KAEW Boutique
MOBIUS STUDIO
AREA
3500 M²
YEAR
2024
LOCATION
Kanchanaburi, Thailand
CATEGORY
Hospitality Architecture, Public Architecture, Retail
Text description provided by architect.
Kaew Boutique is designed to accommodate tourists, families, and pets. The designer especially designed the placement of the slat facade for airflow well making the user feel comfortable and relaxed with the environment we designed.
Furthermore, provides a positive experience for users and visitors, as well as for nearby locations.
"Kaew Boutique" is a sub-brand of "Kaew," which was established in 1990 as a souvenir shop located in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. It's well-known for being a must-buy snack when visiting Kanchanaburi.
In 2022, after the COVID-19 situation, the economy began to stagnate. Kaew had the idea to rebrand with the name "Kaew Boutique," a concept store that sells creative Thai desserts.
The owner aims to create a landmark and welcoming space for travelers to use the service, purchase products, souvenirs, food, and coffee shops, and also provide co-working spaces, including a pet-friendly zone.
The design concept of Kaew Boutique is based on the surrounding natural environment, with mountains in front of the site and surrounding buildings in a square shape.
The building has a divided courtyard space, similar to the structure of an egg yolk, to create a common area for shared activities where people can interact.
The designer has also considered the sun, wind, and rain direction and designed the shape of the roof, the same as a mountain, to open up the view of the mountain.
The designer chose to use materials that blended with the surrounding natural environment, built a raised mound, and used various types of plants to make the building look more approachable and friendly.
In conclusion, the goal was to create a space where people could relax while using the services.
The design was also intended to be able to coexist with the weather conditions of Thailand which included reducing the shape of the building to a circular form. The overall approach was to keep the design humble but symbolically sustainable.
