Thai Vernacular Architecture

Vernacular architecture refers to a way of building which uses local materials and addresses local needs. Vernacular architecture is often 'organic' in the sense that a building is not planned beforehand but rather develops as a result of the availability of certain materials and as a response to changing cultural and environmental factors.

The most obvious example of vernacular architecture is the Innuit eskimo. In Thailand fisherman's houses and basic bungalows in the jungle and on the beach owe alot to vernacular architecture.

I recently stumbled across an unusual example of Thai vernacular architecture on the Phi Phi Design workshop site written by the Thai architect Rachaporn Choochuey. The house is made nearly entirely from materials found at the nearby garbage dump. The builder has carefully selected the materials. The roof is made from bits of metal cut to the right size. The columns are reinforced concrete molded by metal bins with the molds being kept after the concrete has dried.