Social Change and the Thai House: A Study of Transformation in the Traditional Dwelling of Central Thailand.

The traditional farmhouse of Central Thailand is a distinct form of vernacular architecture. Major design features include large, multi-level, open-air platforms built on stilts, with smaller enclosed living compartments constructed of modular panels, and having a high peaked roof. This design evolved to meet the needs of subsistence farmers for whom home was integral to agricultural production. In recent decades Thailand’s farming communities have seen increased agricultural productivity, increased wealth, and smaller families. This dissertation investigates the impact of this social transition upon the traditional farmhouse of rural Central Thailand in terms of the three domains of Place Experience: 1) conceptual meaning, 2) activities, and 3) physical attributes. The study design is a single-case study with mixed methods including survey of temple murals and archival records, floor plan reconstructions for historic homes, interview of house occupants and builders, Space Syntax analysis, artifactual documentation for contemporary homes, and direct observation of occupants’ behavior. Results show a changing Place Experience. For example: 1) the use of multi-level platforms had symbolic meaning in historic house design, but in contemporary houses a single level platform is considered more practical; 2) interviewees reported having more leisure time and concerns about preserving their homes that influenced decisions to make modifications; and 3) building shells have become more enclosed with permanent walls and roofs to protect valuable hardwood and increase security. Interpretation of these results suggests a framework of underlying principles that can be divided into dichotomies for comparison of historic to contemporary design as: hierarchal/integrative, dynamic/flexible, collective/individual, and outward/inward. This dissertation serves two complementary purposes. It contributes to the scholarly research on contemporary farmhouse design in Central Thailand by showing how this form of vernacular architecture reflects the changing needs of families where the home has severed its links to community and agriculture to become a “sanctuary.” For applied research, suggestions for design implementation are offered for both housing design in rural areas of Central Thailand, as well as the use of an evolving dynamic model of vernacular architecture as tool for design education.PhDArchitectureUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63788/1/pnanta_1.pd