Wasana Sitti-issara
Moonlight Corner: The Lanna Thai Style restaurant in Kunming
Department of Interior Design
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
Located out of the territory of Thailand, Moonlight Corner Thai restaurant combines an identity of Thai and modern interior space together. This restaurant is set on the first floor of an old brick building in the city of Kunming, Yunnan. The green lake is just in front of the restaurant. The existing height of the space is almost 6 meters that leads to the opportunity of having a mezzanine floor. Main functions have been designed to include 400 indoor dining seats, 100 outdoor dining seats, stage, bar, 9 VIP rooms, and kitchen. This is a fine dining restaurant that brings the concept of ‘phenomenon’. Once the patrons step into the space from any entrances, they will get into the scene.
The scene of dramatic light leading to the natural light, joined with the surprised outdoor dining seats at the side. Light fixtures are designed as an exaggerated part of the scene by the Thai Lanna “Tung(ตุง)” which is a cultural flag of local Lanna. Finishing wall and ceiling wallpaper imported from Thailand and local Chinese accessories create a mixed ambience. Most of the furniture as well as lighting fixtures are custom-made. The glitter of “gold” has been brought to highlight the space. It seems as if Thai territory is expanding to China by the interior space of this restaurant. “Thaism” spreads in the air of “Moonlight Corner 日月湾” restaurant through the dramatic atmosphere.
Naphat Whaichana
Modern Thai in a budget hotel
Department of Interior Design
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
Khon Kaen has been promoted to be one of the major tourist cities of Thailand. There is a diverse range of hotels, resorts and guesthouses in the city. The ancient culture, tradition, historical places, and local wisdom have all contributed to make Khon Kaen an excellent place to visit.
Budget hotel is a type of hotel that suits travellers who have low budget in Khon Kaen with basic facilities such as rooms, meals, and daily room service. Studio Khon Kaen by iCheck inn is the 2.5 star hotel with 74 guest rooms starting from 800 baht per night. The project was designed under the concept of “Modern Thai” within a limit budget.
Usually, the hotel lobby design represents the overall image of the entire hotel and the distinctive image of a hotel lobby design is often expressed in the front desk which needs to be impressively designed with a unique formation. At Studio Khon Kaen by iCheck inn, wood, patterned cement board, and golden textured laminate are the main materials in the lobby which used to represent the Thai of Khon Kaen in terms of beautiful nature, prehistoric and historic period. The space was designed in an alluring fashion by adding colorful decorative items such as silk couch pillows and Thai orchid. The modern minimal interior design was created to make the space cozy and welcoming for both Thai and foreign guests (the budget travellers) to the modern world of Khon Kaen.
Piyanat Dabbhasuta
Packaging Design for Nat COCO product
Department of Product Design
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
Nat COCO product brand was created with passion in daily health care based on organic materials without chemical substances. Health care products were researched and developed as a response to customers who crave simplicity but outstanding and efficient products under the concept of combination between the selected organic coconut from local treasury agricultural product, Ayurrveda which is the science of disease prevention, mental equilibrium, healthy and natural happiness that make perfection in life and mind and modern technology of production process.
This packaging set consist of 4 products
- Coco Oil Pulling Mouthwash
- Coco Oil Toothpaste
- Coco Oil Hand cream
- Coco Oil Lip Balm
Relating to the product background, packaging design is focused on representing natural product with modern look as well as Thai agriculture product and Co-operate design identity.
Design steps
- Information Preparation ( for information transmission and design direction) > Design criteria
- Preliminary design
- Design development
- Design conclusion ( Final design with fully information for printing process )
- Model making
- Project Launch (can be viewed at: https://www.nat-coco.com )
Design criteria
- Label design for Coco Oil Pulling Mouthwash and Coco Oil Lip Balm
- Graphic design for Coco Oil Toothpaste and Hand Cream plastic tube packaging
- Logo design represent Thai agriculture product by free hand sketch image and typography
- Pastel colors are selected to represent health and hygiene product
Santhita Phayungphong
@sleep, Nakhon Pathom
Department of Interior Design
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
Situated in Nakornpathom province, one of the ancient cities closed to Bangkok, Thailand, ‘@sleep’ is a new serviced apartment recently opened in April 2018. The site location is famous for many things, for instance the world’s tallest stupa, Phra Pathom Chedi, Sanam Chandra Palace, everyday night market and food stalls, crispy pork and many more. With only 50 Km west of Bangkok, Nakornpathom is also one of popular tourist attractions.
The city has a lot to offer, ranging from historic cultural sites, relaxing river view, refreshing pomelo orchard, edutaining museums, to adventurous crocodile farm. Most important aspect of the city, however, is its fascinating and authentic lifestyle of Thai local people. Buddhism and Thai-ness are inseparably intertwined. Life in Nakornpathom revolved around the great stupa, from the city center sprawling to many directions with several local activities every day.
This interior design project aims to reflect Nakornpathom characteristics in twofold. First, the city landmark which has been transformed and installed on to the check-in counter backdrop. The circular curved tiles wall represents the traditional Buddhist temple roof colorfully glazed clay tiles. Second, the distinct charm of Nakornpathom culture lies around the diversity of its Thai-Chinese delicacies. The common area of this serviced apartment, then, provides a spacious dining area for customers to bring-their-own-food and enjoy the comfortable setting at no cost. The @sleep also provides small kitchenette and appliances like microwave, electric kettle for the users so that they can have dine-in at any time during their stay.
Klairung Attanatho
Thais’ Best Friend
Department of Product Design
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
Has been known in the world, Thailand is an agricultural country where ‘rice’ is the most important crop. Water buffaloes have played an important part in the lives of Thai people for centuries as the traditional methods of rice farming depended on water buffaloes. Buffaloes and human beings were bound in the ancient time for many centuries. It can be, therefore, said that buffaloes go along with Thai people’s lives.
Under the traditional system of rice farming, the farmers and the buffaloes were depending on each other. However, as the country develops, this system is replaced by modern technology with more industrial-oriented production. Instead of using animal labor like before, the farmers change to use machines that can work approximately 20 times faster than animals.
Even the change of the country makes use of buffaloes differently (they become food for people), the relationship between people and buffaloes is still close as there is an entire culture based on it. The picture of the buffaloes as partners of people in the field still attach in mind of Thai people. For much of the country history, the scent that characterizes Thai countryside is the aroma of the earth and buffaloes.
The culture based on the bond between farmers and buffaloes in Thailand is rich in its interesting details. Many examples featured in songs, stories and folk wisdoms show how strong the bond between human and the animals is.
Nonetheless, for Thais, the water buffalo is their best friend and it can be said that water buffalo is one of the symbols of ‘Being Thai’.
Daruswat Wattanarojjananikorn
A drone called “BEEBOT”
Department of Interior Design
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
In Thai society, the children normally have to obey the adults. The parents are mostly concerned about their child’s safety. It will not be easy to let the children play with somethings danger such as aircraft toy. Recently, Thai people try to think out off the box, be more creative, and let their children have more skills and experiences.
I develop BEEBOT because I want parents and children to explore and play with drones safely. The “SHELL” idea is used to protect BEEBOT users, the propellers are inside the shell, away from fingers and body parts. However, instead of just an ordinary protective shell, it is also a puzzle to be put together. Kids love puzzles and flying toys, thus I combine these two together.
BEEBOT is a pre-built circuit, soldering is not required. Players will just snap the motors to the main part, then the circuit is completed. More than just a toy, BEEBOT is a toy kit inspires children, imparts knowledge on drones. It teaches focusing and problem solving to complete a task, promotes confident creativity and design awareness, and develops children thinking abilities. It is a hands-on interactive activity. The handy and affordable design is created with all genders in mind, empowering both boys and girls to build their own drones.
I provide 5 basic colors for children to express themselves through creative design. As the colors are washable non-toxic water-based colors, they can wash, clean, and repaint easily.
HOW HEXAGON SHAPE COMES FROM? “Why do you need a huge drone?, Why not combine multiple smaller drones to build it a huge drone. BEEBOT can do it”
The hexagon shape is modelled on the bee hive, a very efficient weight bearing structure. This shape is fit for connecting multiple BEEBOTS together. Each player can connect BEEBOTS in form of multiple BEEBOTS together in order to create a giant BEEBOT, not just an one drone. This concept can encourage kids and everyone to join, communicate, and share relationship and experience among each other.
In addition, the original idea is to let children do their own design by connecting pieces. In terms of design, children will be able to go beyond what BEEBOT provides. When they understand how it works, they can build for their own. BEEBOT can be combined with Thai traditional culture such as “THAI NANG TALUNG” as a part of it. This will make children to learn about Thai culture and to let other Thais and nationalities see that Thais are cool. This kind of toy can encourage Thais having more interests in culture. This will be another reason to let Thais think about their own culture, they can think in other way not only the traditional Thai design.
Chananya Apiwatphong
Synpheat Hospital –Theparuk, Samut Prakan
Department of Interior Architecture
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
Design Concept: Natural Retreat express through Modernized Thai Essence
Nowadays, designing a hospital is not only about the functional and practical concerns but also its ambience with welcoming, comfort, and friendly atmosphere. Theparuk district, where the hospital is located, is considered a growing area with middle-class neighborhood. Purposefully design concept aimed to create a neutral design though natural touches – material selection, textures, color scheme, and lighting arrangement with the concerns of easy maintenance and its low cost.
The random repetition patterns with inserted light figures – borrowed from Vernacular-Thai patterns, were assigned as a major feature design to attain clients’ attention while entering the entrance hall and continuing along the main corridor. This effect, once finished, was called Ngan-Wat Wall which successfully reflected the initial design purposed. Other design elements – floor, ceiling, built-in furniture, loose furniture were intentionally assigned in neutral in order to allow the feature wall design display.
For the Out-Patient Department, wooden pattern and rustic texture – as reflection of the rural nature effects, were used as a design feature within simple space layout. Loose furniture with Thai-retro style was selected to enhance the modernized Thai atmosphere.
In the bright light ambience of Orthopedic Department, in order to minimise users’ stress, natural sensation was displayed through graphic tree pattern with pastel color scheme and the dark-brown marble finishing of the reception counter.
VITTVAT CHAROENPONG
BANN PU-WA: CLUSTERED COURT TROP HOUSE
Department of Architecture
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
This house will be occupied by a business couple and a four-year old daughter with frequent overnight parents and guests. Since the business of the family requires to have many staffs and customers, they often need meeting and entertaining. All the interior functional space including outdoor and semi outdoor activities areas on the ground floor are essentially large size. Besides the extra-large master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms on the second floor, this level also has Buddha room, fitness, sauna and a long lap swimming pool that extend from sport bar into the master bedroom to conveniently serve the family habit of exercising. The owner wanted the servant’s quarters as well as a Thai kitchen to be separated from the main living area so as not to disturb the occupants but enable to conveniently serve all the internal and external functions. The husband is an automobile collector and a speed lover, so the house consists of many performance cars, big bikes and Jet Skis. The need to have a proper and well-arranged garage is also required.
CONCEPTUAL IDEA
The site of this house is situated at the base of slightly sloped with a nice view of the unique pinnacle rock and beautiful cliff wall ridge on the top of the mountain 300 meters nearby. The choice of precisely placing the major regulating visual axis of main open spaces took this contextual factor into consideration. The spatial articulating idea derived from the separation of individual villas and organized them around the courtyards of gardens and ponds in a clustered manner like traditional group of Thai houses in the past. This idea allows each functional unit to have panoramic view and good air ventilation due to their long enclosure lines.
The architectural elements and structural arrangement (such as long cantilever roof plane, elevated columns and clustered courtyard) are applied and transformed from the traditional Thai houses which responded well to the local tropical climate. The idea of presenting car parking garage like display showroom in frontal zone also accommodates the need of garage lifestyle.
STRUCTURAL IDEA
The house composed of a special large reinforced concrete structure with several unique structural features as follows:
- The huge scale of the fish pond has many open islands of the oval shape which contain heavy soil big trees. These create tremendous bending force that requires extra steel bar reinforcement.
- The 5 meters bridge across the fish pond aesthetically needs to be thin so the one way slap required to withstand the bending moment test properly.
- At the second floor of the house, it has 4 by 30 meters long lap swimming pool that support by two gigantic band beams over the top of two enormous columns that require intensive detail of site supervision.
- The 1.5 meters cantilever of second floor and roof plan seem to be a simple dimension but actually their behaviour are double over-hanging by the transferred column from the second floor which support the roof plane.
Dichila Pasanta
THAI TOUCH
Department of Interior Architecture
Montfort del Rosario
School of Architecture and Design
Shopping malls in Thailand have recently been initiated as a lifestyle mall where various activities are freely mixed into one place. The modern or luxury style of such mall, taken as basis for decoration, can be popularly found everywhere in Thailand. This retail design, the Thai Touch, is a renovation project that includes a hostel, food and beverage area, retail and souvenir shops, to welcome guests who visit Bangkok. It is located at Jatujak Market which is a must-visit place for tourists. To play a significant role in creating Thaism space, the mixture of the basic and original Thai elements and exquisite modern design is a reminder for the guests while they are spending time at this place. Due to its location, this project means to be the foreigners’ hub as many visitors run from the airport to this place.
Once visitors step in, they will be amazed by the sense of Thai. However, design approach creates not only Thai touch but also the exotic journey. To drive the Thaism experience tenderly to the guests, wooden elements and traditional Thai patterns will be blended into the modern design. It can be found in every zone to give a warm feeling and in-line with the concept of Thaism. In addition, the booths, in the main event hall, specifically imitate the floating market by using traditional Thai decorative panels, boats and street food market that further enrich the original one. Floor pattern and column decoration are an interpretation of basic graphical Thai flowers and plants. Hanging ceiling is abundantly lined with weaving pattern, mixed with plenty of plants and glass lanterns.
DESIGN LITERACY FORUM 