Design By: OFFICE AT Co., Ltd.
Location: Bangkok, Thailand | Latitude: 13.66914˚ N
Sliding screens are a great way to provide privacy and protection from the sun’s heat. The timber sliding screens on U38 House offer privacy while reducing the heat from the sun. Such screens are beneficial for shading large areas of glazing.
Office AT Co., Ltd. uses these sliding screens on the balconies next to the bedrooms. In addition, they become a significant architectural feature of the U38 House.
House Location and Context
U38 House is in the district of Bang Na, Bangkok, Thailand.
The site for this home is next to the husband’s existing family house. Typical suburban houses surround the area.
House Design Brief
The 400m2 (4,305 sq. ft.) house is home to a couple and a child.
The owner is a builder as well. Construction of their home was to be done within four months.
House Design Layout
Due to the tight construction period, the architect decided to use a simple steel structure. The structure is on a 6 x 5-metre grid. This layout ensured that they could build the house as quickly as possible.
It is a two-storey house and is on one side of the lot. This arrangement allows them to have a green area and a swimming pool.
A three-car carport and a working area are at the front of the property.
Photo: Rungkit Charoenwat
There is an open plan living and dining room on the ground floor, along with a kitchen. These rooms open out to an outdoor terrace, pool and green area.
Two bedrooms are on the upper floor. There is a master bedroom for the couple and another bedroom for their son. This floor also has a family room.
Slatted Sliding Screens
Timber sliding screens line the northeast facing wall of the home. They protect the balconies and bedrooms on the upper floor from prying eyes and the sun.
Photo: Rungkit Charoenwat
The slatted screens consist of sliding panels made from recycled wood.
Slatted Screens Provide Privacy
Screens are a great way of providing privacy to a home. This situation is advantageous in contemporary homes, which may have a lot of glazing.
Large windows and doors can allow for lots of natural or passive ventilation. They also create a stronger indoor-outdoor connection. Hence, providing a closer relationship with the natural environment.
However, the increase in glass also creates less privacy in your home.
Adding screens can provide the privacy you need. Also, it can add an interesting architectural feature.
Sun Shading From slatted Screens
Furthermore, in tropical climates, screens can offer shade from the sun. Shading your house from direct sunlight is an essential aspect of tropical homes.
Photo: Rungkit Charoenwat
It is crucial to protect glass windows and doors from direct sunlight as possible. Sunlight passing through the glass of your home adds significant heat to the interior. Preventing that sun and heat from ever reaching the glazing is ideal.
Since Bangkok is a tropical city in the northern hemisphere, it does not necessarily get a lot of sun exposure on the north-facing side of the home. However, since the house partially faces the east, vertical screens are ideal for shading the sunlight in the mornings.
House Construction and Material
As previously mentioned, the house construction period was four months. Therefore, the main structure of the home is steel beams and columns. This type of structure has a faster installation time on site.
Photo: Rungkit Charoenwat
Large glass sliding doors are along the entire northeast walls on both floors. They face the terrace and pool and create an outdoor extension to the interior spaces.
The screens consist of recycled wood slats. They are on a metal frame.
Elsewhere in the home, the walls have paint on plaster and terracotta bricks.
Conclusion
U38 House is a beautiful example of a modern home for its tropical climate.
The screens provide privacy and shade while adding a great architectural feature.
These sliding screens protect from the heat of the tropical climate of Southeast Asia. They also create privacy for the upper floor.
“(We) designed a long terrace on the side to keep the room from the heat outside and moveable recycled wood skin panels over glass layer for more privacy and heat protection.”
– OFFICE AT Co., Ltd.
Photographer: Rungkit Charoenwat
Architect: OFFICE AT Co., Ltd.