Traditional Thai House Design

Thai houses once blended with their surroundings.

The houses that were built in Thailand for centuries achieved a harmony with their natural settings. Constructed of the woods that were once abundant there, particularly teak, they featured a design that facilitated air circulation through open windows and walls. Although some design distinctions varied by region, traditional Thai houses shared three characteristics: elevated floors, a steeply pitched roof with long overhanging eaves and an open central terrace. As energy costs rise and it becomes more expensive to cool modern concrete Thai structures on lots where shade trees have been cleared, some Thais are looking favorably at the old-style construction.

Elevated Floors

The floors were raised on posts to prevent flooding during the rainy season, protect the occupants from hostile animals and contribute to the air circulation through the living area. Thailand has three recognizable seasons, though with only slight changes from the hot and humid norm. The hot summer months run from March to June. Then, the heat decreases some but the humidity rises from July to October, when the monsoons come. Finally, November to February make up the Thai winter, when temperatures and humidity are lowest.

Pitched Roof

Rainwater could run off the steep roof quickly. The long overhangs provided shade and helped keep rain out of the open areas of the house. Most of the regional variations involve the roof design, such as the pointed, wing-like structures on central Thailand houses and V-shaped projections on the gables of northern roofs. According to legend, the "winged" roofs are the means through which the inhabitants reach heaven.

Open Terrace

The open terrace took up approximately 40 percent of the floor space of a traditional Thai home, according to the Purdue University engineering department. Often used for outdoor activities, it was an important gathering place for the extended families of the typical Thai residents of the past. The natural ventilation was most evident here, and it offered relief from the hot, humid climate.

Prefabricated and Modular

An unusual characteristic of traditional Thai houses was their modular construction, so that they could be disassembled and set up in a different location. When land was abundant in the past, the people moved often. Maybe a couple married and started life somewhere else or political circumstances made a move necessary. They simply packed up their belongings, house and all.

The Traditional Thai House Today

Siam Niramit, a theater in central Bangkok, has constructed a display of four traditional Thai houses, representing the typical structures of the central, southern, northeastern and northern regions of Thailand. Theater ticketholders may tour the houses before their show starts. A number of companies, including Nongnit's Treasures and PNK Marketing, are reviving the traditional designs and offering prefabricated Thai houses ready to be assembled.

References

• Natural Ventilation Design for Houses in Thailand
• Houses in Thailand: Traditional and Historical Design
• Traditional Thai houses