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Architects: TO.COLLECTOR
- Area: 260 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Surachet Kriengnarongdech
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Manufacturers: Aluinch, Bluescope, SYS, TOA
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Lead Architects: Chutipon Benjasupustananun
Text description provided by the architects. The R34 Project converts an existing residential space into a small office for rent. The project area is located on the corner street of Soi Ramintra 34, a quiet residential area. Typically, homes around this location are single or two stories built tightly in their vicinity. The original style of this project has been fully built on the corner of a small street. Renovating this building, in addition to adjusting the use of the building, also focuses on improving relations with surrounding neighbors.
Usability shifts from a highly private space to a rental home office that outside lessees will share. Reviewing the space needs, the existing house's original wall should be expanded. By opening all of the walls, the corner area looks more friendly to the neighboring residents in terms of a more spacious view and available area around the road. Additionally, the project lends a space for people who may walk through or even for children who want to play or do activities or even utilize the space for any future development for this neighborhood.
The original structure was a three-story concrete house with a previous extension of several added steel structures on the 2nd and 3rd floors. In this renovation, the designer chooses to remove all later additions but keeps the main concrete structure and brings the outstanding identity of the original corner wall into the new design narrative.
From the on-site survey, the original structure on the 1st floor had a relatively low height due to the higher public road surface. In addition, the staircase was narrow and steep from the original building style. Renovation of this ground floor area, therefore, adjusts the design to allow more airflow and finds new ways to suit the usage of the office in an open environment. A vertical space connection is created by breaking out the floor slab on the second floor in terms of visual and user accessibility.
This project keeps the original walls, columns, and beams in the new axis of the building. Additional structural elements beyond this axis will be demolished while keeping traces of the original building character. In terms of material color used, the silver hues from galvanized steel come from the factory. The gray tones reflect polished concrete and stone grains used in construction. These tone types convey a straightforwardness of the materials used and the continuous composition of various elements throughout the repurposed building.
