Rebirth Materials House / Housescape Design Lab

This led us to think about glass edges that both diffuse and reflect light. We had successfully used this concept in the Gimme Shelter project three years ago. These leftover glasses came from a factory in the Saraphi district near the largest industrial estate in northern Thailand. The glass was being dismantled and prepared for disposal to be recycled, but we wanted to prevent this material from being destroyed. The process of destroying and creating new glass consumes more resources and energy. So, we wanted to preserve the material and transform it into a new form that it could communicate. To put it straightforwardly, familiar materials from daily life were reassembled with new methods, starting with experimental work in the studio.

We had to calculate the weight of the glass and design the arrangement of these materials to withstand the local wind pressure. Therefore, gaps were needed to allow the wind to pass through. When the leftover glass sheets were assembled, the edges of the glass varied in color but blended well with the surrounding nature.

Next, we experimented with plastic waste from bottle caps. We purchased these plastic scraps from a factory in Chiang Mai to test how the plastic mass would interact with light. We chose both plastic scraps and broken wine bottles as components, placed in the gaps between 10 mm thick tempered glass, which was also recycled. This wall relies on a combination of steel structure, glass, and plastic scraps as its main elements, providing another approach to utilizing new materials.

Then, we sought what is called a “Domestic Turn” — building materials that are within a 10-kilometer radius, with local labor to avoid long commutes. We aimed to use local people and their familiar knowledge to create components for this house. The chosen materials include elements from an old house that was dismantled and reused as doors and windows for the new house. The original pattern of security bars was incorporated as structural reinforcement for the front plywood wall and softened by using components of old wooden stair balusters, known in Thailand as “lòok klûng ban-dai.” These were seamlessly integrated with the plywood wall.

Overall, we maintained a design philosophy that respects the balance between humans and nature. We created various orientation spaces for people before entering the building, using large eaves and terraces at different levels to connect feelings and create diverse activities outside the building. We generally avoid designing clear boundaries for the house. We want to see the boundary between the building and the surrounding nature as thin and blurred, creating what is called an “Inside out, outside in” experience.