Ahsa Farmstay

This project allowed the architect to examine Architecture as the relationship between
buildings and culture. In Chiang Rai, similarly to other rural places in the country,
vernacular building techniques are not passed down from generations to generations.
This lack of familiarity coupled with the changing socio-cultural landscape has eroded the
relationship between traditional buildings and the people living in them. As people
livelihoods changed, traditional homes are becoming less relevant. Vernacular houses are
either inadequately adapted with ‘modern extensions’ or dismantled and sold as reclaimed
timber, in parts spurred on by other poorly adapted buildings.
The Project address this issue through the programme of cultural tourism and the
adaptation of vernacular architecture for future generations. Tourists will be living with a
local host in groups of four houses following the traditional way of Northern Thai lifestyle.
Natural ventilation is employed for cooling during the summer and double layer fenestration
for insulation in the winter. The aim is to learn from local knowhow, culture and traditions
thus adapt them where appropriate to ensure relevance in present times and well into the
future.
Re-claimed timber from dismantled homes was selected as the main building material. The
architect chose to conserve the essence of the original buildings in parts rather than
restoring as whole. The matter which made up the original buildings are preserved as
individual components which are reassembled, taking on new forms to serve new functions.
Extensive documentation of individual pieces was undertaken to minimize construction cost
and material wastage. Some material has distinctive forms resulting from previous joinery,
which are preserved and celebrated. Each mark tells the journey story of each piece of
timber, where it has been, and how it was used. Some details were designed to mimic
vernacular construction methods, others were updated and improved upon to ensure
structural integrity.
The project is highly specific to its surrounding context of time, culture and place. Ahsa
Farmstay project carefully considers sustainable tourism as a catalyst for cultural and
knowledge exchanges, which benefits both tourists and locals, as well as positively impact
the surrounding community.