Inn House
Local house that uses local materials and
adapts in corresponding to a simple yet contemporary lifestyle amid nature

After working together on the Khanam Noi House project, a temporary accommodation for farming that used local materials, simple construction and created as little waste as possible, the homeowner’s mother wanted to work with Yangnar Studio again on a new renovation project for her last house. She wanted to renovate the Inn House to support future lifestyle plans.

A Flexible Future

It is located in In Buri District, Sing Buri Province, on the ground of big green trees surrounding an old half-timbered house that has been around for a long time. It has been renovated multiple times over the years and is known to the family members as “Inn House.” This house is about to be redone again, and the homeowner’s mother gave the final design request for a private bedroom with complete facilities within the room.

The essential aspect of the new design is the elder-friendly bedroom, which must be safe for them to use and flexible enough for the mother to change and switch the furniture around. Because the mother also studied in the field of decorative arts. She collects vintage furniture, books, tableware, tools and kitchen appliances. Since she likes to re-decorate her home, she always keeps her home beautiful by changing the position of the furniture around it to make her home lively and not dull.

And because this will be the last time she’ll renovate this house, the long-term design must be flexible for everyone in the family.

The plan that the homeowner secretly wishes for is that they want this house to be a common area for friends with similar lifestyles and those that do not have children and want to live a simple, self-reliant life together during retirement.

A common area welcomes every member to share their produce, whether it’s the kitchen area, the living room corner, a bedroom and the bathroom of the nurse or the maid—an open space on the upper floor for yoga lessons or group meditation. The interior design of the house is, therefore, crucial to the continuity of the area for easier modification in the future. 

Applying materials that can be found in the area

Inn House was designed by applying local materials in mind. All existing wooden door and window sets have been repositioned—steel frame walls with sash windows with mirror alternating between wood above. A wind vent is covered with a screen at the top of the wall. There are 3 types of laths adapted according to the usage of each division.

The house’s entrance hall with an open roof was an extension from the main house and connected to the 2nd floor. The wall of the 2nd floor was demolished, and a railing was added. New pillars and brick walls were built as the base. The latch and dowel were not hidden in the wooden structure because their full details show the depth of the design skills. These hold large structures firmly in place with a unique charm.

The kitchen zone is used not only for cooking or dining but also as a reception area. The island table at the kitchen’s center will be renovated, and the grandfather’s banquet table will have a new top tile with an additional strap at the bottom of the table as a place to store things. The light channel design will be a flowing cap with a pearl extension as a dish drying rack. Awning at the bare cement platform to set up a brazier. Everything corresponds to the functionality of the kitchen interior.

Fix the lighting problems, lines and cracks and animals issue around the house.

The points that need to be fixed at the Inn House include natural lighting, cracks from previous renovation and termites that grow along the wooden frame walls, and the creatures that roam about on the ceiling at night. In addition, because the area around the house is full of trees, we need to solve the problem of animals living in the ceiling downstairs by showing the entire roof structure and using a double roof with a vetiver roof as insulation.

To protect the heat from the roof of the 2nd floor, the open-air method must be implemented to allow the heat to rise. Therefore, we are incorporating wooden shutters for ventilation in addition to a 2-inch type of PU foam ceiling as an insulator between the sloping rafters in the shape of the roof to block the area and prevent animals from entering. There is also insulation caused by air gaps between the purlins as well. The wood must be attached to the protruding rafters for a tidy and beautiful appearance.

The Inn House reminds us of a quote from Deaw 13, “Everyone has different sets of convenience, happiness and success. It is a tailor-made set. We can’t borrow other people’s outfits to wear…”

It’s not about the size or trendy style, but Inn House chose a design approach intended to accentuate the details. Creating a dream home through renovation doesn’t need to be a grand transformation that you cannot recognize the old design, just by adjusting and choosing only the necessary changes to match your authentic lifestyle, using local materials for maximum benefit. Plan the use of space to be flexible to accommodate future changes as well, not too tight and not too loose. This makes the happiness area that fits most homeowners.

location : In Buri, Sing Buri, Thailand
Architects : Yangnar studio
Area : 342 sq.m.
ภาพ: Rungkit Charoenwat

Writer
No.028

No.028