larger units also come with a pair of Ettoriano chairs by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci.

Architectural features include full-sized windows with reflective glass and motorised blackout blinds for privacy, plus acoustic window film to reduce external noise transfer by 30 per cent.

Miele kitchen appliances, Liebherr fridges and Kohler bathroom fixtures all come as standard in every unit.

For more information about Scope Promsri and the Ligne Roset collaboration, visit the website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Scope Collection as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Dezeen promotion: mosaic tile specialist SICIS is creating highly complex mosaic artworks to replace paintings in Thailand's oldest Hindu shrine.

SICIS is installing mosaics across the interior walls and vaulted ceilings of the historic Sri Mariamman Temple in Bangkok, which is the largest Hindu shrine in the world outside of India.

Taking years to complete, these mosaics are carefully designed to be precise copies of the original frescoes that have been slowly degrading over the years.

These replacements will have a significantly longer lifespan, allowing the temple to endure for the future.

"The mosaic is recognised as an eternal painting, which does not deteriorate and maintains the splendour of the colours and the vigour of the figures represented over time," said SICIS.

The Sri Mariamman Temple was built in 1879 by Vaithi Padayatchi, one of many Tamil Hindu immigrants that came to Thailand to escape colonial rule in India.

The temple comprises a six-metre-high entrance tower, known as a gopura, and three sacred buildings. The main shrine is dedicated to Sri Maha Mariamman, while the other two pay tribute to Ganesh and Kartik.

The task given to SICIS was to replace all of the frescoes in the temple, using both digital tools and tiling craft expertise.

To ensure the mosaics would be identical to the original artworks, artists created replica paintings that could be transported to the company's laboratories in Ravenna, northern Italy.

There, more than 80 SICIS mosaic artists have worked together to precisely colour match every shape and detail, using tesserae made from gold and Murano glass.

The process involved using the company's patented double indirect method, a highly skilled mosaic technique developed by company president Maurizio Placuzzi in the 1980s.

SICIS has so far completed the first two phases of the project. In the first phase, two artworks were created for the temple entrance, in the images of Sri Maha Mariamman and Shiva. Gold and gold leaf mosaic were also applied to the exterior.

The latest phase sees the temple's central nave completed rejuvenated. Nine Hindu deities adorn the vaulted ceiling, while additional artworks decorate the walls and niches.

So far, more than six million mosaic tiles have been used, all of which have been selected, cut and placed by hand. The skills used in this process are similar to those used in fine art or jewellery making.

"The mosaic masters recreated the images, paying maniacal attention to the expressions of the faces, the position of objects and symbols," said SICIS.

SICIS expects to spend at least two more years working on the next phases of the project, which will see 20 deities created on the two side vaults of the temple and 12 micromosaics added to the base of the temple's main nave.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for SICIS as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Architecture studio Enter Projects Asia has created a design installation for the Spice & Barley gastro lounge in Bangkok using rattan sculptures and gold hues to fuse Thai tradition with modern design.

Enter Projects Asia, which is based in Phuket, Thailand, used 3D-modelling to create large sculptures that weave through the 300 square-metres space at the Riverside resort.

These were made from rattan, a type of climbing plant with a flexible woody stem, and reach 30 metres from the floor to the ceiling.

They were informed by the use of the space – Spice and Barley serves gastro food but also specialises in craft beers imported from Belgium.

"We used 3D special effects software – Maya and Rhino – to simulate bubbles, foam and liquids to 'suggest' the foaming of beer and arrived at 'fluid geometric shapes'," Enter Projects Asia director Patrick Keane told Dezeen.

"Then we fabricated special aluminium frames as supports with marine technology software."

The sculptures were painted gold in a nod to Thailand's gilded temples, and also fill a practical function as they hide the beer pipes, air conditioning and other related services.

Spice and Barley's location also played a role in the design of the rattan columns, which mimic nearby skyscrapers.

"The site overlooks the Chao Priya River and the natural rattan structures act as twin towers, referencing the high rise towers in the backdrop," the studio said.

"The vast geometries flood the ceiling in an uninterrupted balustrade of twists and turns which bounce the light and become a beacon from far away."

Enter Projects Asia chose to work with rattan as it wanted to "bring arts and crafts to a mainstream application," Keane said.

"Many rattan factories are at the brink of extinction due to the rise of importation of inferior plastic products. This project saved two rattan factories from closing down," he added.

"Rattan is incredibly sustainable – it is a renewable material and found in abundance across South East Asia. It is a natural product and gives the space an essence of Thai tradition fused with modern design."

The studio didn't use any plastic for the project.  It worked together with local tradesmen on the rattan sculptures, and chose the furniture for the project as well as created the design installation.

"All furniture is local and handmade," Keane said. "It was intended to be natural and comfortable, especially the leather bar stools and banquettes in green leather."

Enter Projects Asia also wanted the installation and interior design to be eco-friendly and reference local culture.

"There is a strong environmental eco-friendly agenda with rattan –  a very relevant topic in the current climate," Keane said.

"Thai cultural context in the rattan and gold are references to Thai culture with the gold and the temples on the skyline."

The studio previously also used rattan for its design of the studios for yoga brand Vikasa, for which it won the Dezeen Award for Leisure and Wellness Interior 2020.

Photography is by William Barrington-Binns.

Client: Minor International
Architects: Enter Projects Asia
Construction and installation: Project Rattan

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Thai firm IDIN Architects has slotted a studio it designed for itself into a narrow site in Bangkok and obscured it from view using tall trees and blackened wood.

IDIN Architects' Office is designed to have an "invisible presence" that is overlooked by passersby, offering the studio's employees privacy and respite from the city.

It is among the five projects shortlisted for business building of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.

"Unlike the other stand-alone office designs, IDIN Architects decided to walk away from creating an iconic appearance for its office," the studio explained.

"The key idea unfolds from creating a creative working place with high privacy and then develops towards an idea about the invisible presence of the building in an urban context."

IDIN Architects' Office takes the form of a series of staggered but interlinking volumes, shrouded by their dark charred-cedar cladding.

The volumes are punctured by courtyards and terraces that overlook the wall of trees and greenery that envelop the site.

While providing privacy for employees, the trees help to absorb noise from the surrounding streets, provide shelter for birds and animals and offer the studio relaxing views of nature.

Inside, the office's staggered form creates three distinct zones divided into public, semi-public and private spaces. The public zone contains a cafe and is the only space visible from the street.

Tucked behind the cafe is the semi-public area that contains all of the studio's workspaces, while the private zone at the rear accommodates residential space for the studio's founder.

IDIN Architects' intention is for this layout to "filter" the flow of visitors, while also creating a playful sequence of rooms that offers them a feeling of discovery as they walk through it.

"The visitors can experience the rhythm of hide-and-seek throughout the building," explained the studio.

"Like reading a book, the upcoming chapters disclose slowly, as the readers keep reading the next page, each section of the space features different characters."

To help prevent IDIN Architects' Office from overheating, its west elevation takes the form of a solid, windowless wall while the south-facing side is only used for circulation.

The north facade is lined with floor-to-ceiling glazing, providing spaces throughout the office with views of the trees and natural lighting that is consistent throughout the day.

To help maximise the office space's connection to the outside, the interiors are lined with black walls that mirror the exterior of the building.

This is teamed with light wooden floors and furnishings, including floor-to-ceiling bookcase walls office chairs and tables and office chairs and tables.

Jeravej Hongsakul founded IDIN Architects in 2004. Its name is an acronym for Integrating Design Into Nature. Other recent projects by the studio include JB House – a dwelling designed for a couple who wanted a space that would allow them to focus on their individual hobbies.

Among the other projects shortlisted for business building of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2020 is Kohan Ceram Central Office in Iran by Hooba Design Group and a recyclable market in China by LUO Studio.

Photography is by Spaceshift Studio and Ketsiree Wongwan.

Project credits:

Architect: IDIN Architects
Architecture team: Jeravej Hongsakul, Eakgaluk Sirijariyawat, Sakorn Thongdoang, Wichan Kongnok
Interior architect: IDIN Architects
Interiors team: Thuwanont Ruangkanoksilp
Landscape architect: Walllasia
Structural engineer: Pakanut Siriprasopsothron
System engineer: Eakachai Hamhomvong, Panot Kuakoolwong
Contractor: ArtCon
Interior contractor: Diidia

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A tropical garden can be seen from within this spa in Sukhumvit, Bangkok, which architecture studio Space Popular has designed with soothing green and white treatment rooms.

Infinity Wellbeing is set within a building on one of the side streets, or "sois", that lead off Sukhumvit's main road.

It is entered via a luscious garden planted with dragon trees and lipstick palms, which Space Popular hopes will offset the shops, food vendors and towering skyscrapers that cluster around the spa.

"Designing the arrival and departure sequence is perhaps the most challenging element as the interior ambience is highly contrasting with the bustling street atmosphere in Bangkok," the studio's founders, Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg, told Dezeen.

"Through the leaves of the garden, the spa is in strong contrast to the street with its often chaotic collage of sounds and sights."

The leafy plants also help obscure views through to the interior of the spa, where the studio has continued the calming ambience by utilising a serene colour palette of off-whites and pastel greens.

Lesmes and Hellberg were particularly inspired to use the colour after coming across a local green-hued marble.

At the centre of the reception area is a fluted white service counter. Sheer white curtains have then been hung at the peripheries of the room, serving as a backdrop to customer seating areas.

The accompanying armchairs, recliners and bar stools are all from Space Popular's latest range of furniture called The Second Collection. Each piece features a tubular mint-green framework and "petroleum-blue" upholstery.

Green tube-like bases also feature on the stone-topped side tables dotted throughout the room, which also come as part of The Second Collection.

A contrasting pop of colour is provided by the copper-tone grid that runs across the reception's backlit ceiling. Stems of the grid extend down and away from the ceiling to form overhead lamps.

Corridors lined with mint-coloured timber louvres lead through to Infinity Wellbeing's white-painted treatment rooms, most of which have been finished with vanity stands and washbasins crafted from green terrazzo.

The garden-facing massage rooms are slightly moodier in tone – walls are clad in dark teal acoustic panels, while packaging foam is used to create coffered ceilings. Space Popular said it wanted to juxtapose high-end and humble materials like this from the outset of the project.

"It's a contrast often seen throughout Bangkok, which despite its abundance of luxury and shine manages to maintain its agility and inventiveness through its market and street food culture," the studio explained.

Only one of the treatment rooms, which boasts sandy-pink walls, diverts from the colour palette seen in the rest of the spa. It also has a dramatic tiered ceiling which staggers upwards into a cone-like shape.

"[The room] had very particular constraints due to where it was located – it doesn't face the garden – so we decided to turn it into its own world," added Space Popular.

This is the second branch that the studio has designed for the spa company. The first location, which is simply titled Infinity, was completed back in 2017. It's situated in Bangkok's Bang Rak district, occupying a pair of traditional Thai shophouses.

More recently Space Popular has designed the venue for Punto de Inflexión, the first-ever architecture conference to be held in virtual reality.

Photography is by Wison Tungthunya.

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Dezeen promotion: the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) in Thailand has launched an international campaign to showcase the country's products and brands.

Organised by the Thai government's DITP and Ministry of Commerce, Thai Style Solutions is an initiative that aims to highlight the country's creative capacity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Covid-19 outbreak has caused global economic stagnation and supply chain disruption on a never-before-seen scale," said Somdet Susomboon, director general of DITP.

"At the same time, environmental problems have accelerated. The path to recovery is therefore different. The growth strategy for the future will not be the same as the pre-Covid world," he continued.

"Now the world is facing multidimensional crises. But there is always a solution to every problem, and Thai Style Solutions could be a future-proof model for those who are looking for new ways to create a better life in these challenging times."

The initiative aims to reconnect local craft businesses in Thailand with global markets by demonstrating how Thai designers are working creatively and adapting to the needs of the post-coronavirus world.

The products from 47 designers and brands that are being promoted demonstrate how the country's designers are responding to the current crisis in five ways: Creative Solutions, Design Solutions, Growth Solutions, Green Solutions and Art Solutions.

Brands that demonstrate Creative Solutions showcase the designers' ability to adapt in creative ways.

"Equipped with Thai-styled design flair and high-quality yet flexible manufacturing capacity that can create products in a very short period of time, Thai designers can go beyond boundaries to express their creativity through unique products that can meet today's fast-changing demands," said the initiative's organisers.

Examples include Thai designer Nuttapong Charoenkitivarakorn, who took inspiration from corsets and high heels when creating the Sexy Chair using seatbelt scraps. The chair was featured in the 2012 film The Hunger Games.

Other designers include Srinlim, 5ive Sis, Lamunlamai and Ek Thongprasert.

Brands demonstrating Design Solutions include textile manufacturer Pasaya, which features face masks with antimicrobial silk fabric in its collection, and Thai designer Korakot Aromdee who works to empower local communities through design, craftsmanship and sustainable materials.

These designs, according to the organisers, "keep the balance between innovation and human touch – something that is needed more during the pandemic."

Design organisations that show Growth Solutions make crafts for a global supply chain, which in turn creates local jobs, include THINKK Studio, Patapian and Plural Designs.

Meanwhile makers with a focus on sustainability have been included to showcase the country's Green Solutions. These include PiN Metal Art – a studio that turns discarded industrial metal waste into Thai-inspired metal chandeliers.

"When combining Thai designers' ability to think out of the box with environmentally-friendly practices, the results are innovative green solutions, from advanced bamboo materials to upcycling furniture and recycled textile," said the initiative's organisers.

The final area being showcased is Art Solutions, which aims to demonstrate the emergence of Thai artists on the global stage. This includes Tithi Kutchamuch, whose work is designed to provoke fresh perspectives and "shake up consumers' expectations".

Other designers in this category are Ease Studio, Anon Pairot, Sarran Youkongdee, Masaya, Sumphat Gallery and Benjametha.

Find out more about all of the brands being showcased as part of the Thai Style Solutions initiative on its website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Thai Style Solutions as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Thai architecture studio Enter Projects Asia has used rattan to enclose a series of studios for yoga brand Vikasa at its headquarters in Bangkok.

Enter Projects Asia used rattan – a type of climbing plant with a flexible woody stem – as the main material to break up a 450-square-metre space in a triangular-shaped block in downtown Bangkok into a series of yoga studios.

The studio is shortlisted for leisure and wellness interior of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.

Supported on a frame of Thai timber, the material was used to partition two public yoga studios and fully enclose two smaller, private studios.

The architecture studio wrapped the spaces in the natural material to create "an urban oasis in the chaos of Bangkok – a retreat from the grind".

Rattan was chosen as it can be found on the island of Koh Samui of the east coast of the country, where yoga brand Vikasa had a retreat.

"All elements of the project were made from natural, local materials to be a hub or a portal for their existing location, which is based on a hillside in Koh Samui: Thai hardwood, local black slate, bamboo and most notably, rattan," said Enter Projects Asia design director Patrick Keane.

"The result is a space of captivating calmness, cloaked in quiet contentment – an oasis of tranquillity amongst the chaos of Bangkok," he told Dezeen.

Along with the pods, rattan was used to create light fittings in the studios and a large, sinuous desk that dominates the reception area.

The desk becomes a bench for those waiting for classes and turns into a light feature that winds its way above the reception area,  ending in a woven lampshade above the main staircase.

The three-dimensional rattan forms were created in collaboration with specialist furniture designer Project Rattan by combining traditional weaving techniques with digital design.

"We facilitated the fusion of 3D technologies with local Thai craftsmanship to bring nature to an urban context," explained Keane.

"We worked using 3D software, special effects modelling namely Maya and Rhino. Frames and templates were all printed on giant templates for the craftspeople to use as guides for their weaving techniques."

Overall, Enter Projects Asia hopes that it has created a space that communicates a sense of spirituality

"It embraces all five senses, with soft geometry to counter hard urban edges, tactile materials that are touchable and natural, the smell of nature, and the technical acoustics – as good as a radio station – and the food and beverage Vikasa provides," said Keane.

The studios occupy the first floor of Vikasa's headquarters, which has a cafe area on the ground floor, with the rattan forms designed to be visible through large glass windows from the street.

Previous yoga studios on Dezeen include a bamboo pavilion nestled in the jungle in Tulum designed by CO-Lab Design Office and a muted studio with a textured sisal ceiling in Melbourne.

Photography by Edmund Sumner.

Project credits:

Interiors architecture and design: Enter Projects Asia
Design director: Patrick Keane
Design team: Tomas Guevara, Azul Paklaian, Archana Ramesh, Sergio Lissone
Local craftsmanship: Project Rattan
Builders: Enter Projects, Ian Sykes
Engineer: Lincoln Scott
Consultants: Ian Sykes Builder
Collaborators: Project Rattan

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Dezeen promotion: the interiors of the Scope Langsuan residential building have been designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, his first project in Thailand.

Located in the heart of Bangkok's city centre, the soon-to-be-completed development for Scope is situated on a piece of the most expensive freehold land in the city.

Danish designer Thomas Juul-Hansen was behind the interior design for Scope Langsuan, which will feature a calming colour palette of warm, sandy hues and muted pastel tones.

Juul-Hansen has selected fittings and furniture to complement this colour palette from brands such as Minotti, Walter Knoll and Poliform, as well as designing some bespoke furniture pieces for each unit in the development.

The Copenhagen-born designer was previously responsible for the interior design of New York's 75-story skyscraper One57, nicknamed The Billionaire Building, which reached completion in 2014.

Global architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) was design consultant for the building itself, which will accommodate 158 residences across 34 floors.

"We're a disruptive developer, focusing exclusively on designing and building top, international standard premium homes," said Scope CEO Yongyutt Chaipromprasith.

"We cater to a new generation of homeowners who seek design and build quality that match the very best available in New York or London," he added. "So, we've teamed up with the best partners in the world."

Scheduled for completion in early 2023, the block will have one-bedroom residences sized at around 83 square metres, while two-bedroom apartments are sized at 153 to 162 square metres. Penthouse residences will be between 419 to 443 square metres.

All apartments will have floor-to-ceiling windows and ceiling heights of 3.5 metres, with four metres for the penthouses.

A wine cellar, cloakroom, cigar storage, piano room and 25-seat auditorium will be found on the third floor of the complex, while a fitness centre, temperature-control pool, business lounge and kids room will be located on the fourth floor.

Thirty levels up, on the 34th floor, is a sky lounge, private kitchen and dining area and a barbecue deck.

In the living spaces, the kitchens feature furniture by German manufacturer Bulthaup, as well as kitchen appliances from Gaggenau and Sub-Zero.

The bedrooms also include built-in closets by Italian furniture manufacturer Lema, and luxury bathrooms designed by TOTO.

Scope Langsuan will also offer a range of lifestyle facilities and five-star services, including maid and cleaning services, receptionists, 24-hour comprehensive security, and valet parking.

"Scope Langsuan will be one of Thailand's highest quality condominium developments with its clean and open simplicity, functionality, international good taste, and searingly close attention to details," Chaipromprasith added.

Located at the centre of the city on Lang Suan road, Scope Langsuan is 140 metres – just a two-minute walk – from the city's BTS Skytrain and rail transit system.

The complex will be positioned within minutes' walk of Bangkok's most prestigious retail avenue, Ploenchit Road, as well as the Central Embassy, Siam Center and Central Chidlom.Bangkok's popular central Lumpini Park is also "only a straight-line jog away" at the end of Langsuan Road.

For more information about Scope Langsuan can be found on the company's website.

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Design studio Integrated Field has created colourful arched interiors filled with animals and clouds to provide an enjoyable experience for children at a hospital in Samut Sakhon, Thailand.

Playful touches in EKH Children's Hospital include a bright yellow slide that spirals through the reception and animal shapes above hospital beds and light-up constellations that act as night lights.

EKH Children's Hospital has been shortlisted for leisure and wellness interior of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020.

Integrated Field wanted the young visitors to the medical facility to be put at ease in what can be a scary and unfamiliar place.

The designers put fun elements, such as clouds above an indoor swimming pool and soft play areas in the waiting rooms, to help distract children who could be nervous or feeling unwell.

"Imagine being a kid dreading going into the hospital, the slide will definitely make you stop crying," said the studio.

"The waiting area of each clinic is designed into a playground, which becomes something of a burden for the parents when having to convince the kids to leave the hospital."

An indoor swimming pool adds to the fun, with arched windows that form circular reflections in the water and white clouds decorating the walls against a sky-blue backdrop.

In the pharmacy, the play area is designed so that parents can easily keep an eye on their charges when they're waiting at the counter.

Arches above doorways and alcoves and rounded seating areas were all designed with a child's perspective in mind, and these architectural elements were scaled to their height.

Rooms are painted in soft pastel tones, including pink, blue and yellow.

"The pastel colour tone encourages the children's use of imagination," Integrated Field told Dezeen.

"As a kid, we all create our own imaginary world when we are experiencing a space for the first time," it added. "Each specific colour refers to a specific animal representing each zone, such as sky blue for whales."

Rooms for overnight stays are given animal themes to make them more appealing – Whale, Turtle, Lion and Rabbit Constellation.

The animal's outline is picked out on the ceiling so that it is visible during the day. At night, soft lightbulbs and glow in the dark strips pick out a constellation of stars that acts as a comforting nightlight.

Lighting in all of the hospital rooms and corridors is also designed to be soft, rather than the harsh fluorescent lights usually found in hospital settings.

In the hospital bathrooms, the girls' toilets are tiled pink and the boys' yellow. Sinks and urinals are set into arched alcoves, with half of the facilities placed at a child's height for easy access.

On the exterior facade, pastel-coloured metal screens have perforations that form the shape of animals.

"As adults, we find ourselves amazed if not a bit jealous by the mesmerising variety and development of children’s toys or even snacks these days," said the studio.

"EKH Children Hospital will change everyone’s perception about what the space of a children’s hospital can be."

Integrated Field was founded in 2011 and is based in Bangkok.

Other colourful children's hospitals include a hospital in Brisbane with a colourful facade and a layout inspired by trees, and a brightly coloured children's outpatient clinic in Kyiv that is also designed to be deliberately un-threatening.

Photography is by Ketsiree Wongwan.

Project credits:

Owner: Ekachai Hospital
Interior architect: Integrated Field
Architect: S:CSB
Landscape architect: S:CSB
Lighting designer: Nopporn Sakulwigitsinthu
Environmental graphics: Integrated Field
Structural engineer: S:CSB
Electrical engineer: S:CSB
Sanitary engineer: S:CSB
Main contractor: Adisorn Construction
Interior contractor: Open Interior, Pansin
Signage contractor: D.R. Advertising

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In this week's comments update, readers are impressed by Foster + Partners' latest Apple Store and sharing their views on other top stories.

Apple Central World in Bangkok, Thailand, is the newest Apple store designed by Foster + Partners and is situated in the capital city's largest shopping centre.

The architecture studio designed the store with "a quiet sculptural presence" to juxtapose with the lively plaza of Central World, adding a timber-clad column and overhanging roof that resembles a tree canopy.

"A breath of fresh air for retail design"

Readers are delighted with the results. "No one does it better," said A Cool Guy.

Felix Amiss agreed: "A breath of fresh air for retail design."

"Foster must keep the A-team for its Apple store designs," added Z-dog. "Always different and always superbly executed."

"The form is quite appealing," replied Benny. "But I think it's because I can't un-see this as a giant cake stand – and I do like cake!"

Do you think the Apple store resembles a cake stand? Join the discussion ›

Commenter says Soft Cabinets "are as useful as cardboard-flavoured sweets" 

Dutch designer Dewi van de Klomp has created squishy cabinets made from foam rubber in a bid to bring more attention to the "overlooked" material, but readers aren't convinced.

"As useful as cardboard-flavoured sweets," joked Rodrigo Galvan-Duque.

Heywood Floyd agreed: "I'm actually morphing and sagging in response to this content."

"I just designed a boat that sinks,"continued JW. "But hey, it's made of foam and nobody did that before!"

Are readers being hard on the designer? Join the discussion ›

Readers "wish there was a hot, steaming plate of meatballs" on IKEA T-shirts

IKEA Japan has released a 10-piece collection of clothing and accessories each branded with the company's logo and the barcode of the iconic Billy shelving system, sparking reader debate.

"I like the bar-code graphics," said Benny. "But instead of the IKEA logo I wish there was a hot, steaming plate of the meatballs, gravy and lingonberry jam."

"Does it come with its own thread, needles, fabric, and instructions on how to sew it together?" asked Apsco Radiales.

Puzzello was less comical: "I appreciate that the items are made of recycled material but there is no real sense of design or fashion here. The pieces look like they were giveaways at a retail convention."

Are you sold on the designs? Join the discussion ›

"What could go wrong?" with transparent public toilets asks reader

Commenters are amused by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban-designed public toilets in Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park, Tokyo, which feature transparent walls when not in use.

"What could go wrong?" asked Margot.

"What if the mechanism malfunctions?" continued Igor Pismensky. "Would anyone inform the authorities or just sit back and be entertained, like me? LOL."

"My idea of a perfect public toilet," concluded Rastermadre.

Does the idea of using a transparent toilet make you flush? Join the discussion ›

Read more Dezeen comments

Dezeen is the world's most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page.

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A timber-clad column and overhanging roof that resembles a tree canopy characterise Foster + Partners' latest Apple Store, which it has completed in Bangkok, Thailand.

Named Apple Central World, the store is designed by Foster + Partners with "a quiet sculptural presence" to juxtapose with the lively plaza of Central World – the capital city's largest shopping centre.

It is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling curved glass facades that provide passersby uninterrupted views inside and frame the tree-like interiors, referred to by Apple as the Tree Canopy.

"Located in one of the city’s iconic urban centres, the new store establishes a quiet sculptural presence at the heart of the bustling Central World Square on the intersection of Rama I and Ratchadamri roads," explained Foster + Partners.

"It forms a new social focus for the city and an inviting backdrop for the city’s famous New Year celebrations and numerous other annual festivities."

Apple Central World was designed by Foster + Partners' Bangkok office in collaboration with Apple and local studio Architects 49.

It is the second Apple Store by Foster + Partners in Bangkok, following the completion of the tree-lined Apple Iconsiam store in 2018.

Apple Central World's setting is described by Foster + Partners as a "dizzying urban spectacle", overlooked by multiple vehicular and pedestrian routes around the site. This presented the opportunity for multiple entrance points to the store.

Guests can enter from either the ground level or the first floor, which is directly connected to the shopping centre and Bangkok's Mass Transit System via a new bridge and walkway.

The store has a diameter of 24.4 metres, with the sculptural column clad in 1,461 slats of European white oak placed at its centre.

Where the column meets the ceiling, it fans outward to merge with the roof of the store. It then extends beyond the store's perimeter to form a three-metre-long cantilever that shades the glazing.

The floor-to-ceiling glazing that envelops the store was chosen by Foster + Partners to dematerialise the boundary with the outside – similarly to many of the studio's other Apple Stores including Apple Sanlitun in Beijing.

In the case of Apple Central World, the glazing is intended to address the "public plaza and the famous Erawan shrine located across the road".

The store's sales areas are split over two levels, and there is also a basement level that contains a private boardroom for business customers.

The floors are connected by a spiral staircase that cantilevers from the central column, with treads made from solid blocks of polished stainless steel chosen for a "reflective, sculptural quality".

Foster + Partners has also incorporated a cylindrical elevator that is clad in the same polished stainless steel, resembling a minimalist sculpture that spans the shop floors.

Externally, Apple Central World is complete with benches and large Terminalia trees to offer a quiet place for the locals and visitors to rest.

Foster and Partners was founded by Norman Foster in 1967. It has offices internationally but its headquarters remain in London, UK. The studio is behind the design of all the latest Apple Stores, including Apple Marunouchi in Tokyo and Apple Aventura in Miami.

Other recent projects by the studio include a proposal for an over-station skyscraper in central Sydney, the masterplan for One Beverly Hills and Dolunay Villa in Turkey.

Photography is by Bear and Terry unless stated.

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Not-for-profit organisation Estudio Cavernas has built the sugarcane-thatched Green Island community centre for over 400 Burmese children living near the Myanmar border in western Thailand.

Located within a municipal waste centre in the town of Mae Sot, the timber community hall stands alongside a playground, vegetable garden and football pitch.

The building by Estudio Cavernas serves as a learning hub for children with daily classes in Thai, English, critical thinking and football. It also provides local residents with a venue for weekly movie screenings and community events.

The frame as well as the flooring are made from reclaimed timber and the structure is elevated from the ground to avoid flooding and destruction during monsoon season.

Due to the extreme weather conditions, the southwest face of the building is surrounded by teak trees, protecting the structure from rainfall and extreme heat.

The folded roof has three large triangular openings that allow natural light and ventilation in to the building.

An inner layer of aluzinc supports the sugarcane thatch and a middle layer of vertically placed eucalyptus, creating an air chamber that protects the building from the heat of the sun.

The centre is accessed by a ramp alongside a set of stairs that can also be used as a break-out space to relax between activities.

Estudio Cavernas designed the flexible interior of the centre so that several activities can take place at the same time. The large open space can be divided by a mobile partition wall, which also serves as a bookshelf and a whiteboard.

Green Island was built by members of the community helped by experienced construction workers.

"Our idea of the community centre came with interpreting some of the social problems in the dumpsite migrant community by educating the kids and their families," explained Juan Cuevas, co-founder and design director of Estudio Cavernas.

"The community was involved from the very beginning and helped with identifying the needs of the settlement," continued Cuevas.

"After the approval, the team was gathered, mixing experienced construction workers, which had been trained for a few years, and members of the community."

Green Island was funded by PlayOnside, an organisation focused on youth empowerment and gender equality through sports.

"The kids of the community are often at risk when wandering off to the dumpsite, involving themselves in dangerous and illegal activities," said Cuevas. "The community previously didn’t have any gathering or social space."

"PlayOnside was responsible for raising the funds, monitoring the construction process, and is also responsible for implementing the educational programs," explained Juan Cuevas.

"We only can consider it a successful project if we are certain about the continuity of the learning activities as well as the maintenance of the infrastructures."

Together with Les frères Molcard, a French not-for-profit organisation that specialises in planting trees around the world, Estudio Cavernas was also responsible for the design of the landscape around the centre.

Trees were planted around the community centre and a vegetable garden was created to encourage the children to grow their own food.

Estudio Cavernas is a not-for-profit organisation, which closely works with local migrant communities and organisations in Thailand to meet their needs for housing and infrastructure.

Other examples of community centres include Women's House in Morocco by Building Beyond Borders, a community hall for a Fijian village by Caukin Studio and a community hall built from repurposed materials in the Utah desert.

Photography is by Dennis Amirtharaj

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A glass-walled garage and courtyard form the focal point of Basic House, a residence by Brownhouses in Bangkok that is designed to be deliberately simple.

The slender white house was completed for Korn Thongtour and Nartrudee Treesaksrisaku, founders of Thai studio Brownhouses, to accommodate their growing family.

It is distinguished by bright white finishes and simple form, with the only ornament being their own possessions including a car collection housed in an indoor garage.

"[Thongtour] wanted to pick the most mundane materials but make it look beautiful and elegant," explained the studio's architecture assistant Kyrah Chotitawan.

"He wanted to show the beauty of how simple and ordinary materials can work together to create beautiful forms," she told Dezeen. "The basic house is an ordinary home with special and unique qualities tailored to its inhabitants."

Basic House has two storeys that slot into its slender site. It measures nine metres on its smallest side, and has a length of 30 metres.

The external shape of the house is modelled on a typical child's drawing of a house – a square with a pitched roof.

"The design of the building came from the simplest childhood inspiration of how children draw a 'basic house' – the triangle roof, rectangular door and the windows alongside it," said the studio.

Teamed with a bright white finishes throughout, Brownhouses said that this ensured a "clean-cut" finish that was "true to [their] minimal roots".

Inside, the pared-back aesthetic is enhanced by disguising all of the dwelling's functional and storage areas behind walls. Similarly, circulation is positioned along one side to negate the need for corridors and help create open and uncluttered interiors.

The home's focal point is ground floor, which contains an open courtyard and the internal glass-walled garage. Brownhouses designed the garage to exhibit Thongtour's vast collection of cars, and provide views of it throughout the home.

"The exposed garage allows [Thongtour] to exhibit the beauty and elegance of his cars," explained Chotitawan.

"But it is also for a feeling of constant interaction with his personal collection throughout the home, as he goes about his daily routine."

Meanwhile, the courtyard is intended to encourage the family to interact wherever they are in the house by allowing them to see each other from either end.

It is also establishes a connection with nature and the outside, featuring a large tree that extends out of the house through an open roof that floods the space with natural light.

Also on the ground floor is a work space, positioned adjacent to the garage and a staircase that leads to the first floor.

The first floor hosts an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, alongside a playroom for the children that hides a second staircase leading up into a small attic space. It is complete with one giant bedroom shared by the family.

Similar projects to Basic House on Dezeen include a white bunker-like residence in Takamatsu, Japan, which has limited openings to draw attention to the owner's sports car.

In Barcelona, Cadaval & Solà-Morales transformed an old theatre into a home that features an indoor parking space where inhabitants can openly display their classic car "like a sculpture".

Photography is by Wison Tungthunya unless stated.

Project credits:

Architect: Brownhouses
Lead architect: Korn Thongtour
Interior designer: Nartrudee Treesaksrisakul
Project architect: Kasideh Hoo
Design team: Brownhouses
Clients: Korn Thongtour, Nartrudee Treesaksrisakul
Engineering: Ronnarit Kongkiatikul
Consultants: Brownhouses

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Architecture studio Pareid and students from Chulalongkorn University have built an open-walled classroom around two water collecting funnels in western Thailand.

Called Pylonesque, the classroom was created as an additional space at the Ban Wang Toey School in the Thai province of Uthai Thani. It is covered by a  roof made of two funnels that collect water and channel it to storage containers underground.

Hadin Charbel, co-founder of Pareid, said he wanted the building to be both a classroom and a visible water collection structure to demonstrate the importance of water to the school's students.

"The project is located in a very rural part of Thailand, where running water in some instances is not as easily accessible as one might assume," he told Dezeen.

"It seemed fitting that a multi-use space at a local school could integrate architecture and local strategies as more than just a practical response, but one that would stimulate the students, while also making water collection accessible, transparent and a conscientious act."

To reinforce this, exercise machines have been placed around the classroom to power pumps that move the water between the underground storage areas.

Pareid designed the classroom in collaboration with students from Chulalongkorn University to be a flexible space that was appropriate to the Thai climate and did not rely on artificial cooling or lighting.

"Thai context is a bit tricky, as it deals with two types of extreme environmental conditions – heavy rains and year-round heat," Pareid  co-founder Deborah López told Dezeen. "Most typical constructions in the area respond to this by being entirely sealed off with some windows, which in turn results in the need for fans and artificial lighting."

"Pylonesque was designed with the intention of utilising the natural environment while limiting some of the undesirable impacts – a combination of high ceilings, open plan, wall-less perimeter, and specific finishings such as translucent vinyl for light and water boiled plywood for thermal insulation, allowed us to do this," she continued.

The project's main structure is made from a simple steel frame that takes its form from electricity pylons and gives the building its name.

"By studying the construction method and geometry used for electric pylons, we decided to generate a structure that could double as a scaffolding and be mounted by hand. Thus, the maximum length of each linear member is four meters, which allows one or two people to manually move the metal bars and place and weld them in situ, where it can progressively be climbed as it's mounted," said López.

"Geometrically, the structure as a whole is made of a repetition of inverted umbrella-like modules that can be built with a limited  number of unique cuts and measurements but still allow for a geometric complexity."

The red steel frame is topped with purple corrugated zinc panels and red canopies to give the building a distinct identity and contrast with the other school buildings.

"The school's existing buildings are primarily a combination of dark and light greens, which blend in with the vegetation and resonates with part of the school's name, Toei, which translates to 'green banana leaf'," added Charbel.

"However, the purpose of this new building and space is to become a new gathering point and a kind of beacon on the school grounds, so we opted for a strategy of standing out while fitting in."

The covered space is completely open, with no fixed items except the two water-collecting funnels. Pareid designed a range of modular furniture to be used in the classroom.

"Traditional classrooms and spaces operate on the basis of a hierarchical order," Charbel continued. "Instead of mandating how the space ought to be used, we implemented custom modular furniture that would allow for students and staff to rearrange as needed."

The classroom was created as part of the Design Build for Community collaboration between the International Program in Design and Architecture at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and lift company Mitsubishi Elevator Thailand.

Other recently completed schools include a classroom in India that can be dismantled to evade bulldozers and a Cambodian school that has a gridded facade that doubles as a jungle gym.

Photography is by Beer Singnoi.

Projects credits:

Architect: Pareid (Déborah López & Hadin Charbel)
Students: Chularach Engchanil (TA), Jirayu Ariyadilak, Tanatsorn Sriarj, Onjira Mahitthafongkul, Buncharin Eua-arporn, Ananya Lappanichpoonpon, Kantima Saetung, Thanapat Itvarakorn, Vich Vichayastit, Raewadee Lamlertsuk, Marisa Rosam, Palin Singhasirithum, Kittimont Kookasemkij, Proudwarin Phannachet, Supanat Chaiyanopakul, Chanon Viroonchan, Nana Boonorm, Passakorn Suwanggool, Suppanut Tantraporn, Sasina Nakmontanakum, Sahasrungsri Wajchathon, Thanapon Harnpattanapanich
Sponsors: Mitsubishi Elevator Thailand; INDA (International Program in Design and Architecture), Chulalongkorn University.
Academic Institution: INDA (International Program in Design and Architecture), Chulalongkorn University.

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Dezeen promotion: developer Scope has revealed designs for a new 2,500-square-metre clubhouse located inside its Scope Langsuan development in Bangkok, Thailand.

Situated in Bangkok's city centre, the 34-storey Scope Langsuan condominium development is being built on the most expensive piece of freehold land in the city. It is scheduled for completion in early 2023.

The most recent addition to Scope's plans for the site is a clubhouse designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, who also created the interiors for the apartments in the development.

Designed to cater to "a new generation of homeowners seeking an international-standard premium lifestyle", the Scope Langsuan Clubhouse will have facilities that focus on health and pleasure.

It will include a fitness centre with Italian marble hot and cold-water springs, rain rooms, a Swedish-style sauna, steam rooms, private massage rooms and a 30 by seven-metre ozone swimming pool.

The space will also have a range of entertainment facilities including a 25-seat private theatre, a barbecue terrace and a private kitchen and dining area.

A rooftop terrace, called the Scope Langsuan Sky Lounge and a club lounge with a conference room will also be in the clubhouse. A fitting and grooming atelier, a kid's recreation club and a private storage facility will also be included.

"This unique facility is a place for relaxation, entertainment, physical activity, and culinary pleasure," said Scope CEO Yongyutt Chaipromprasith.

"It elevates the standard of common facilities of a residential development to an unprecedented level and reinforces Scope Langsuan's position as one of most special, international premium standard residences in Bangkok."

Scope is investing around $42 million (1.25 billion Baht) in the 2,500-square-metre-space to give residents the best quality facilities.

According to Chaipromprasith, the clubhouse will offer Scope Langsuan residents "the most extensive and luxurious common area facilities that rival the best in any condominium, anywhere in the world".

Architecture studio Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) worked with Thomas Juul-Hansen as the design consultant on Scope Langsuan.

The clubhouse adopts the same colour palette as the residence's 158 apartments, with warm, sandy hues and muted pastel tones used throughout.

The development contains one-bedroom residences that will be around 83 square metres, two-bedroom apartments that will be between 153 to 162 square metres and penthouse residences that will be between 419 to 443 square metres.

"What I want to say is that me and my team, especially KPF and Thomas, initiated many new concepts for this condominium," added Chaipromprasith.

"For example, we spent two years with the design and development. Other developers don’t spend as much time because interest will be collected for leaving a piece of land vacant. Our priority is attention to details, and we want to make sure that Scope Langsuan condominium can proudly and perfectly stand on a global stage."

More information about Scope Langsuan can be found on the company's website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Scope Langsuan as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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A house wrapped in wooden shutters on the outskirts of Bangkok by IDIN Architects has space for a couple to coexist while pursuing their separate activities.

Called JB House, it was designed for a couple who wanted distinct yet connected spaces that would allow them to focus on their hobbies of photography, baking, writing and drawing.

With only a small site to work with, IDIN Architects divided the home vertically.

On the ground floor is a large kitchen island for his baking surrounded by living spaces, and above is a large workspace surrounded by bookshelf-lined walls for her writing.

The writing room's desk and the kitchen island have been aligned vertically, with the glass desk covering a void that looks directly down to the kitchen below.

"A huge piece of glass is used for the top of the woman's working table, which creates a visual connection to the kitchen island below, allowing them to see each other while doing their own activities," explained IDIN Architects.

The upper floor steps upwards on one side, and glazed strips have been inserted beneath these steps to allow further glimpses between the floors, allowing the owners to "privately keep in touch."

To provide privacy, the master bedroom occupies the highest point of this upper floor.

The guest bedroom is at the lowest point, but when desired the whole floor can be transformed into a single large space using full-height sliding doors at either end.

The shutters that surround this upper level also contribute to this play of open and closed.

Built as a double skin, the wooden shutters sit alongside glazed screens that can remain closed to allow light in or be opened to allow the home to be naturally ventilated.

When open, these shutters double as vertical brise soleil that prevent overheating at certain points during the day.

When these shutters are closed, skylights along the staircase provide natural light for this upper level.

The staircase is also been lined with large timber bookshelves, intended to be filled over time.

Similarly, storage areas in the living and kitchen spaces have also been built into large cupboards that can be concealed by folding wooden doors.

Two layers of large curtains allow light and views through the glazed envelope to also be controlled.

Many architects and designers incorporate shutters into the envelopes of buildings to prevent overlooking and control light levels.

In London, MATA Architects used mechanical shutters for an extension to a home, and in Lithuania, Aketuri Architektai designed a lakeside retreat that can be completely closed using a series of large shutters.

Photography is by Ketsiree Wongwan.

Project credits:

Clients: Bodin Khampu, Chernporn Kongma
Architect: IDIN Architects
Team: Jeravej Hongsakul, Saralee Sittigaroon, Supachai Phiromrach, Sakorn Thongdoang
Interior architect: IDIN Architects
Team: Pakanut Siriprasopsothorn
System engineer: Eakachai Hamhomvong, Panot Kuakoolwong
Contractor: Art Con, DIIDIA Interior Service

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ASWA Studio has designed as its architecture studio in Bangkok around a fully glazed internal courtyard that brings daylight into the building.

Thai studio ASWA built its office, which contains working spaces for up to eight staff members, a meeting area and a model-display zone, on a 100-square-metre plot that was previously used for car parking.

The office is built around a six-square-metre courtyard, which is surrounded by glass walls. Workspaces and a model making space are wrapped around the courtyard, which has been inhabited by birds, squirrels and frogs.

"The natural light contributes beautiful shade and a great view for the studio," explained Phuttipan Aswakool, co-founder of ASWA.

The exterior of the studio is clad with dark green corrugated metal sheets. Each of the external facades has no more than two openings to limit views out and creates a contrast with the fully glazed walls facing into the courtyard.

The character of the studio was the reasoning behind the mostly internal views, explains Aswakool.

"Personally, we are a bit introvert," he told Dezeen. "We love to concentrate in our own space and don't like to expose everything to everyone."

The asymmetric hip roof, which is also clad with corrugated metal, has been designed so that it is highest above the office space where the team works.

The roof has a steep slope to help the functionality of a rainwater drainage system, which collects  natural water that is fed into the courtyard.

Inside the office the working areas are located in the area with high ceilings underneath the roof's point.

Storage and shelving displays for models are located where the ceiling height is lower as team members frequent this space less.

Black window frames and chairs highlight the all-white interior, designed by the studio as a blank canvas for their activities and work.

ASWA, which stands for Architectural Studio of Work Aholic, was founded in 2013 by Aswakool and Chotiros Techamongklapiwat. The duo explained to Dezeen their previous office space was a small apartment room, which their growing team eventually outgrew.

In Chicago, Moss has also self-designed a studio, which is also organised around a central courtyard.

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Architecture practice Studionomad has built a block of five apartments in Bangkok with trees growing through the louvres of its facade.

Called Lom Haijai, the project in the city's Lad Phrao district was designed as an alternative to what Studionomad called "boxed air-conditioned building blocks" that dominate Bangkok.

Instead, the units overlook a central courtyard and face the street through a screen of thin wooden batons to maintain privacy.

"The project is a showcase of possibility. It aims to rebel against the norm, an antithesis to the most dominant type of residential architecture in the region," explained the studio.

In plan, the three-storey apartments are U-shaped and engage with the courtyard at every level.

There is direct access at ground level alongside the dining room and kitchen, and Juliet balconies above in the living rooms and bedrooms.

"The courtyard of the building is strategically placed to allow the building to have many 'fronts', facing outdoor spaces in a dramatic departure from a regular townhouse building," said the studio.

This U-shape allows for light and natural ventilation to travel through the entire plan, with each room given two or more openings to maximise air flow.

At the front of the home, this air flow enters through the screen of wooden battens, creating a buffer zone which also provides space for balconies and plants.

A small parking space at the front of each unit leads into the dining area, which connects to the kitchen via a corridor alongside the courtyard.

Above, a large living room occupies the front area of each home, with a small terrace space sitting in between the facade's two layers.

Here trees have been planted and allowed to grow through small openings.

The top floor is more compartmentalised, housing a bedroom on either side of the courtyard, with adjacent bathrooms.

Where spaces of the Lom Haijai apartments face inwards, the full-height windows have been left uncovered to fill the living spaces with light and give views across the green courtyard.

High-ceilinged interiors have been finished with wooden floors and the bedroom areas have been lined with wooden panels.

Facades allowing for natural ventilation are often incorporated into schemes in Bangkok's climate.

A recent home by practice All(zone) featured a perforated concrete facade to provide both breeze and shade, and practice Anonym designed a home covered by a gridded screen planted with olive trees.

Photography is by Supee Juntranggur.

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Dezeen promotion: brands Makita, SCG and TOSTEM will appear at the debut edition of ACT Forum'19 exposition in November, alongside architect Stefano Boeri.

The four-day event located in Bangkok, Thailand, is a forum and exposition that focuses on the South East Asian region's building and design industries.

ACT Forum'19 (The International Architect Forum and Building Technology Exposition), will take place from 14–17 November at IMPACT Challenger, Hall 3 in Bangkok.

A wide range of technology and design products will be exhibited from bands including Makita, SCG, TOSTEM, JORAKAY, UMI and more.

Italian architect Stefano Boeri, who designed Bosco Verticale in Milan will be one of ACT Forum'19's keynote speakers. Other guests include Andrew Grant, Barbara Barry, Forth Bagley, Pierre Clement and many more.

The theme for the ACT Forum'19 will be REACT, which has been chosen to highlight how architects and designers have to respond and adapt to today's fast paced work environment. The theme will be explored during the event in four distinct sections: The Keynote, The Practice, The Innovation and The ACT Services.

In total over 30 topics will be discussed during the four-day event during talks, architectural seminars and academic conferences.

"ACT Forum'19 offers the industry a comprehensive experience and a chance to explore market opportunities, as well as trends in business through innovation and creativity of building and design, " said its organisers.

"ACT Forum'19 is expected to draw more than 500 exhibitors from around 30 countries across the world," said Supaman Munka, the exposition organiser. "Over 50 leading companies have already confirmed their participation in our event."

The forum will run for the first time from the 14-17 November 2019. More information is available on the ACT Forum'19 website.

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Bangkok architecture studio Archismith has built a garden enclosed by 20,000 glass bricks as part of a sales office for a residential development in Bangkok, Thailand.

Named The Glass Fortress, the sales gallery has been longlisted in the Dezeen Awards 2019 within the business building category.

Archismith designed the space to be largely disconnected from its site as a rival developer's sales gallery is located nearby.

The main building is set back from the street with a protruding block constructed from glass bricks acting as an entrance pavilion and enclosing a garden.

"Eight-metre-high walls cut off pollution such as traffic noise and the untidy scenery of the MRT line construction in front so that a serene atmosphere can be created inside the building," said Jirawit Yamkleeb, co-founder of Archismith.

"To reduce the claustrophobic feeling of the space, glass block was chosen as the main material since it serves the purpose and natural light can still get through," he told Dezeen.

Within the glass brick walls – which are supported on a steel frame – is a secret garden with trees planted on either side of a central path. A water-misting system has been installed to help control the temperature of the garden on hot days.

According to the architect, this space is meant to represent a large garden that will be built as part of the apartment development.

"There is a big garden provided at the main development so the garden at the sales gallery is created to demonstrate the feeling of 'living with nature'," said Yamkleeb.

The glass-brick walls continue inside the main building where they enclose a seating area.

Alongside this light-filled space is a room containing models of the development, which leads onto two show apartments and offices for the sales persons.

In total 20,000 glass bricks were used to create The Glass Fortress. Each of the rectangular bricks used has edges that extend to partially conceal the grouting. This detail reduced the visible grouting from a standard 10 millimetres to two millimetres.

"This detail is important for the aesthetic of the project as it helps to create a more continuous look of the glass facade," added Yamkleeb.

Although the sales office has been built on rented land, there is an agreement in place that the glass-brick structure will be retained when the land is returned.

"We are unsure of the future program of the building in the landlord's mind but it could be used as a cafe with a nice garden inside or an Airbnb since there are already two rooms with attached bathrooms available. The future MRT station is very near so this holds great possibilities," explained Yamkleeb.

The Glass Fortress is one of 267 architecture projects that has been longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2019. Other projects on the longlisted include a pastel-pink church hall and a house on the Great Wall of China.

Photography is by Spaceshift Studio, except main image by Sky Ground and unless stated.

Project credits:

Architect: Archismith
Team: Jirawit Yamkleeb, Sukonthip Sa-ngiamvongse, Takol Pattanopas, Thanaphon Phumipanchaphak
Client: Sansiri PLC
Landscape designer: Landscape Studio by Arsomsilp
Interior designer: Six Seven S
Structural engineer: 2-R Engineering
Mechanical engineer: V Group Engineer
Main contractor: TTS Engineering

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Studiopepe has completed a Bangkok boutique for Thai fashion chain Jaspal, using locally sourced materials that include handmade ceramics and rattan.

Located within IconSian, one of Thailand's largest retail complexes, the 460 square-metre store is designed to feature an array of contrasting surfaces.

Studiopepe's artistic directors Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto looked to Thai heritage and culture when selecting these materials. As well as handmade tiles and rattan, they worked with linen and wood.

These are used to create a range of different spaces, defined by a tubular metal display system.

"The concept is based on the interpretation of the free plan, a fluid and continuous design that incorporates different spaces without setting any barriers," the studio explained.

"The repetition of vertical lines contrasts the soft forms of the furnishings, while rough materials are juxtaposed with glossy and lacquered surfaces."

To complement the natural materials, a soft colour palette was chosen, featuring shades of grey, beige, gold, pink and green.

"The overall colour palette revolves around the neutral tones of powder, nude, terracotta and celadon green, alongside natural materials such as rattan, linen and wood," said the designers.

Mannequins appear to have climbed a circular display of ladder-like shelves in one area. Meanwhile, in the dressing room area, diamond-shaped natural wood blocks cover the walls to create a graphic 3D look.

Rounded forms feature throughout, whether on the natural wood countertops, the brass shelves or the rattan screens. These are complemented by a backdrop of rough concrete walls and terrazzo floors.

Studiopepe also incorporated some of its own objects and pieces of furniture in the shop, alongside a few Nordic pieces from 1950s and lamps by the late artist Isamu Noguchi.

Jaspal has over 30 branches across Thailand. This is the first that Studiopepe has worked on, as well as its first project in Thailand, but the design studio has already been signed up to design two more.

The studio's other recent projects include a pop-up club they created at Milan design week in 2018, featuring retro furniture, intimate music performances and cocktails made by disembodied bartenders.

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New York firm SHoP Architects has designed an irregularly stacked office building for the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. 

SHoP is designing the New Office Annex (NOX) for the United States Embassy in Thailand for the US Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations.

NOX is designed for the Embassy's 11-acre (4.4-hectare) property in the Bangkok's Pathum Wan district, replacing a smaller office building that functioned until the mid-1990s.

The lush site is filled with rain trees and storm-water ponds known as 'klongs'. In response, SHoP proposes elevating the office building three feet (0.9 metres), with sloped pathways, stairs and ramps connecting it to street level.

The building will comprise tiered glass volumes that are covered in slats as a way to mitigate Bangkok's hot and humid climate, while also maintaining views to the landscape.

Portions of the lower level jut out in different directions to provide shading to entrances on the lower level. These would also be topped with rooftop gardens.

"The volumes of the lower floors shift away from the core building, extending outward towards the three main Compound Access Control buildings, creating a terracing of the lower half of the building to greet staff and visitors at a human scale," said SHoP.

Inside NOX, the common areas will be distributed through the volumes on the lower level. Offices will be placed on the upper floors.

"The building's interior programme is guided by its connection to the outside; the common spaces afford views of the lush green landscape and tree canopies, while the upper floors offer unparalleled views of the Bangkok skyline," said SHoP.

SHoP'S NOX is slated to break ground in early 2020, and to welcome its first occupants in 2024.

The project is among several that SHoP has designed for the US Department of State's Office of Overseas Building Operations, including a coppery embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and another in Seoul.

SHoP was founded in 1996 in New York by Gregg Pasquarelli, his wife Kimberly Holden, twin brothers Christopher and William Sharples, and William's wife Coren Sharples.

The firm's recently completed works include a sprawling complex in Brooklyn's Williamsburg and bent, copper towers in Manhattan. Its other projects underway are the world's skinniest skyscraper in New York and Detroit's tallest tower.

Rendering is by SHoP.

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Architecture practice All(zone) used distinctive criss-crossing of concrete blocks to provide breeze and shade to Phra Pradeang House in Bangkok.

Phra Pradeang House is arranged as a series of layers. At its centre, a triple-height concrete core encloses a void that circulates air from the series of rooms that surround it, which in turn are wrapped by an open concrete facade.

All(zone) arranged each space in the house so it has a different relationship to this void. Some open directly onto it, others overlook it through internal windows, and some are divided by a metal grid, which allows for ventilation but prevents access.

"Activities are arranged around the central well, modelled after the tropical shophouses of Southeast Asia to allow ventilation and gentle sunlight to enter every room," said the architecture studio.

At the base of the void sits a small swimming pool, alongside a living space. A staircase on the western edge of the building provides access up to study and bedroom spaces, all of which benefit from views down into the void as well as to the outside.

White finishes to almost all interior surfaces help bounce and diffuse sunlight throughout the home.

At the top of the void a skylight allows more light to enter. A series of vents can control the extent to which the stack effect will ventilate the surrounding rooms, and provides a contrast to the rough concrete finish of the central void.

The latticed facade itself comprises different elements, some open and some closed, which are arranged in a pattern on the facade in accordance with both the openings behind and the surrounding buildings.

"The concrete blocks wrapping around the perimeters are especially designed for the project to interact with the adjacent buildings with a variation of manners, to keep privacy in different degrees," said the architecture studio.

Single storey extensions at the front and rear provide a small garage and an entrance space.

Latticed facades provide a practical and visually appealing as a natural ventilation strategy in warm climates.

In Kenya Urko Sanchez Architect used white mashrabiya-style screens cover an apartment block. In Mexico City  architects Felipe Assadi and Francisca Pulido wrapped a house in a hexagonal wooden lattice.

Photography is by Soopakorn Srisakul.

Project credits:

Architect: all(zone)
Project team: Rachaporn Choochuey, Sorawit Klaimak, Tharit Tossanaitada, Isara Junpoldee, Asrin Sanguanwongwan, Thanapat Sangkharom
Concrete block designer: Tanatta Koshihadej, Asrin Sanganwongwan
Engineering: CM One Co

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A complex of open-air galleries decorated like film sets designed by Techinphat Khachonphurithanakul form the new outpost of antique furniture shop The Golden Triangle in Chiang Mai.

Architect Techinphat Khachonphurithanakul designed the shop for Douglas Van Tress and Chauwarin Tuntisakm the owners of The Golden Triangle antiques shops.

The duo, who founded The Golden Triangle in Chicago in 1989, wanted to display their wares in film set-style vignettes to create an intriguing experience.

"Modern retail is theatre and we want our customers to linger and find out about what we have," Van Tress told Dezeen.

Tall arcades frame antique elements, from Indian architectural carvings to Chinese furniture, as well as artworks from Chicago.

Covered walkways continue between each building and around a small garden to provide shelter from monsoon rains.

Cement-coated and exposed traditional brickwork provide the backdrop for the larger antique vignettes, such as a section of a Hindu shrine, and a Game of Thrones-themed room, inspired by the hit TV show.

"I wanted a building that was modern but also a but softer, with historical references," said Van Tress.

"The arches are inspired by Georgio de Chiciro's painting Piazza d'Italia and Southeast Asian shophouses."

Khachonphurithanakul also referenced the work of artist James Turrell, arranging the volumes so areas of daylight are cast over different objects and elements to highlight them.

"The purpose of the architecture is to enhance the contents," said Van Tress.

Vast, high spaces have been designed to "elevate" their contents, but also to help mitigate heat along with thick walls.

"Usually galleries control the light, as well as the air. Our gallery is open to the air and the sky," continued Van Tress.

The spaces sit close to the company's  warehouse, originally built to restore antiques before their trip to Chicago. Over the next year they plan to convert it into and a marketplace, restaurant and co-working space.

Recent projects from Chiang Mai include a lotus flower-shaped sports hall made from bamboo, and a concrete house that straddles a shortcut path.

Photography is by Beer Thanet.

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Indigenous trees and wooden workbenches line the inside of Apple Iconsiam in Bangkok, the first Apple Store to open in Thailand, designed by Foster + Partners.

The store forms part of the new Iconsiam shopping complex that opened in November.

Fronted by two expansive glass facades, it is designed as an extension of the plant-filled plaza it sits on and offers views over the Chao Phraya River.

"The design provides a direct visual connection to the river, which has a special significance in Thai culture," said Foster + Partners.

"Glass surfaces accentuate the natural beauty of its surroundings while creating an open, airy atmosphere that blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior."

A large overhanging roof lined with timber panels is supported by just four columns, creating the spacious, open-plan interior typical of Apple Stores.

Loose partitions in the open-plan space are defined by rows of local trees planted in bulbous pots, designed by Foster + Partners to act as a continuation of the greenery on the plaza outside.

The divisions created by the trees are subtly differentiated with a mix of light, wooden workbenches and stools that double as help stations and product displays.

Central to the space is a workshop area, defined by a set of moveable cube-shaped stools that double as storage. These can be neatly assembled behind the screen when not in use.

There is also a roof garden on the top of the building that provides another viewpoint and activity space for the tech store.

Foster + Partners is behind the design of all the latest Apple Stores. Apple Iconsiam is not the first to incorporate plants.

The most recent renovation of the London Regent Street store saw the introduction of tree-filled planters that double up as seating, while the recently completed store in Macau, China, boasts tall shoots of bamboo that rise up through its central atrium.

Photography courtesy of Apple.

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The opening of the glass-floored observation deck atop Büro Ole Scheeren's MahaNakhon skyscraper in Bangkok marks the completion of the second tallest building in Thailand.

The 77-storey MahaNakhon – a name that translates as "great metropolis" – is defined by a pixelated form with cuboid cutaways that spiral up its facades.

"The idea behind MahaNakhon was to take the life of the city and bring it up the tower in a dramatic, spiralling movement," said Ole Scheeren, principal of Büro Ole Scheeren.

At a height of 314 metres, the skyscraper was the tallest building in Thailand when it topped out in 2015, although it has since lost the title to a residential tower that is one metre taller.

The building is topped with an observation deck that offers 360-degree views across the city.

"Even the very top of the tower is surrendered to the public, so there is not only a public square at the ground, but human activity rises along the pixellated shaft to the top floors of the building which are given back to the public domain," said Scheeren

"It is a project that is strongly embedded in the city and the public realm, and expressively proclaims itself as an active part of it."

The observation deck includes a glass deck that is cantilevered out from the building to give visitors views directly down to the ground more that 300 metres below.

Named the Skytray, the walkable glass platform measures 4.5 by 17.5 metres.

Inside, the tower contains a 150-room hotel and 200 serviced apartments, with several restaurants and luxury shops on the lower levels.

According to Scheeren, the building and its numerous cutaway balconies were designed to encourage a connection between the interiors and the city.

"The building is an exploration of bringing the inside and the outside closer together and to create living spaces that float high above the city," said Scheeren.

"You can step out onto the terraces and transition to the open air, as people in the tropics live in a fluid condition between interior and exterior spaces. We are literally carving those possibilities into the tower and make these qualities accessible at staggering heights."

Büro Ole Scheeren was commissioned to design the tower while Scheeren was working at Rem Koolhaas' firm OMA. Since leaving the practice Scheeren has designed numerous towers around the world.

His studio has completed a pair of towers with honeycomb patterned facades in Singapore, and is designing a Jenga-like apartment in Frankfurt as well as a pair of skyscrapers in Vancouver.

Photography is by Srirath Somsawat, unless stated.

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