Small Medium Architecture

While megaprojects may attest to an architectural firm’s success and reputation, it is often those projects of a lesser scale that contain moments of true innovation. These small to medium sized buildings frequently act as fundamental test beds where architects can explore and experiment with form, materiality and functional layout, trying out big ideas on a limited scale. The projects contained within this volume represent an eclectic mix of typology, from coffee shops and showrooms to offices and clubhouses, and an even wider range of architectural ideas that have been executed with panache, passion and personality.

Small Medium Architecture

Small Medium Architecture

190 x 245 mm 320 Pages Paperback

44 Buildings 34 Firms 10 Cities

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SECTION 1

Within the four main floors, the building houses an exhibition area, libraries, a media center, a cinema, a music studio, an auditorium, seminar rooms, meeting rooms and multipurpose spaces.

The various spaces represent the different types of knowledge, their interconnections refer to the casual relationship between these activities that are at once distinct yet related.

The building’s appearance is intended to be silent, even as its visually porous skin offers glimpses of the lives and activities that take place within.

left : Hall right : Interior space of library

SECTION 2

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Prachasongkroa Kindergarten School NPDA studio Location Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi Owner Siriporn Suapan Completed 2013

400 M2 110

Interior Architect NPDA studio Photography Tanet Chantaket Ketsiree Wongwan

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left : Panels and voids

above : Fountain and landscape between building

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Located in a rural area, Prachasongkroa School is one of the oldest schools in Kanchanaburi province. The brief for this project was to build a new kindergarten to replace the old one that has become unsafe for use. The narrow site is located in the middle of a well-established community and is surrounded by existing buildings and trees. It is wider at its front where it adjoins the elementary school area.

The main concept was to create a free-form design, as it is associated with dreams, abstract thinking and positive feelings. Its idiosyncratic form is also expected to add a fun feeling to make it stand out from the surrounding context.

The free-form shapes have been applied in elevation and in plan, in addition to the negative space created by the building mass, which has been divided into two separate structures connected together by the second floor corridor. The design creates a dynamic and flowing space as a way to alleviate the uncomfortable atmosphere that can arise from narrow spaces on the confined sites.

The design also played on contrast as a method from which children can learn and develop their observation skills. The building has obvious contrasts such as free-form versus geometric shapes, smooth and glossy versus rough surfaces and natural versus primary colors. By comparing their differences through visual and tactile experiences, children are encouraged to observe and learn about their environment.

above left : Sketch diagram below left : Classroom unit entrance

SOUTH-WEST ELEVATION

NORTH-WEST ELEVATION

SECTION

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left : The irregular arrangment of bookshelves and cubbyholes of varying sizes produces a fun casual atmosphere

PROJECT

little foots step

DATE

INTERIOR SECTION LOCATION

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CONCACT

00/00/00

089-4555748

elevation 12

A3

SCALE

1:25

DWG

ID-22

right : While the cubbyholes provide solitary spaces, the large seating area in the middle of the library can cater for group readings and other activities

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Kenkoon Furniture Showroom CHAT architects Location Watthana, Bangkok Owner Kenkoon Completed 2012

786 M2 25

Interior Architect Kenkoon Landscape Architect Wisut Juasathirarattana Amornrat Jintanavilas Photography Ketsiree Wongwan

above : View of entry court and sidewalk “living room” gallery

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The client is a well-known Thai maker of modern outdoor furniture. The project is a renovation of an existing building, a quirky early 70’s brutalist concrete house with a protruding front stairwell. The new design sheathes the front façade in a faceted skin of recycled wooden slats,

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salvaged from old Kenkoon patio chairs where the wooden slats made up the seat and backing. It is a new architectural skin that is literally composed of the company’s own furniture components.

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To save costs and promote local craftsmanship, the façade was installed by the company’s own furniture craftsmen. Stainless steel cables are threaded through the slats to create a wooden veil-like façade. The façade is faceted so that the tenon end of the wooden slats are exposed and celebrated, illustrating that this unique architectural façade was once a part of the company’s own furniture joinery. The result is a light-filtering façade with a herringbone pattern inspired by the leaflets of the palm trees on site.

Another major component is the sidewalk gallery showcasing furniture pieces and creating an urban interface for the site since the main building is set quite far into the property. Here, the architecture utilizes another of Kenkoon’s trademark materials—stainless steel. But in this case, the architects asked for a special reflective ‘mirror’ stainless steel tubes to reflect the surrounding environment.

left : View of faceted wood slat façade made from recycled Kenkoon chair parts

above middle : View from the central stair landing into the garden and street beyond below middle : Showroom entrance right : Façade detail showing the “stitched” joint highlighting the tenon end of the wooden slats

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above left : The inside-out concrete display ramp

above right : Evening view of the display ramp and the hung ceiling below right : The NK Service Center's metal sheet exterior skin forms part of the service lounge's façade

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NORTH-WEST ELEVATION

SOUTH-WEST ELEVATION

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Wooden slats are also used to line the ceiling of the canopy over the walkway leading to the sales office entrance. They have been specially designed to evoke a wave advancing towards the building. The walkway is elevated in order to cross over a water feature that stretches along the front of the building, clearly demarcating the transition into the interior. above : Front view of the building highlighting the feature staircase and the water feature in front of the building below : View of the canopy designed with simple flowing lines that lead the eyes towards the building entrance

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The building is arranged over two stories, with the top floor providing direct access to a swimming pool and terrace running at 90° to its main elevation. The first story faces the project’s access road while the second story is parallel to the frontage road. Functions such as the sales office and fitness area are located in the wing parallel to the frontage road and enclosed by a glass curtain wall to maximize visibility, whereas the swimming pools and mechanical rooms are placed in the other direction. Building orientation and large cantilevers help to protect against direct sunlight and increase the building’s energy-saving performance.

Areas that require more privacy such as toilets and meeting rooms are enclosed by brick walls and then clad in stone. Their irregular and abstract forms recall natural rocks and make the building appear as if a glass box is partially floating on top of boulders. above : View from the landscaped area above : The second floor volume resting on the stone walls

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Metal Roof

Clear Glass Steel Structure to Support Roof

Stone Wall

Second Floor Plate Post-Tension Structure

Stairs

Main Columns to Support Second Floor Ground Floor Swimming Pool

Parking

Landscape

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above : Evening view of the swimming pools below left : Stairs leading up to the second floor below middle : The roof cantilevered out to provide shading for the areas below below right : The open space between the sales office and fitness room

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The Labyrinth Supermachine Studio Location Mueang, Chon Buri Commissioner Tra Chang, SCG Owner Saensuk Municipality Completed 2014

78 M2 30

Photography W Workspace

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This project formed part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Siam Cement Group, the biggest producer of construction material in Thailand. Supermachine Studio, along with two other Thai architecture firms, were each invited to propose a public facility for a particular community in Thailand.

Supermachine Studio began by questioning the performance of typical playgrounds whereby children are actively engaged whereas adults become passive onlookers. While parents and their children are spending time together in such spaces, they are disengaged from each other. As a result, their proposal was for a community playground in the form of a stacking concrete labyrinth which addresses this and offers many possibilities for both children and adults to engage.

left : Tiny gateway for tiny people right : View from the direction of the seaside

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The structure affords many different route configurations, making possible joint activities for parents and their children such as hide and seek. Also known as 10 Cal Tower, after the amount of energy one would use to travel up the structure—walking at a normal speed from the bottom to the top of the tower will consume 10 calories.

Being placed along the edge of an existing public park, this play staircase also functions as an observation tower overlooking any sporting activity happening in the park as well as being a platform for viewing the sea, which is slightly further away. The design of the tower also allows for plant life to penetrate the structure through its voids. In time, it is hoped that existing and new greenery will encompass the structure and in doing so let users explore and engage with the natural environment as well. left : View from the south side right : Shadow cast from the top opening

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The small library was designed to merge with the small park, therefore the height and scale of the building needed to be carefully considered in order not to dominate the existing trees. By using translucent fiberglass sheets for both the walls and roof, it is possible to reduce the glare from sunlight but still be able to see the shadowy movements outside. The simple open-plan layout with big openings on either side let readers concentrate on their books while still able to feel the activities happening around them.

left : The library at night

The main materials used for the building were timber for the main structure and concrete flooring. These are resilient materials for what can be a harsh coastal climate where the effects of Sun, salt air and the sea have to be addressed. The translucent fiberglass sheets are of suitable thickness to protect against falling coconuts from adjacent trees.

above right : Interior view below right : Practicality and purity of form are exemplified in the ceiling's design

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The Flow Department of ARCHITECTURE Location Mueang, Chon Buri Commissioner Tra Chang, SCG Owner Saensuk Municipality Completed 2014

160 M2 50

Lighting Designer Accent Studio Photography W Workspace

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This design is intended as an architectural form that could trigger and accommodate a variety of uses in the form of a multipurpose pavilion that would be suitable for both its local community and its location.

In some areas, the floor plane is folded like a piece of paper, forming different levels and configurations to allow for various activities to take place. The pavilion is orientated towards the sea and people can sit on the different levels to relax and enjoy the view without blocking the views of those behind them. The form also facilitates its use asa small amphitheater for mini-concerts, performances or meetings. Part of the cast concrete is folded out from the floor plane to act as a table or seating, which can be used for activities such as lectures, picnicking or as a place for children to do homework.

above : Inside the pavilion below left : Front view of the pavilion below right : The pavilion in use

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L’escape Spa Architects 49 Location Mueang, Krabi Owner The Tubkaak Krabi Boutique Resort Completed 2015

60 M2 6

Interior Architect Interior Architects 49 Landscape Architect Landscape Architects of Bangkok Photography Chaovarith Poonphol

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left : View of the spa from the main road right : Welcome deck area

The client for this project wanted to expand on an existing resort with the intention of creating a honeymoon destination. The new extension includes pool villa accommodations as well as communal facilities such as the L’escape Spa. The design focuses on making the buildings as integrated within their natural surrounding as possible, while maintaining the distinctive architectural language that characterizes the project.

The spa is composed of three slender truncated conical structures, timber clad on both their exteriors and interiors. Inside each one, the tapering, high-ceilinged space terminates in an oculus that fills the interior with a soft light.

The spa buildings tower above other buildings on site and create striking silhouettes among the distinctive roof forms that define the rest of the property.

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above : Overall view of the resort with a glimpse of the sea in the background below left : Outdoor bathtub below middle : The timber interior cladding with small apertures creates the impression of a starry sky below right : View of the interior at night

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left : Interior space lit by natural and artificial lighting above right : Jasmine bud sculpture represents a traditional Thai element in a contemporary language below left : Granite jasmine buds below right : Carved timber panel in the same organic language

From a distance, the building appears as a monolithic block of stone, although on the east façade, this is juxtaposed by porous areas of open stone grilles with molded mullions shaped in the form of jasmine buds. As a reference to Thai culture, the jasmine bud is the main visual motif for the building’s ornaments. It has been applied to the oversized wooden entrance doors and to the skylights to create decorative shadow effects, in addition to a large sculpture prominently set in the reflecting pool. Inside, the building has mainly white-walled galleries, with other strong colors applied where called for to complement the artworks. The scale and height of the different rooms also correspond to the demands of the works on display.

Through these measures, together with a carefully designed and choreographed circulation route, the designers aimed to create an architecture that would enhance the aesthetic experience of viewing and interacting with these artworks.

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN 1 2 3

Entrance In-Chan Tree Ramp to Car Park (Basement) 4 Sacred Place 5 C.A.S. HR’s Office 6 Main Hall (For Exhibition and Activities) 7 Control Room 8 Elevator Lobby 9 C.A.S. Asset’s Office 10 Water Feature 11 Star RFID’s Office

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above : The Paper Lantern

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1 2 3

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

FOURTH FLOOR PLAN

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Main Stairway Void Elevator Lobby Waiting Area Chairman of the Board C.A.S. Paper Mill’s Office Pantry Medical Room

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Managing Director’s Room C.A.S. Holding Group’s Office

FIFTH FLOOR PLAN 1 2 3

Roof Garden Corporate Exhibition Room Thai Nippon Rubber’s Office Pantry

THIRD FLOOR PLAN

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1 2 3

SIXTH FLOOR PLAN

Waiting Area Meeting Room C.A.S. Paper’s Office

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SECOND FLOOR PLAN

Conference Room Prayer Room Pantry Glass Dome

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THIRD FLOOR PLAN

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SIXTH FLOOR PLAN

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MK-CK5 Production Office agaligo studio Location Bang Sao Thong, Samut Prakan Owner MK Restaurants Group Completed 2013

3,023 M2 500

Landscape Architect Openbox Architects Interior Architect Storage Studio Lighting Designer Studio Accent Photography Spaceshift Studio

above : The architectural form of the building was inspired by the company’s signature red trays

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The project is composed of two connected buildings—the Central Kitchen and the main office building for the MK Restaurants Group.

The brief further required the function of a “living” museum for visitors who are interested in the client’s food production and distribution system. The building consists of six red

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functional boxes housing exhibition, office, meeting, conference, experiment and transition areas. Dark red aluminum composite panels were used for the external wall cladding, a direct reference to the color of MK’s signature stackable red trays used in its restaurants.

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above, below : A large, shallow pool in an oval shape depicts a pixelated boiling pot full of food through colorful hexagonal tiles

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Drop-off Entrance Hall Exhibition Hall Mail Room Office Server Room Control Room Medical Room Restroom Preparation Hall Shoe Changing Room Shoe Cleaning Area Hand Washing Area Theater & Entrance to CK5

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SECOND FLOOR PLAN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

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Meeting Room Changing Area Manager’s Room Library Laboratory Laboratory Staff Room A/C Yard Restroom Preparation Hall Shoe Changing Room Shoe Cleaning Area Hand Washing Area

THIRD FLOOR PLAN 1 2 3 4

Restroom Classroom A/C Yard Green Roof

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