Cafe. Mada In The Little Garden
CAFE. MADA IN THE LITTLE GARDEN
BodinChapa Architects
ARCHITECTS
BodinChapa Architects
LEAD ARCHITECTS
Phitchapa Lothong, Bodin Mueanglue
LEAD TEAM
Bodin Mueanglue, Phitchapa Lothong
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Studio Const.
MANUFACTURERS
Ayothaya Tile and Brick
PHOTOGRAPHS
Shootative / Witsawarut Kekina
AREA
254 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Chiang Rai, Thailand
CATEGORY
Coffee Shop
English description provided by the architects.
This architectural project represents a sanctuary of tranquility, an escape from everyday chaos, which forms the fundamental intention of the project owner to establish a long-term retreat for family members.
A peaceful and undisturbed environment became the essential premise in the search for a site that could respond both to family living and to the potential for a complementary business. This vision ultimately gave rise to the café and future villa nestled within a lychee orchard, conceived as a place for rest, reflection, and quiet enjoyment.
Standing within the furrows of the lychee garden from its entrance, the orderly grid of trees allows uninterrupted views stretching across the site, framed by the graceful branches of the lychee canopies. These visual gaps reveal opportunities to utilize the open spaces between trees, allowing architecture to become the primary visual anchor along both the X and Y axes.
This condition led to a flexible planning approach. After exploring various possibilities, the design adopted the logic of a "plus sign," extending and connecting lines to form a continuous spatial sequence shaped as the letter J. From a single line curving gently along the garden furrows, the J-shaped form creates a seamless continuity of views, effectively linking both vertical and horizontal perspectives throughout the site.
Beneath the dense shade of the lychee trees, only filtered light passes through the linear rows of foliage, casting subtle patterns on the ground below. The reception building is positioned at the heart of the site, welcoming visitors as a Café & Restaurant.
Its dark grey-black exterior allows the architecture to blend harmoniously with the natural shadows of the orchard. In the initial zone, vertical wooden columns are employed to emphasize the spatial quality of the reception hall, visually connecting the interior with the surrounding tree trunks and gradually guiding visitors into the café area.
The J-shaped building encloses an inner garden, further defined by an inverted J-shaped brick fence that conceals internal activities and enhances the sense of stillness within the reception area.
At the endpoints of the framed sightlines, the naturally sculptural forms of the lychee trunks emerge, resembling works of art in their own right. The dark-toned architecture gently calibrates the viewer's perception, allowing the surrounding greenery to be appreciated with visual comfort.
Material selection plays a crucial role in reinforcing this atmosphere. Black-toned materials, including brick, textured wall surfaces, and charred solid wood, are used throughout. The wood, sourced from locally available Thai timber, is carefully charred to achieve a charcoal finish that enhances the natural grain while introducing rich tactile qualities to the interior surfaces. Together, these materials create depth, warmth, and a quiet architectural expression that resonates with the serene character of the orchard setting.
