Bunjob House : House of Flow

1. Inspiration
Traditional architecture at suburb area is designed with rigid knowledge and style. Most of them are designed solely to protect human from the environments with the similar patterns of structure and material use. It’s not necessary that architecture at rural area need to follow that rules. Sometimes, it is lack of the creation of living space, architectural style, construction techniques and material use of the present day. The architecture design of Bunjob House aims to explore a new strategy of traditional architecture based on the specific local condition and place.

2. Context
Bunjob House is located on the mid of tropical coconut plantation at Phangan island. East/South side of the house faces to greenery coconut plantation, blue sea and Samui island. North side of the house faces to a main street and hills. The main color used for Bunjob House was pale gray due to the main materials as concrete. The design is intentionally to make the building harmony with the coconut trunk of the coconut plantation around.

3. Location
The location of the house is Phagnan island where is the Tropical Monsoon Climate (Am) zone. The rainy season alternates with the dry season each lasting 6 months. Average temperatures range from 18 to 27 degree Celsius.

• Building Orientation
  The building was designed the long side face the view from the coconut tree garden on the east. On the hot west side is placed with bathrooms behind. The second floor wall of south side was designed to be solid. It can block the hot sun ray from the south and also give the shadow to the first floor room. The first floor wall of north side was designed to be solid as well. It can give more privacy from the street side. In the opposite way, the second floor is more open. Users can take view of the mountain from above.
• Wind flow
  The line of the architecture form of the house was designed to be separated in each room unit which allows the wind from the sea side to flow smoothly with the curvy design. In the storm season, the gaps of each room units assist to reduce the strong wind flow that hit to the big glass windows.
• Rain
  The roof was designed to connect with the concrete wall and slope down from south side to the water pond below. It let the rain water flows through the wall of each units and collected water to the pond.
• Sun light
  The roof was designed to open to the sky at the connection to the concrete wall and the end of the roof in each unit. The skylight gap at the connection to the concrete wall allows the soft north light to get into the room while the gap at the end of the roof allows the direct south light to reflect to the concrete wall into the room. Both of the gaps give the beautiful shade and shadow to the surface of concrete wall.

4. Local materials and techniques

• Concrete slab, wall and column
  The Concrete slab was designed to be supported by 2 columns and 1 wall in each unit. It allows users to have a big opening in one side while users also get a privacy space for bed at the wall side. This design is applied for second floor as well. The details of the “finned” raw concrete walls and slab are equally in line with the local discourse, as the use of coconut wood from construction site which as models that, when removed, leave a coconut tree pattern behind communicates a character native to Phangan island.
• Bamboo
  The house was used the bamboo to decorate at gables. To use bamboo for construction, treating them from insect, is necessary. The bamboo was treated naturally by immersing them into the sea for 2 weeks and then exposing to the sun. Sea water has the ability to reduce sweet inside the bamboo which is food for insects.

5. Function
The building consists of 2 stories and eight rooms. In each room is composted with a bed room, a bath room and a pantry. All units were designed to be connected occasionally by the bridge in each floor. This design is suitable for making space flexible to fit with different amount of users. Users are enjoy with the water pond and garden around at the first floor while users are also enjoy view of the surrounded coconut plantation, the sea, Samui island and the hills.

6. Conclusion
Bunjob house results with new creation of living space, architectural style, construction techniques and material use of the present day. Certainly, Bunjob house is truly reflective of its present context.