Baan Sukhumvit 16 Inspired by Ancient Japenese Philosophy

By Land8: Landscape Architects Network on May 12, 2015 No Comments / 4746 views

Baan Sukhumvit 16, by Landscape Architect 49 Limited in Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Thailand. Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok is one of the main commercial streets in the capital city of Thailand. This street is very busy, surrounded by soaring skyscrapers, making this area a crowded concrete jungle in the middle of Bangkok. Landscape Architecture 49 Limited has done a terrific thing, turning a small part of this busy urban space into a miniature tropical rainforest filled with serenity and relaxing ambiance. Baan Sukhumvit 16 offers comfy residences in the middle of the city, with a feel of a tropical rainforest sanctuary that makes you forget about the business of urban life for awhile. Baan Sukhumvit 16 consists of four houses and a shared clubhouse facility, separated by lush, green soft-scape that acts as a border to maintain individual privacy while connecting all the residences. The whole concept of a tropical rainforest sanctuary is well done, using a variety of multilayer tropical plants and a simple yet beautiful hardscape. And the interesting thing is, this design idea was inspired by “Oku” — a Japanese philosophy of an internal and mental spatial experience expressed in a two- and three-dimensional space.

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Baan Sukhumvit 16

Local Tropical Plant Selection Creates a Relaxing Atmosphere Landscape Architects 49 Limited did a great job in choosing plants to create a natural tropical rainforest feel. The plants perfectly fit in with the climatic conditions of the area. The year-round sunshine and high-intensity rain help them grow well, and they require little maintenance.

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Planting to Reduce and Cover up Outside Noise The combination of tall deciduous trees, shrubs, herbs, ferns, and groundcover planted in a natural, organic pattern creates a multilayer canopy, both reminiscent of a rainforest and providing an effective way to reduce noise from the city street. The foliage reduces noise by absorbing, reflecting, and dispersing the sounds coming from outside the residences. And the sound of leaves rustling in the wind helps to obscure extraneous noise as well, providing a more comfortable and relaxing atmosphere for living. Related Articles:

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

The Illusion of Space The use of soft-scape as a visual border and the property boundary gives a perfect touch in creating spaces. The green features give a soft touch in allowing for privacy for every occupant without cutting the connection between each space. This makes the building and the open space feel borderless and much wider.

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Deep and Intimate Space — the Oku Philosophy The depth of the space is obviously seen in Baan Sukhumvit 16. The landscape design idea is inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Oku. “Oku” in Japanese means private, intimate, and deep. By creating sequences of space from a narrow, enclosed area into an open, bright one at the very end, this pattern enriches people’s spatial experience and helps in creating the depth of the building and landscape. How to Create a Deep and Dramatic Feel It is a visual sequence that gradually changes, starting from the grand foyer where the center terrace appears and connecting the parallel indoor rooms. The room continues to a fish pond near the courtyard lawn and a wall feature that seems to protrude from the living room, serving as a backdrop displaying the movement of shade throughout the day, giving a deep and dramatic feel to the whole building space.

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Clean and Simple Materials The simple white color of the building and hardscape blends really well with all of the green tropical plants. The white hardscape acts as a stunning modern accent in the middle of the tropical forest, giving a modern touch to urban city life without sacrificing a fresh, green environment.

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Wide-Open Window — Perfect Solution for a Tropical Building The designers took advantage of all the visual possibilities by using lots of wide-open windows for the building. The wide, frameless windows give plenty of lights, making the building space feel much wider. The windows also provide good air circulation to reduce the temperature and humidity of the hot tropical climate. The windows also help strengthen the Oku philosophy of creating the visual sequences needed to develop intimacy and depth of space.

Baan Sukhumvit 16, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited, Photo courtesy of Landscape Architects 49 Limited

Full Project Credit: Project: Baan Sukhumvit 16 Location: Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Thailand Designer: Landscape Architect 49 Limited Awards: Thai Landscape Architecture Awards 2015 Nominee, Private Residences Project

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