DE CODE Shophouse; The Hidden Story of Samfah Karnchang’s Building "DE-CODE Shophouse; The Hidden Story of Samfah Karnchang’s Building" is an exhibition that narrates the transformation story of Samfah Karnchang’s building, the old shop that producing wooden doors and windows on Boripat road, in the wooden commercial district behind Wat Saket temple. It was one of the original wood trading businesses in the area, engaged in the production and sale of doors and windows for over 77 years. The exhibition tells the story through the memories of three generations: Gu Po, Kew Daeng, and Toon, who have a connection to the shophouse at No. 84-88 Boripat Road, and how its usage has evolved over time—from a coffee shop to a wooden product shop until ultimately becoming the location of the Cultural-Oriented Design Studio. This exhibition serves as a case study of the transforming an old building within the historic urban area of Bangkok to meet contemporary needs. It brings together a community of creative individuals residing in the historic urban area, known as the Heritage Habitats Network: Transformation Showcase 1, for Bangkok Design Week 2024. The design and curation of this exhibition are undertaken by the Cultural-Oriented Design Studio. hibition is divided into three parts: • Stories on the Wall: Depicting the space before its transformation into its current use. It tells the stories of the building and its surroundings, capturing the essence of the space in its historical context. • Arch's Draws on the Table: In this segment, the exhibition displays architectural drawings on tables, illustrating the step-bystep process of renovating the building. It covers the entire journey from initial surveys to the hands-on work involved in the transformation. • Cultural Works on the Bookshelf: This part of the exhibition highlights the creative output of the Cultural-Oriented Design Studio. It features a curated display of cultural works, showcasing the diverse design projects undertaken by the studio. The bookshelf serves as a symbolic repository of knowledge, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage in supporting the studio's design work.
Before Samfah Karnchang Samfah Karnchang is a shop selling wooden doors and windows located at 84-88 Boripat Road. It is an old shophouse consisting of three units, currently operated by the descendants of the Siriwarothakul family. The name "Samfah" is derived from two words: "Sam," meaning forest in the Chinese hakka language, and "Fah,“ or sky was adapted from the word "Fha," which was the name of the founder's elder brother, Yuen Fha. Gu Po (little sister of the grandpa, Yuen Fha) told the story that around the year 1927, Gu Po's family, originally from Shantou, China, gradually migrated to Thailand. Gu Po's elder brother, the founder of Samfah Karnchang, Yung Fha came along with his father, Kung Tai (the great grandfather), and his younger brother named Wen-Fha. Upon their arrival in Bangkok, they settled in the area around Pig pen Alley (Trok Kog moo) for residence and later explored potential business locations. They eventually decided to lease the shophouse at No. 90 Boripat Road, located behind Wat Saket to open a coffee shop which They later moved to No. 86. One day, his Thai friend Mr. Leur persuaded Yung Fha to venture into the wood business. Mr. Leur decided to import machinery and put Yung Fha in charge of production. Seeing the potential in the wood industry, Po Tai (Great Grand Mom) provided financial support to both of his sons to establish "Kim Fha," a shop producing and selling wooden doors and windows. The business operated from a shophouse in the vicinity of Bamrungmuang Road, near Wat Saket, around 1947. The business continued to thrive, and in 1957, Yung Fha moved the shop to No. 86 Boripat Road, behind Wat Saket temple and renaming it "Samfah Hin." The shophouse shifted from a coffee shop to a woodcraft business, specializing in manufacturing doors and windows. Meanwhile, Wen-Fha separated the business and established another wooden shop called "Tai Fha" on Bamrungmueang Road. In later years, Tai Fha moved to Bang Pho and is now known as Siriwaro. In the same year, Ah Po, the wife of Yung Fha, arrived from China and started a family with him. They had even children, five sons and two daughters. Yuen Fha later passed on his knowledge of producing wooden doors and windows to his children, and Kew Daeng, the third son, currently look after the operations of Samfah Karnchang shop.
from left to right Wen Fha – Po Tai – Yung Fha
from left to right Yung Fha’s friend – Yung Fha – Wen Fha
Signage of the shop “Sam Fha Hin” produce every wooden doors and windows before changed to SamFah Karnchang in the present day
Samfah Karnchang Daeng was born and raised in the same shophouse. He recounts that the family business initially focused on crafting wooden doors and windows. Samfah Karnchang developed its unique technique for intricately carving wood into door designs, evolving into its distinctive style. The building's second floor was initially used as a factory, with the production area, while the ground floor served as the retail space. Due to the high ceilings of the shophouse, the back part of the building was extended ans sub-devided to create four levels. The lower two levels were used for storing wood, while the divided rooms on the top floor were used as a residence for the extended family and craftsmen. The front part of the ground floor continued to function as the shop and showroom, and the second floor served as the factory for manufacturing these products. During the period of Bangkok's rapid growth, people were inclined to build houses, leading to an increasing demand for custom-made doors and windows. Customers would line up to order custom-designed doors, and the family members had to collaborate to create the designs for production. Around the year 2003, the business expanded significantly, necessitating the establishment of a new factory in Bang Bua Thong District, Nonthaburi Province. As the factory expanded, the production area on the second floor of the shophouse, which was once used for manufacturing, became vacant. It was then repurposed as a storage space for goods until the year 2020.
Yung Fha and Ar Po took a picture with their sons on the rooftop of the shophouse
Kew Daeng on his working desk
Order paper
In 2023, Toon, the grandson, inspected the space with the intention of transforming it into a design office. The renovation was completed in 2023, and now the second floor of the shophouse is the location of the Cultural-Oriented Design Studio.
Siriwarothakul family From left-right Kew Yai, Kew may, Kew Daeng, Kew Tew
Adaptive Reuse for CODE Studio Tun, one of the third-generation, co-founders of CODE Studio, entered the storage space on the second floor of the shophouse of Samfah Karnchang, which had been closed for over 20 years. He first inspected the area in the year 2020 and initiated a design project to transform it from a wooden door and window factory into a workshop for CulturalOriented Design Studio. Upon investigation, he discovered that the space, initially was deteriorated due to aging, and was put to various types of damaging. Through interview with his family, it was revealed that each mark had a different origin. The damages founded in Room 2 of the building were categorized into three types: A. Intentional Marks in Response to Usage Needs • Marks from drilling additional wall openings for material and product transport • Marks from embedding doors • Damages Resulting from Usage B. Imprints on the wall from the production process of wooden doors and windows C. Damages Resulting from the Deterioration of the Building •
Moisture marks from the ceiling
•
Marks from material wear on the wall coverings
After careful consideration, a decision was made to plan a renovation and restoration project, emphasizing the conservation of the old building. The goal was to preserve the original condition of the space while adapting it to the necessary functions for the workshop. Efforts were also focused on mitigating the damages caused by wear and tear, and some parts were left untouched to serve as a narrative of the area's history. This approach aligned with the core philosophy of Cultural-Oriented Design Studio, which believes that the remaining cultural heritage can be used as a foundation for developing unique and outstanding design work. The studio aims to create designs that stand out and carry a sense of pride, ready to be passed on to future generations, much like the heritage we have received.
Picture during the survey
Why there are traces on the wall? C01 A01 C02
A02 C02 B01
B01
A01
A01 A01
The damage of the wall caused by usage include a long mark on the wall, indicating the location where machinery has been placed. Additionally, you can see pictures hung by the carpenter on the wall during work, and there are pin marks where nails have been installed for hanging tools during work.
Marks Found in Room 2 of the Row Building of Samfaa Kan Chiang, the Artisan's Studio: A. Marks Intentionally Made in Response to Usage Needs: A01 Marks from drilling additional wall openings for material and product transport A02 Marks from embedding doors B. Marks Resulting from Usage: B01 Imprints on the wall from the production process of wooden doors and windows C. Marks Resulting from the Deterioration of the Building: C01 Moisture marks from the ceiling C02 Marks from material wear on the wall coverings and examples of machinery that was once placed on the wall and work that caused the cracks.
Story on the wall The exhibition of the story on this wall showcases information obtained by CODE Studio through the process of improving the second floor space of building No. 84 on Boripat Road. It decodes and explains the traces of usage within the building, observed and documented from the initial survey to the completion of renovation and improvement (in the year 2020 - 2023). We intentionally leave these traces on the wall to convey the history of the building in its use and adaptation for the operations of the Sky Blue Repair Shop. The narrative is told through the perspectives of three generations: Gu Po, kew Daeng, and Toon, who have a connection to the shophouse of Samfah Karnchang.
Arch’s draw on the table This part exhibit the architectural design process for the renovation and transformation of the old building, focusing on preserving the architectural heritage to some extent. The concept is based on the idea that cultural heritage can be used as a material for design development through a creative process. The goal is to create a distinctive and outstanding design, imbued with a sense of pride, ready to be passed on to the next generation. Exhibition including displaying in the form of written documents, photographs with accompanying descriptions on the CODE Studio's work desk. The content narrates the story of each process, starting from exploring the space, preparing the area, surveying the condition of the building, documenting damages, the renovation process, design concepts, expenses, and current usage.
Cultural work on the bookshelf The exhibition narrates the story of the Cultural-Oriented Design Studio and its work since before the founding of CODE Studio. It showcases the studio's service approach, presenting various design works through work desks and the studio's bookshelf which serves as a secure base of knowledge of our studio. The exhibit highlights the journey of the studio, its design philosophy, and the diverse range of design projects it has undertaken over time.