‘Baan Por-Dee Por-Dee’
the conceptual basis for simple housing that provides solutions during major floods.

What kind of a house is the right fit for everyone?

I believe that many people have different definitions of the word house, whether it is a place of happiness, a home to the heart,  a warm place, or whatever it is. With these meanings and definitions, home becomes one of the most important goals in life.  It is something that everyone desires and the house must meet the needs of themselves and their families as much as possible. However, the primary function of Baan Por-Dee Por-Dee differs from the design of basic necessities of life. It also solved the problem of homelessness during the Great Flood in 2011, which was the starting point of this project.

Baan Por-Dee Por-Dee is a 36-square meter house design created through collaboration between construction material manufacturers and suppliers, architects, engineers, designers, contractors, technicians, and the general public. Khun Suriya Umpansiriratana of Walllasia, the architect of the Por-Dee project, explains the project’s background.

“Looking back to Thailand’s flood crisis in 2011, it has damaged many households as many families have to go to shelters in various evacuation centres and find a way to survive the crisis. So we thought

 about how we can help society with what we have. The Por-Dee Por-Dee house was developed with the intention of creating useful things and encouraging the sharing of knowledge, thoughts, and experiences that contribute to the creation of a home that really meets the needs of living. The house is simple and easy to construct while being on a budget to help the homeless during the disaster as well as the general public who have financial difficulties in everyday life.”

Why name the house Por-Dee Por-dee?

The name of Baan Por-Dee Por-dee was inspired by the name of a boy named by Por Yonsopanno, the abbot of Wat Khao Phuttha Kodom, Chonburi province. The term “Por-Dee” refers to the size of the house, which should not be too large to be difficult to maintain while still being spacious enough. Additionally, the house has to be elegant and worthwhile. “Por-Dee” may also have a construction-related meaning, such as being appropriate, affordable, environmentally friendly, and providing adequate comfort.

The Wachira Banphot Bureau of Monks in Chonburi Province is home to the first “Por Dee Por Dee” house, which was built with approval from the temple’s abbot, Phra Ajarn Mahatong Thammawutto. The home was then entrusted to the monastery to be used for additional charitable purposes. One could conclude that this house is a conceptual prototype that was actually constructed before being modified and improved to become the next house that is more adaptable to the area’s and conditions of use.

(Design) like this is “Just right” (Por-Dee).

From the basic needs and flood response, the team reflects on the way of life of Thai people in the past, where houses were built high providing basement space for raising animals and doing various activities. Therefore, this Por-Dee Por-Dee house was designed with a height of the basement of 1.9 meters to prevent and prepare for future flooding events. At the same time, it proudly incorporates the way of life of a Thai house.

The basic living necessities are included in the home function section: a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, a utility area, and a balcony. The space is perfectly arranged, simple, uncomplicated, and compact, yet effectively responding to the basic needs of residents.

Por-Dee Por-Dee House plan Cr: Walllasia

The right proportion of the material benefits the world  

With the goal for everyone to build this house in the least amount of time, choosing materials that are readily available locally was the architects’ concern, including the use of alternative materials such as cement boards to cover the building instead of masonry – plastering. This makes it more economical in terms of both time and cost. In addition, the proportion of the house itself has been carefully considered by calculating the standard dimensions of the material. The house is designed to use every material as efficiently and affordably as possible to minimize waste and cut down on construction waste.

It also helps the world in producing less waste and decreases the load of environmental degradation.

Easy to (Build) just like that

The ease of construction is the core of a house design that everyone involved in the project wishes to promote to the general public. You can easily build this house as long as you have a plot of land, some fundamental carpentry skills, the ability to read a plan, and two extra assistants. The construction process is divided into 12 steps which will take no more than three weeks to complete from preparing the land, laying the house poles, installing electrical systems, and water supply, to installing sanitary ware. The house is finally ready to move in. The project has made a construction document that can be submitted to the district for construction immediately. You can also see a 3D model of a house being built using media technology that incorporates the AR virtual environment if you get stuck at any point.

A three-dimensional figure depicting the detailed process of building the Por-Dee Por-Dee house.

Adjustable “Por-Dee”

Although the Por-dee Por-dee house is the first foundation of what a house should be, due to different needs and lifestyles as well as different home contexts, modifying the Por-dee Por-dee house to fit the residents is versatile and easy to make. Residents, for example, can customize the voids within the house, the opacity and airiness of the walls, and the style of doors and windows that they prefer. They could also expand the area between the two houses to accommodate the large family.  The architects are happy and hope this Por-Dee Por-Dee house design to become an idea that residents can adapt this Por-Dee Por-Dee house concept to suit their needs and live in it with the utmost satisfaction.

An example of a Por-Dee Por-Dee house that was developed from the first house.

Although we are unable to utilize measures to assess an individual’s level of self-sufficiency, we have come to understand the conceptual underpinning known as “Baan Por-Dee Por-Dee” from the desire to improve society and the desire to help society. This illustrates the origins of the fundamental components that we may have forgotten. The people behind this initiative hope that Baan Por-Dee Por-Dee will be able to meet the needs of living for many people and be able to develop into a Por-Dee Por-Dee house in their own unique, beautiful, and limitless way.

More house designs can be downloaded at… www.walllasia.com/pordee-pordee-house

Writer
Janjitra Horwongsakul

Janjitra Horwongsakul