Bangkok-based architectural firm, Ayutt and Associates design, has unveiled a stunning self-sustaining home in the Thai capital. The Shade House is a three-story home covered in the firm’s signature perforated facade that allows for optimal natural light and airflow, while simultaneously providing privacy for the homeowners. Additionally, the design incorporates several passive and active technologies, as well as an abundance of indoor pocket gardens that allow the homeowners to enjoy a serene, natural forest-like atmosphere inside their own home.
Tucked into a quiet neighborhood behind the massive high rises in Bangkok, the Shade House was designed to be a serene living space for a family who wanted to live in an urban area but retain some personal green space to enjoy in their day-to-day lives. Accordingly, the architectural team came up with an ingenious home design that would be based on creating an “individual natural ecosystem.”
At over 10,000 square feet, the Shade House is comprised of two main towers connected by an indoor/outdoor walkway that leads to various access points inside the home. The home’s exterior shell is made up of a perforated facade created using aluminum panels and white slender steel rods. This system allows the home to enjoy ample sun and air ventilation, as well as a natural cooling system. In fact, according to the architects, the home allows the interior spaces to be around seven degrees cooler than the outside temperature.
The interior layout of the home was also designed to take advantage of the natural atmosphere. The first floor of the home is designed as a “garden villa.” Separate from the family’s main living areas, this space is meant to be a welcoming social area, or can be closed off to be used as a guest home.
The second floor contains the family’s main living spaces, as well as the “pool villa” that features a large swimming pool and outdoor area. Elevated off the first floor, the main living room, kitchen and dining spaces look out over the tree canopy, creating the sensation of being high up in a treehouse. The private bedrooms are located on the top floor, which rises way up over the treetops to provide a sense of privacy and relaxation.
Throughout the home, an abundance of greenery has been strategically planted at virtually every corner. Between the outdoor plantings, indoor pocket gardens and a green roof, the total vegetation currently covers 90% of the home and is expected to grow 150% larger than its beginning site over the years, eventually covering the home’s expansive exterior.
Self-sustaining Shade House helps combat urban pollution [Inhabitat]