Reborn House: Balancing Change and Memory
In a suburban district of Bangkok, a 30-year-old residence has been reimagined into a modern family home that embraces urban transformation while safeguarding its character. Originally built in Thailand’s early modern style with compartmentalized rooms, hip roofs, and wooden details, the house faced challenges of diminished privacy, security, and greenery as its neighborhood shifted into a bustling zone. The redesign aimed to refresh its atmosphere and foster stronger family interaction while retaining its essence.
Preserving Craftsmanship with Contrast
Key architectural features such as the roof, wooden staircase, parquet flooring, and curved wall were carefully preserved to honor their material and craft value. Rather than blending new and old, the design emphasizes contrast; a light-toned palette highlights existing elements, allowing them to stand out as sculptural features within a renewed environment.
From Compartmentalized to Open and Social
The once-segmented interior was restructured into a spacious, light-filled setting that supports family connection. A southwest bedroom vulnerable to heat was relocated, and its floor plate removed, creating a striking double-height space that visually unites different levels. The staircase, previously hidden, now emerges as a central design feature. Large openings enhance ventilation, natural light, and garden views, while solid southwest walls reduce heat gain and ensure privacy. A stepped planter and terrace address level changes at the entrance, while existing bedrooms and service areas were largely retained to reduce costs and waste.
Curved Forms Linking Old and New
The facade adopts a minimalist yet distinctive approach. Textile screens diffuse daylight by day and glow softly by night, offering privacy while projecting a gentle presence in the neighborhood. Solid fencing and aluminum louvers balance security with openness, encouraging interaction with neighbors. Curved walls and fences echo the village’s existing forms, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens to root the home in its context.
Reclaiming Green Space
To counter reduced greenery, the design integrates existing gardens and trees with new plantings surrounding the house. A sculpted fence incorporates a green pocket, providing shared ecological and visual benefits for neighbors. The removal of the front lower roof expands the entrance into a welcoming area, while repurposed beams become planters for vertical greenery. These thoughtful gestures reinforce a balance between memory and modern living, creating a home where openness, family life, and nature coexist harmoniously.
Project Details
- Name: Reborn House
- Location: Bangkok, Thailand
- Photography: Rungkit Charoenwat