Rebirth Materials House

Rebirth Materials House 

Housescape Design Lab

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

CLIENTS
Khun Vi Janvilai

LEAD ARCHITECT
Peerapong Promchart

LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS
Housescape Design Lab

DESIGN TEAM
Panuwat Donthong, Pimprutti Pruttichote, Puttipong Penthong

COLLABORATORS
C.wiruj, C.sant, C.cha, C.mod, C.tull, C.lung Boon, C.zarm, C.mongkol, C.somporn

PHOTOGRAPHS
Rungkit Charoenwat

AREA
50 M²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Mae Raem, Thailand

CATEGORY
Houses, Sustainability

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

Text description provided by architect.

This house is an extension of the larger house on the same site to accommodate guests.

Therefore, its functionality is not very complex, but its location next to the garden area of the property was one of our initial considerations. The goal was to blend this building seamlessly into the landscape.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

The first issue was the front of the house, which faces the intense afternoon sun, and is the first thing visible when you approach.

We wanted to find a solution for light filtering and to make the building blend smoothly with its surroundings.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

This led us to think about glass edges that both diffuse and reflect light. We had successfully used this concept in the Gimme Shelter project three years ago.

These leftover glasses came from a factory in the Saraphi district near the largest industrial estate in northern Thailand.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

The glass was being dismantled and prepared for disposal to be recycled, but we wanted to prevent this material from being destroyed.

The process of destroying and creating new glass consumes more resources and energy. So, we wanted to preserve the material and transform it into a new form that it could communicate.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

To put it straightforwardly, familiar materials from daily life were reassembled with new methods, starting with experimental work in the studio.

We had to calculate the weight of the glass and design the arrangement of these materials to withstand the local wind pressure. Therefore, gaps were needed to allow the wind to pass through.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

When the leftover glass sheets were assembled, the edges of the glass varied in color but blended well with the surrounding nature.

Next, we experimented with plastic waste from bottle caps. We purchased these plastic scraps from a factory in Chiang Mai to test how the plastic mass would interact with light.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

We chose both plastic scraps and broken wine bottles as components, placed in the gaps between 10 mm thick tempered glass, which was also recycled.

This wall relies on a combination of steel structure, glass, and plastic scraps as its main elements, providing another approach to utilizing new materials.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

Then, we sought what is called a "Domestic Turn" — building materials that are within a 10-kilometer radius, with local labor to avoid long commutes.

We aimed to use local people and their familiar knowledge to create components for this house.

The chosen materials include elements from an old house that was dismantled and reused as doors and windows for the new house.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

The original pattern of security bars was incorporated as structural reinforcement for the front plywood wall and softened by using components of old wooden stair balusters, known in Thailand as "lòok klûng ban-dai." These were seamlessly integrated with the plywood wall.

Overall, we maintained a design philosophy that respects the balance between humans and nature.

We created various orientation spaces for people before entering the building, using large eaves and terraces at different levels to connect feelings and create diverse activities outside the building.

Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat

We generally avoid designing clear boundaries for the house. We want to see the boundary between the building and the surrounding nature as thin and blurred, creating what is called an "Inside out, outside in" experience.


Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat


Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat
Rebirth Materials House
© Rungkit Charoenwat


Rebirth Materials House
Materials Detail - Sketch
Rebirth Materials House
Materials Detail - Sketch
Rebirth Materials House
Plan