Two, Almost Identical Homes at Nichada, in Thailand by Alkhemist Architects

 

Located in a suburban gated community in Bangkok’s Nichada Village, we find a fairly large plot of land which though originally intended for a single detached dwelling has been used to create two very tropical and contemporary homes.

 
Designed by Alkhemist Architects, the homes belong to two very close brothers who wish to live close to one another but still retain some degree of privacy. With two different lifestyles to cater to, the architect started with a base typology, organized in a long rectangular format with garages located at the entrance of the house (on the west orientation), and a main double volume living area (on the east orientation). Foyers, dining area, kitchens, toilets, and guest bedrooms lay in between the aforementioned spaces, aiding in the transition from outside to inside. A single flight of stairs on one side of the house leads to the master bedroom from which you can enjoy a direct view of the double volume living area. This basic typology was then modified and built upon to suite the user’s requirements and of course respond to the climate.
 

HOUSE A

The older of the brothers, is a professional golfer who enjoys the outdoors. He spends most of his time during the day working, dining and relaxing, while the night time sees him retreat to his bedroom. To respond to this the architects decided to make a large opening on both the north and the east of the living area in order to let the light to cast through the large double volume white brick wall, the main core element of this house. The other elements are both brick and blue colored walls, which were chosen to offer a subtle contrast between calm and a vibrant atmosphere.
 
 
Nichada roofNichada ground floorNichada first floorNichada section 2Nichada elevation 3Nichada elevation 4Nichada 1Nichada 3Nichada 4Nichada 6
 

HOUSE B

The younger of the brother’s is a night club entrepreneur with a knack for partying. His house is a bit darker, sporting a brown or chocolatey hue as well as an industrial influenced interior aesthetic.
For this house, the architects also use light as a tool to define the atmosphere, albeit a bit more dramatic that his older brothers house. The home also visually connects with the brother’s via the south facing living area. To create distinction between the two, the architects choose not to repeat the double volume glazing similar to elder’s brother sliding door, but rather, make use of a large corner opening sliding door at the lower level and the solid blank wall with few opening at the top level of the living room. On the other sides of the top part of the living area, rather than a large opening windows, a few narrow horizontal strip windows were used to control amount of sunlight and create a lantern effect within the main living area, which caters the desire for a darker yet cozy home in contrast to the brighter more open one.Nichada section 3Nichada elevation 5Nichada elevation 6

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Both homes began their journey as more or less the same building, but, with careful consideration for the different lifestyles and personalities as well as the site’s climate and context, the architects have been able to create two distinct homes that share some similarity in structure and massing but ultimately offer two different experiences.
 
Nichada section 1Nichada elevation 1Nichada elevation 2nichada 2

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You can also watch a video here that further explains the thought process behind the design and offers a few more images, unfortunately its not in english.

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