IDIN Architects elevates W House II in Thailand above garden for grazing cows

Local studio IDIN Architects has used curving concrete walls and a large waffle slab to elevate this single-storey home in Thailand above a garden and grazing area for the client's pet cows.

Named W House II, the 300-square-metre home in Nakhon Ratchasima sits on a large tree-filled plot opposite W House I, a previous project by the studio that the client's family had outgrown.

Instead of extending W House I, its owners chose to turn it into a separate guest house, tasking IDIN Architects with creating an entirely new family home with all of its spaces contained on a single floor.

To achieve this while still providing the home with views of the landscape and space for the client's cows, the studio drew on traditional Thai houses, or ruean thai, which were typically elevated above the ground on stilts to mitigate the risk of flooding.

"The design requirements were translated into a single-story house elevated seven metres off the ground in reference to traditional Thai houses, with a modern interpretation of the space underneath for the lawn garden," studio principal Jeravej Hongsakul told Dezeen.

"The decision to lift the house solves multiple issues at once, leaving the ground untouched and usable as a natural grazing area for the cows, while providing 360-degree panoramic views and ventilation without any obstacles," he continued.

"Instead of multiple columns to hold up the house and the swimming pool, the entire mass is supported by two planes of load-bearing concrete wall and the extra-wide waffle slab."

To the west of the home, a metal staircase between two sections of concrete wall leads up onto a balcony that wraps the entire perimeter.

This balcony is shielded by slatted timber screens that can be folded open to control shading and privacy.

An L-shaped living, dining and kitchen area occupies the western half of the plan, while to the east is an L-shaped block containing the main ensuite bedroom and two children's bedrooms, which share a central bathroom.

A palette of exposed, boardmarked concrete defines both the exterior and interior of the home, softened in the bedrooms and living areas with maple timber carpentry and green India marble for the kitchen island.

"Material choices were driven by a desire for honesty, warmth, and contrast," Hongsakul said.

"Since the structure is cast concrete, the finishing surface is left as bare concrete to show the texture of the wood imprints from the mould," he continued.

"Moreover, raw concrete was chosen for structural and aesthetic continuity, flowing from exterior to interior, while maple wood adds warmth and balances the coolness of concrete with its natural grain and light tone," he added.

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

Previous projects by the studio include a cafe in Bangkok with mirrored ceilings that reflect a surrounding garden and a cafe in Chonburi with a large baobab tree growing through its centre.

The photography is by DOF Sky | Ground.

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