Tare House, Bangkok

Owned by a gentleman of Indian descent who has been living in Thailand for the most part of his life, this 520-square-meter private home is situated on Kalaprapruek Road in suburban Bangkok. The architect realizes the program of the house by locating two residential buildings to envelop the entire plot of land. A one-story building and a two-story structure is both separated and linked together by a 5-meter-wide open space that rests itself along the longer side of the architectural masses. The program offers a challenging task for landscape architect with the open space serving as both the linkage of the two buildings and the central court where the house’s garden is located, housing an outdoor recreational area that accommodates different activities of the family members. The landscape design is materialized from from the Dot/Line/Plane concept. A set of landscape symbols used to represent the three elements, physically corresponding with the architectural masses in both vertical and horizontal axis. Created as a result is the aesthetic rendered by the visual flow, the use of materials, colors, textures of the leaves that blend well with the characteristic of the buildings’ architectural design. The main function space of the landscape is divided into three parts.

Part 1: Foyer / Bridge /Wooden Terrace

This particular section facilitates the connection between the open space and the house’s functional spaces such as the foyer. It dictates the main circulation that starts from the main entrance to the front door and eventually to the small court surrounded by shrubs and stone benches where the fishpond can be visually accessed. From this particular angle, one can notice the spatial flow between the house’s central garden and the balcony with the gracious presence of natural light and openings that welcome a pleasant breeze of natural wind throughout the day.

Part 2 : Stoneyard

The landscape architecture is realized with low maintenance being one of the prioritized requirements. Gravel is chosen for the convenience of maintenance it is able to offer in the long run. The tree placement delivers rhythmic and continual flow along the two architectural structures. The design of the landscape enables the   to lead the perspective of the rather long layout of the garden. Each of the trees is placed in locations that can be visually accessed from the openings at different rooms of the house, granting the interior living spaces a view of the outside green space and the dynamic presence of natural light and shadow that varies throughout the day.

Part 3: Water Feature Court

The Water Feature located at the farthest end of the garden. Designed as an enclosed space, the court situates near the house’s praying room, functioning as a transitioning space that visually partitions the garden area from the maid’s quarter. The water serves as the key element of the design of the fountain as well as the displayed sculptural pieces. The design takes into consideration the amount of water overflowing from the fountain and falling into the pond, creating the perfect soundscape that renders a relaxing, meditative ambience for the prayer room with the light, soothing acoustical characteristics of the water sounds.