Basic Thai house
Central Plain type Thai house
Lanna Thai house
Variation of Thai Central Plain type
the kitchen, the covered and open verandah and the water stall. In this grouping the main living area is al- ways given more prominence than other units by its height and span. Abstract and dynamic balance are practiced throughout.
The skeleton construction is further developed: the non-weight-bearing walls, which function only as light screens providing protection from the natural elements, are free to be locat- ed almost anywhere. They are always slanted outward for the house and in- ward for the granary. Hard wood, e.g. teak, shorea obtusa, pentacme siamensis, is used. The walls and gable ends are generally prefabricat- ed, and the entire piece placed in position.
Far East Architect & Builder March, 1966
Central Plain House
A continuation of the Lanna Thai type is the central plain house, originating in the Ayudhia area. The hot and humid Central Plain, par-
the ticularly around
Chow Phya Delta, called for further separation of kitchen from living units. The great variations of family size, income and class demanded numerous types from the simplest two main living units plus the kitchen up to ten
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units in aristocratic houses.
The elegant lightness of the house and the refinement of carpentry work are brought to perfection. The curved eaves-ends, and roofs are very pleasant to look at. Intricate and refined details are another feature.
Prefabricated walls are widely used. Remaining the dominant feature of the house is the verandah; it is well screened by a fence to effect more privacy, and in some instances trees grow through the terrace giving shade and becoming part of the architecture.
Unlike the Lanna Thai plan, the broad side is the principal one: win- dows are large and well-proportioned to admit cool breezes. The composi- tion of forms is generally symmetrical on one axis.
A main feature of Thai houses is the skeleton-type construction, as practiced in modern steel frame structures. The broad verandah pro- vides a good relationship of indoor and outdoor living.
The entire house is on stilts, the space underneath being used for various purposes, and the general ap- pearance is very light and elegant.
These special features open up vast potentialities for architectural expres- sion and have inspired a great many modern architects, such as Le Cor- busier and Frank Lloyd Wright, who have incorporated them in modern structures.
Ingenious carpentry work permits very light, prefabricated walls through- out and, because of the skeleton con- struction, the structural members are very few and small.
The rafter, which is curved, is only 1⁄2 in. by 3in. or 1⁄2 in. by 4in., as com- pared with the prototype in Europe and America of 2in. by 4in. or 2in. by 6in.
Generally speaking, the traditional Thai timber house utilizes very econo- mical materials, due to the climate and the Thai way of living, probably using only about a third of the ma- terials required for European and American houses of the same size. The picturesque. high-pitched roof blends the architecture well with the landscape.
Academic Approach to Modern Thai Architecture
The principal characteristics then of Thai domestic architecture are: ele- gance, lightness, loose groups of dif- ferent units which are united to form a single entity by verandah or roof, an indoor/outdoor relationship creat- ed by a spacious verandah, and an
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