Ladprao 80 House
Ladprao 80 House is a 150 square metre 2-story residence belonging to a newly wed couple, located amidst the hustle and bustle of central Bangkok, it neighbours a dense housing community and an industrial area of factories and warehouses.
Because of the existing urban landscape, the architect’s main design challenge is to create a comfortable and private living space for the young couple within a limited budget of approximate 3 Million Thai Baht.
With this in consideration, only half of the total land area was to be built on to accommodate for future expansions when their family grows and needed more space. This leads to the initial masterplan, which is to locate the house facing to the public frontage road and leaving the back half of the land as an open lawn for recreational use or for future expansions.
For further privacy, a high solid white wall securely surrounds the house. Inside the walls, an open parking garage connects into the house interior, where it is divided into two primary spaces: the double-heighted living room to the east, and the kitchen/study room to the west, with a simple staircase that leads up to the bedroom and private courtyard on the second floor.
Moreover, wishing to make use of natural light and natural ventilation without sacrificing privacy, window openings are made in the semi-private areas of the house such as the living area and the kitchen. The second floor courtyard also encourages natural ventilation and light while limiting views to and from the outside.
Ladprao 80 house is, in common terms, a comfortable home that plays with the density and transparency between public and private spaces. The stark contrast between the pure white geometric house and the irregularity of the surrounding urban fabric provides a backdrop for a young family beginning their future together.