THE WHITE HOUSE CAFE
PRIMA VIRIYAVHADHANA
ร้านอาหาร The White House Kafe ตั้งอยู่ถนน หัวหมาก ซ.9 ทางเจ้าของโครงการต้องการให้การออกแบบร้านมีลักษณะโปร่งโล่งสบาย มีความอบอุ่นเป็นกันเองและมีความแตกต่างจากร้านอาหารที่อยู่ในบริเวณข้างเคียง ทางผู้ออกแบบได้นำเสนอให้เอาชื่อร้านที่มีอยู่มาใช้เป็น concept ในการออกแบบ เนื่องจากงบประมาณและระยะเวลาการปรับปรุงซ่อมแซมอันจำกัด ผู้ออกแบบและเจ้าของมีความคำนึงถึงการปรับปรุงที่จะส่งผลกระทบต่อโครงสร้างอาคารให้น้อยที่สุดแต่ให้นำมาซึ่งผลต่อภาพลักษณ์ที่เปลี่ยนไป ผู้ออกแบบจึงนำเสนอให้มีการปรับปรุงรูปลักษณ์ของช่องเปิดอาคาร (ช่องหน้าต่าง ประตู) การยกฝ้าเพดานภายในให้สูงชึ้นเพื่อให้เกิดความโปร่งโล่งสบายตาจากบริเวณภายในร้าน และโดดเด่นจากภายนอกร้านมองเข้ามา ร่วมไปถึงการจัด landscape ภายนอกอาคารโดยมีการเพิ่มมุมนั่งเล่นในสวนและน้ำพุเพื่อสร้างบรรยากาศ
Peer Review Committee: Please click to review this work
MEDIA ACOUSTICS
VATCHARAT SAMMAKAMAI
PROJECT FACTS
“Media Acoustics” is the company that deals with mobile and housing audio business. The office is located in the commercial building around the Rama III road. Apparently, the project is composed of office functions: lobby, service area, stock area, office areas, executive office, conference room, meeting room, sound testing room, and staff pantry.
DESIGN PROCESS AND CONCEPTUALISATION
The owner’s intention was for the office to be the interconnection place between the office and the customer, yet carry the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Consequently, the conceptual design approach derives from the use of energetic color and the choice of natural material that tentatively leads to the sense of fun, friendly, and dynamic working environment.
Relaxing Area
Reception
Office Area
Sound Testing Room
Sound Testing Room 
Meeting Room
Peer review committee: Please click to review this work
THAI BEVERAGE TRAINING CENTRE
TEERASAK KUHARUNGROJ
PROJECT FACTS
The Thai Beverage Can Training Center which is the part of Thai Beverage Can Ltd. (TBC) is Thai-USA joint venture between Berli Jucker Public Company Limited, located Nongkae, Saraburi. The company is a leading manufacturer of two-piece aluminum cans and ends for beverages and beer. The requirements were to design training and leisure facilities for both client and employees to support working environments for total area of 2,160 square meter which included technical lab, client lounge, company exhibition area, tele-conference room, meeting rooms, 3 training rooms, language lab, employee’s lounge, library, multi-purpose room, fitness, auditorium and lobby hall with grand connecting stairs showcase. .
DESIGN PROCESS AND CONCEPTUALISATION
The client requested an outstanding training facility that support the idea of innovative company with advance technology in can production. This has became the conceptual solution that support the company identity and image
PRESENTATION: click for more information on this project
Peer review committee: Please click to review this work
AN EMERGING DIRECTION IN HEALTHCARE FACILITY DESIGN: DERMATOLOGY AND AESTHETIC CENTER, SERIRAK HOSPITAL
CHANANYA APIWATPONG (INTERIOR ARCHITECT) & CHUTARAT LAOMANACHAROEN (AUTHOR)
Healthcare facilities have long been a great challenge for architects and designers, from the age of extreme sanitation and functionalism to evidence-based and user-defined environment[1]. In Thailand, during the past decade, many hospitals have gone through a face-lift renovation that left healthcare practitioners scramble for equipments and patients with larger bills. Functionality had been compromised in order to compete with other hospitals that allowed waiting chairs to be upholstered with real fabric instead of the usual vinyl or leather. Warm ambient interiors of hospitals in the 1990s became the dominating style. Pediatric Departments often enjoyed the most attention from designers as they allowed more design freedom guided by Piaget’s theory in child development. Colorful furniture and play area became a must for most hospitals.
Today, however, healthcare practitioners had learned the hard way that hotel-style interiors do not always work with hospital functions. Therefore we are seeing a new wave of renovation of hospitals in recent years. Designers as well as hospital owners have now developed a better understanding of how to accommodate healthcare functions while allowing aesthetic to play a role. Evidence-based theories in interior design is now facing a new challenge to answer new questions posed by today’s society. Patients’ approach to healthcare has changed and many have turned to holistic treatments.[2] Hospitals today must also change from a place for curing deceases to a place that heals body, mind, as well as spirit.
Today, evidence-based design is being questioned in many notions such as the obscurity of criteria for physical features that left designers in the dark when it comes to design application.[3] Further, as hospitals in Asia have become more than a place for healthcare but an important part of tourism industry, owners and investors seek for alternatives in design approach. One of the trends is to redefine hospitals as a place that provide hospitality services hence the emergence of the borrowing of concepts used in hospitality design. This new consumer-based design is starting to take shape especially in aesthetic medication such as dermatology and plastic surgery where medical functions are less complex. Consumers became the center for design hence the more vivid use of colors and patterns that resemble retail shops.
The new dermatology and aesthetic center of Serirak Hospital clearly exemplified this new trend in health care design. The interior architect, Chananya Apiwatpong, intended this new extension to be a “pleasant” place for patients and healthcare providers alike. The planning was tailored to the functions prescribed by doctors and nurses who reflected on their experiences which were used to shape rooms and allocations of furniture. Instead of the usual hygiene look, bold floral pattern was used on the panels to add life to the otherwise sterile waiting area. Stylistic furniture also toned down the cold ambient. The gallant decision was encouraged by the owner of the hospital who wanted to provide patients with special treatments apart from the usual services. This radical break from conservative design is a starting point in the development of design methodology for health care facilities that gears toward consumer-centered design instead of the prominent evidence-based design of the twenty first century.
Keywords: Evidence-based design, consumer-centered design, alternative approach in healthcare and interior design.
[1] Verderber, S., et al., The evolving role of evidence-based research in healthcare facility design competitions. Frontiers of Architectural Research (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2013.12.001
[2] Attitude change toward illness as more attention is given to chronic illness and lifestyle change became the key in healthcare. Jeff Goldsmith, The Paradigm shift: Transforming from an Acute to Chronic Care Model, Decisions in Imaging Economics (1990): 13-19.
[3] Nicholas J Watkins, the need for consumer-driven research, Asian Hospital & Healthcare Management, http://www.asianhhm.com/facilities_operations/healthcare_design.htm.
REFERENCES
Jeff Goldsmith, “The Paradigm shift: Transforming from an Acute to Chronic Care Model.” Decisions in Imaging Economics (1990): 13-19.
Nicholas J Watkins, “the need for consumer-driven research.” Asian Hospital & Healthcare Management. Accessed June 4, 2014, http://www.asianhhm.com/facilities_operations/healthcare_design.htm.
Verderber, S., et al., “The evolving role of evidence-based research in healthcare facility design competitions.” Frontiers of Architectural Research (2014), accessed July 2, 2014, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2013.12.001
DESIGN LITERACY INTERNATIONAL FORUM 