FACILITIES

Vasinee Saeng-Uraiporn

Founder / Director Experience and Service Design Sense.of

With its learning-through-making approach, studying at Thammasat Design School encouraged me to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We were constantly experimenting, exploring and researching before making prototypes to test out our ideas. Working with an iterative process, we learned to not be afraid of mistakes because there’s always room for improvement. In my experience, it’s not about the final result, failure or success, but about the process of learning. The school not only offers a wide range of built environment programs, but has also expanded to other fields such as design, business, and technology.

2011 : Bachelor of Interior Architecture

Woratat Saruno

Senior Landscape Architect Land Process

I think one of the strengths of studying at TDS is the nature and core principles of Thammasat University in instilling the principles of equality and freedom in its students. This is especially important when you are designing public spaces. The mentality here is one of constantly questioning about what we are doing and whether we could do better and pushing us to always be aware of our actions and how we can contribute towards creating a better society for all.

At the moment, I feel that global warming is a huge problem on a global scale and design thinking can help us to find better solutions. For example, today, Bangkok is experiencing urban expansion and higher levels of flooding due to unprecedented volumes of rainfall, design thinking is the foundation for finding solutions to these problems. Working as a landscape architect today, I am always thinking about how my designs can help to alleviate the global climate crisis.

2011 : Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

puwasit panomsing

Assistant Business Development Manager Origin Property

Thammasat University is well-known for its support of freedom of expression, which is further reinforced by the creative nature of architecture schools. Here, they taught us how to work like in a real professional setting so that we are prepared when we graduate. It wasn’t just cramming us with textbook knowledge, but real-life experiences from the faculty and bringing in people from outside to share their experiences and learning to work in a team. We came out knowing how to work professionally and how to work as part of a team. Above all, the school fostered a positive attitude and an open mindset in us.

How I would define design is that it is about thinking through the whole picture, then later you can elaborate on each aspect of a project, but they all need to follow in the same direction. Design thinking is an important skill today because it helps us to conceive new ideas and innovations; it can help in thinking about solutions for an uncertain future. The school taught us to be flexible in our work and to be versatile enough to adapt quickly to changes and to learn from and build on from failures.

2011 : Bachelor of Science (Architecture for Real Estate Development)

WIPAWEE THONGVISETSOOK

Visual Merchandising Manager (VM) PP Group

I have always had a passion for retail since my 2nd year of bachelor’s degree in interior architecture. I am very interested in how visual merchandising and brand communication became key elements in retail brands. It was the starting point of my interest and made me want to study intensively about brand identity, creative methods, visual strategies and shopping behavior, which are important in retail. My goal is to further pursue a career in retail and also to open up people’s perspectives through my knowledge and creativity.

2012 : Bachelor of Interior Architecture

OPAS PATTHAWAN

Managing Director Fourpattana Premium

Don’t dream that being an architect will make you rich, but being an architect will allow you to realize the dreams of many: couples, families, expanding families with growing children. You have the power to fulfill their dreams.

At Thammasat Design School, we had to do project analysis from the very first step, and study the root causes of problems from real case studies; the instructors would take both successful and unsuccessful examples and analyze what factors contributed to making them a success or a failure.

In my own work, I am proud of every house that I built, seeing a happy homeowner is very rewarding and has led to many lasting friendships along the way.

2012 : Master of Science (Innovative Real Estate Development)

Theeradej Sarntiwiwat

Freelance Photographer & Value Investor

I think the biggest strength of Thammasat Design School is its faculty. I met instructors who were passionate about their work and their lives and they taught me everything: about investing and about their areas of interest and encouraged us to pursue our interests.

Designing is about making the best use of what is around us, and this includes our own skills. We can design our own lives. Whatever are your special skills or that you are good at, you apply those skills to make the most of all the things around you and not just for buildings.

2014 : Bachelor of Science (Architecture for Real Estate Development)

Warakorn Likitanupak, ph.D.

Vice President Business Development Sathaporn Estate

Instructor Innovative Real Estate Development Program Thammasat Design School

I completed both my master’s degree and doctorate at Thammasat Design School and is now working as Vice President Business Development at Sathaporn Estate, in charge of land acquisition and project analysis, as well as teaching in the Innovative Real Estate Development program at the school.

Design is a process that appears in all activities and not limited to just architecture. Learning how to design is learning how to think rationally.

There are perhaps 2-3 real estate programs in Bangkok, and I think the program on offer here provides the most ideal condition for working students. They are also a lot of academic freedom and an environment that supports imagination, which is a happy place for architects and thinkers. The doctoral degree covers many disciplines, so whether your background is in architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture or real estate, they can all be integrated. This is the strength of the school: a diverse faculty with instructors from various disciplines so that the scope of possible research topics is limitless.

2016 : Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated Science of Built Environment)

JIRAWAT SAKCHALATHON

Assistant Senior Architect & BIM Coordinator Design 103 International

My view of design is that we are creating efficient and healthy environments for people to use; buildings that support the well-being of users. Working now as an architect and doing high-rise projects, the knowledge from building technology courses in school have proved useful for work in the real world.

2015 : Bachelor of Science (Architecture) 2017 : Master of Architecture

KIATISAK CHANTRA

Governor of Maha Sarakham (2018-2020) Governor of Sa Kaeo (2020-present)

I had the opportunity to study urban planning at Thammasat University. Land and humans are two of the most important resources on earth, therefore we have to create settlements that are efficient and allow for a good quality of life. In this way, urban planning is tied up with the development of the nation itself. The government and city administrators need to be aware of the principles of urban planning because they directly affect our quality of life; urban issues such as traffic jams are all affected by how we plan and design our cities.

Thailand’s problems partly stem from the lack of understanding of these issues so we need to educate and provide knowledge about the role of urban planning at the community level, so that people at all levels understand and know how to plan their environments. Good communities will lead to better quality of life and the advancement of the nation as a whole.

2018 : Master of Urban Environmental Planning and Development

TANAPOL SUTJARITVORAKUL

Graphic Designer and Operation Service Support Chartered Trading

Choice and freedom of expression are the core values of Thammasat University, while architecture schools in general are known for their many extracurricular activities. The friends I made here are like my second family and the school was like a second home. I particularly liked the various workshops, which are a form of active learning that simulates the collaborative work that happens in the workplace and we got that experience while studying. These group works allowed us to exchange our ideas and opinions with our peers and greatly helped to broaden our perspectives and ideas. I also received the opportunity to participate in an exchange program to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University while studying here.

2018 : Bachelor of Science (Design, Business and Technology Management) 2019 : Master of Science (Design, Business and Technology Management) TU Ambassador ’72

Laksika Dejpreechachai

Graduate Student Master of Urban Design and Development (International Program)

There aren’t many degrees on urban design in Thailand, while I think that in the future, this will be a profession that will be in high demand because many changes still need to happen in our cities, so I was really interested in the UDDI program. When I travel to different countries, I am always inspired and wonder why isn’t our cities like this or like that, but it’s not enough just to wonder about it, we have to act to affect change and the first step for me was to start studying seriously about it.

What I really enjoy are the workshops provided by the program. One time we went to Japan to do a workshop on emergency evacuation and disaster management, it’s something that we don’t think about much in Thailand because we experience fewer natural disasters. Doing the workshop made me realize that actually we have to start thinking about this now and that these dangers can happen in our cities too. We won an award and the workshop really stayed with me. Then we came back and there’s a course called “City at Risk,” which reinforces that natural disasters and climate change are urgent issues that need to be addressed through design and by doing so, we will be able to help many people through our work.

2019 : Bachelor of Urban Design and Development (International Program)

Thansinee Boonjue

Junior Landscape Architect TROP : Terrains + Open Space

The reason I became interested in studying landscape architecture was because there are relatively little green spaces in our cities even as they are coming to be seen as more and more valuable. I checked out the courses at TDS and looked at the works of the students here and saw that past alumni graduated into good jobs.

For me personally, green spaces are really soothing, they help to make places feel enchanting. In terms of design, green spaces help to alleviate many urban problems as well as increase the value of a building or development. The thing I am most fond of is the warmth and the sense of family between the students and teachers in our program, it really makes studying fun instead of being something we are forced to do.

2020 : Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Wittawit Kunvattanaporn

The more interesting courses for me are the advanced computing courses where we use programs to help in the design process, such as climate simulations. The studio work is always quite fun due to the different briefs each term. I like the studio atmosphere, where you’re excited about which instructor you will get, who you will work with and where there’s always something new to learn.

For me, architecture is about people, their way of life and their aesthetic experience of buildings. Buildings affect their context, whether that is the neighbors, the surrounding community or the natural environment. Everybody experiences and is affected by architecture.

2020 : Bachelor of Science (Architecture)

Prapatthorn Chakkhuchan

4th Year Student Bachelor of Urban Environmental Planning and Development

City planners are like city doctors, their task is to heal or solve urban issues, to develop the city and to make preparations for future problems. The most important skill that I have learned is how to work as part of a team. We made a large-scale model of the Khlong San district complete with the Iconsiam development, we spent 2-3 months on it, starting from surveying the site, collecting data, making the model and spray painting it; I helped to coordinate the whole process from documentation to spray painting. It’s still on display at the school and every time I walk past it, I still feel very proud of it.

KUNLANUT CHUTANGTON

3rd Year Student Bachelor of Science (Architecture)

I became interested in the architecture program at TDS because of its 4+2 structure, which means that I will finish a year earlier than those at other schools. Studio work is interesting and so was the architectural history course. At the moment, my aim is to become an architect, though the future is still up for grabs.

Studying design pushes us to think creatively about how to build, whether it’s houses, schools or trees and streets, all the things that surround us, so I think it’s definitely an important skill for our lives.

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THAMMASAT DESIGN SCHOOL PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

Dean

Asst. Prof. Asan Suwanarit

Advisor

Assoc. Prof. Santirak Prasertsuk

Chairperson of Committee

Asst. Prof. Kallaya Tantiyaswasdikul, Ph.D. Asst. Prof. Siwaporn Klinmalai, Ph.D.

Committee

Instructor Thanakorn Taraka Instructor Natre Wannathepsakul

Secretary

Jamarin Wonghanchao

Assistant Secretaries

Natthaporn Pattanaprommas Kanya Sudngam

COLOPHON

Thammasat Design School Book Editors: Asan Suwanarit, Kallaya Tantiyaswasdikul, Siwaporn Klinmalai Project Editor & Translator: Natre Wannathepsakul Design: Saran Tangtrongsit

Printed in Thailand by TOP INTERTRADE COMPANY LIMITED ©2022 Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except in the context of reviews.

Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University

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