Fai Fah by Spark

Fai Fah by Spark

Architects Spark have added a stairwell resembling a giant wedge of Swiss cheese onto two Bangkok shophouses they’ve converted into a youth centre.

Fai Fah by Spark

Commissioned by Thai bank TMB, the Fai Fah centre provides the venue for a programme of workshops and classes that encourage children and teenagers to take part in creative activities.

Fai Fah by Spark

Above: photograph is by TMB

During the design process the architects held design workshops with local children, who had the initial ideas for the steel lattice that covers the facades of the two original shophouses.

Fai Fah by Spark

Above: photograph is by Spark

“Spark’s workshops with the Fai-Fah children were inspiring,” explained TMB Bank’s Paradai Theerathada. ”They gave the children a great sense of accomplishment from being involved in the design process for such a large-scale, tangible project.”

Fai Fah by Spark

The children also chose a palette of colours to mark each of the building’s six storeys, including the bright yellow that features in the event space and mezzanine gallery at the base of the building.

Fai Fah by Spark

Other rooms include a library, an art studio, a pottery classroom and a dance studio.

Fai Fah by Spark

Above: photograph is by Spark

A garden is located on the roof, where the L-shaped stair tower wraps around to create a storage room.

Fai Fah by Spark

Above: photograph is by TMB

Long, narrow shophouses are a typical building typology in Southeast Asia, and we also recently featured one converted into a residence with a swimming pool inside.

Fai Fah by Spark

See all our stories about shophouses »

Fai Fah by Spark

Photography is by Lin Ho, apart from where otherwise stated.

Fai Fah by Spark

Here’s a project description from Fai-Fah:


FAI-FAH

Fai-Fah, which means “light energy”, is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme initiated in April 2010 by TMB Bank. The programme acts as a catalyst for change in Thai society through working with underprivileged children and teenagers in their community using the arts as a vehicle for self-development and creative thinking.

Fai Fah by Spark

In October 2010, Spark was invited to design Fai-Fah Prachautis, the refurbishment of two shop houses located in a residential district of Bangkok.

Fai Fah by Spark

The art and creative education programmes contained in the client’s brief have been distributed over five floors, and include: the multi-function “living room”, the art studio, a library, the gallery, the dance studio and a multi-purpose rooftop garden.

Fai Fah by Spark

The design was developed at interactive workshops with the Fai-Fah children and teenagers, volunteer arts staff, and members of TMB’s CSR team.

Fai Fah by Spark

Ideas generated during the workshop such as the façade screen and the interior colours were incorporated into the design, underlining the positive nature of the collaborative process and ownership of the concept amongst all of the project’s protagonists.

Fai Fah by Spark

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image

The five levels of the building are linked by a central feature staircase with each level defined by its own colour theme.

Fai Fah by Spark

First floor mezzanine plan – click above for larger image

Utilities and services are housed in a new inverted L- shaped structure, the “Utility Stick”, which is plugged into the rear of the building; it rises from the courtyard and bends to form a garden store at roof level.

Fai Fah by Spark

Second floor plan – click above for larger image

The existing shop house façade has been transformed by the application of a bespoke lattice screen and Fai-Fah logo, a statement that the building is different from its adjacent neighbours and announcing to the community that Fai-Fah has arrived.

Fai Fah by Spark

Third floor plan – click above for larger image

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Fai Fah by Spark

Forth floor plan – click above for larger image

GFA (area above ground): 569 sqm
Project Completion: Quarter 1, 2012
Facilities: Event Space (Living Room), Gallery, Library, Art Studio, Dance Studio, Roof garden

Fai Fah by Spark

Roof  plan – click above for larger image

Architect: Spark
Design Director: Stephen Pimbley
Team: Wenhui Lim, Mark Mancenido, Suchon Pongsopitsin
Client: TMB Bank Public Company Limited
Client Team: Paradai Theerathada, Sakchai Sriwatthanapitikul, Nopawan Saengteerakij, Thatchakorn Prutnoppadol, Mallika Uswachoke, Radomdej Taksana, Aree Vesvijak, Jumpol Kwangosen, Saranyoo Nantanawanit, Siriporn Lerdapirangsi
Fai-Fah Kids: Master Thanakan Namunmong, Chisanu Kiatsuranayon, Sirinart Naksombhob, Kamolthat Sutat Na Ayudhya
Local Architect: 365COOP Company Limited

Fai Fah by Spark

Section – click above for larger image

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The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Architecture studios FARM and KD Architects have converted a 1920s shophouse in Singapore into a residence with a swimming pool stretched along the ground floor.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Long, narrow shophouses are a typical building typology in Southeast Asia and the Pool Shophouse is one of eight renovated properties in the Lorong 24A Shophouse Series, for which various architects were asked to adapt and extend properties in the Geylang neighbourhood.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Architects Tiah Nan Chyuan and Lee Hui Lian explain how they wanted to create “an insertion” rather than “an extension” to the building. “One experiences the continuity of space through a series of stairs that loop through the shophouse,” they say.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

The staircases they refer to zigzag back and forth through the house to connect the three existing floors with the four-storey extension, which contains bedrooms within its upper storeys.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Narrow strips of lighting highlight the gaps between these new staircases and the exposed brick walls of the original building.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Light filters into the house through a skylight at the centre, which is screened behind a louvred ceiling.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

We’ve published a couple of stories about shophouses, including two converted into live-work units in Bangkok and an office shaped like a giant periscope.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Photographer Peter Nitsch also documented shophouses in a series of images from 2010.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

See more projects from Singapore »

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Photography is by Jeremy San.

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Here’s some project details from FARM:


The Pool Shophouse

Location: Lorong 24A Geylang, Singapore

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Design Consultants: FARM in collaboration with KD Architects
Design team: Kurjanto Slamet, Tiah Nan Chyuan, Lee Hui Lian

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Land area: (in m2) 143.30 sqm
Built-in GFA: (in m2) 366.94 sqm
Project Year: 2012

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

First floor plan – click above for larger image

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Second floor plan – click above for larger image

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Third floor plan – click above for larger image

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Roof plan – click above for larger image

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Long section 1 – click above for larger image

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Long section 2 – click above for larger image

The Pool Shophouse by FARM and KD Architects

Front and rear elevations – click above for larger image

The post The Pool Shophouse by FARM
and KD Architects
appeared first on Dezeen.

Shophouse Transformation by all(zone)

Bangkok studio all(zone) added a patterned concrete facade to two disused Bangkok shophouses to crate a live-work unit on each floor.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

The architects have transformed the 5-storey buildings by adding a façade of patterned concrete bricks at the front and back, creating balconies between the existing building and old facades.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Metal mesh screens are used as walls and flooring for these in-between spaces.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

A car park is located on the ground floor, with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th used for offices and living spaces.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

The architects’ offices are located on the 4th floor and the 5th is used as an apartment for one of the designers.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

More about Bangkok’s shophouses in Peter Nitsch’s photography project.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

More residential architecture on Dezeen »
More office buildings on Dezeen »

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Photographs are by Piyawut Srisakul.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

The following information is from the architects:


Shophouse Transformation
Sukhumvit 49, Bangkok

Shophouse was the most common building typology of Bangkok during the process of urbanization of the city in the past century.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

However they are getting obsoleted nowadays because of city’s the transformation.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Bangkok urban fabric is, nowadays, full of not-properly-utilized shophouses in most of the prime areas.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

The project is an attempt to experiment with shophouse typology’s transformation.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

The existing condition were two not-in-use units of shophouse in one of crowded area of Bangkok.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Every floor is transformed into a working-living unit, a new typology for a small business or live-in studio, that is quite rare type in Bangkok.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

While the ground level is completely open for parking and plants. (The 4th and the 5th floors are finally occupied by the architects).

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

The addition parts are the new facades on both front and back made out of the prefabricated concrete blocks – the most common and cheapest construction materials found in the market – which is also acting as a sun shading, a curtain for privacy as well as thief protection device.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

The facades also create ‘a breathing space’, the space between the big windows and concrete blocks, for smoking, relaxing in the outdoor, plantings as well as air condensing units and service.

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Project DATA

type: shophouse transformation to live-in studio units.
location: Sukhumvit 49, Bangkok
total area: 650 sq.m.
architect: allzone, co.,ltd. with Stefano Mirti
project team: Rachaporn Choochuey, Sorawit Klaimak, Isara Chanpoldee, Namkhang Anomarisi, Tharit Tossanaitada
engineer: cm one co.,ltd.
contractor: Terdsak Tassayarn

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Click for larger image

Shophouse Transformation by allzone

Click for larger image


See also:

.

Shophouses 4 x 8 m Bangkok by Peter NitschSumaré House by
Isay Weinfeld Arquitecto
More renovations and extensions on Dezeen