DEX 18: BRIAN MCGRATH SITE 2

Chiang Mai DEX: Same Same but Different

Nuttcha Paopahon (Mint) & Nathnicha Nimitmongkol (Hygiene)

The Collaboration Between INDA and Parsons Students

Our DEX mainly focused on

1.) Researching local neighborhood in Chiang Mai in term of their routine and a relationship between people and the temples.

2.) Exploring traditional infrastructures, weirs and the aqueducts.

3.) Studying the connection of the weirs and the villages by understanding their landscape.

During the workshop, two of INDA students and two of Parsons students were grouped together. Then we were assigned to investigate deeper in the given site which ours was site 2.

Site 2 is referred to an area near Wat Sanpranet. The maps and other information in figure below on the left was given by a Parsons prof assistant (Gabor Janos Suranyi). On the right are how we analyzed the area.

On the first day, almost twenty students visited four different temples and weirs in four different villages. We walked through rice fields, local houses and farms which was the new experience to us.

The day after we reviewed our sketches and notes from our visiting which were represented in unique ways i.e. isometrics, elevation, and diagram. However, we (two Thai students) decided to worked together as one sketched half of chedi representing its symmetry and one sketched whole structure showing the distinctive proportion. Then we combined them together to see 'same same but different' architecture. By the end we realized that Aj.Brian's intention was to give technology a rest and brush off our drawing skills.

On the first day of researching and observation, it was easy to find the weir of site 2 however, apart from the map we had no idea where the bridge aqueduct was. The day after, the level of water raised as a result the edge of the weir was disappeared but we decided to cross over it.

Our Route

Storyboard

In the earlier site visit we wallked through the old pig farm which they planed to construct a new restaurant. At the exit of farm we decided to go to the right and interviwed the local people along the street. We finally found a compound house opposite Wat San Phranet and had a chance to talk to the owner. We gained a lot of new experience and knowledge from the interview and found out a new water way behind the house. The day after we with Aj. Brian went to another street following the canal. We also went to the backyard rice field behide the compound house and discussed about the site and idea of Sala.

Farm in Compound House

Initial idea

Final Design

Having the sala constructed paralleled to the existing corrugated metal fence may not be strong enough so we created our own fence for our sala to based on providing a gap between private property and the sala creating a better view. The design of our sala was basically adapted from the vernacular sala with the addition of lattice roof and fence in the modern way to make it distinctive form others. 

 Section of bridge sala over rice field

Elevation of bridge sala over rice field

An elevated floor made it easier to walk cross the rice field allowing sunlight and win to pass through water way in order to get rid of humidity.

DEX Workshop Paried: Mask of Life and Death

In this work shop we experiment with  senses which triggers amusement measured by Arduino sensors by making masks which play with our sensory system.

This mask are made of intestine which acts as tubes in order to lead water across the user's face creates arousment through touch.

ChiangMai Dex :Site 4

Same same but different

- Chiangmai Workshop -

Pear, Pin, Reem, and Barbara

The collaboration between INDA and Parsons students.

Aiming of this workshop is to exploring, recording, researching, and experiencing Chiang mai’s local neighbourhood in terms of studying both
the existing landscape and folk’s routine or daily life along the weir which is a cradle of everything. In our case, our chosen site is
Site four “Wat Tha Thoom”. Beside the sociology structure, our site’s natural landscapes are rich in quality. Located along the weir,
and on other side contain a paddy rice fields for agricultural which shape the overall economic structure.  

Site Observation

- information gathered from observation and interviewed-

1. 
   

   The weir - great ventilation, water are in good condition, there are royal project that was contributed by our greatest king rama the ninth happened in this weir which is a fish farming.
   
   
2. 
   

   Fish pond - The royal project provide knowledge and teach the village how to manage and maintain their water resource by raising a fish and picking the water plant that block the water way

  

*noted* we had interviewed the post headman and some locals we encounter within our site visit*

Mr. Swing Thammapanya

The first headman of this village and also the only one who take charge of taking care the royal project “fish farming”

He stated that now they are not raising fish anymore because in winter fish is grow slower and most of the villagers here do not care about fishing or farming”

Same thing as another 2 locals we met

Khun yai(the grandmother) and Khun loong(the uncle),

both of them mentioned that in this village most of the people go work in the city, there are no school around here that is why the village is very quiet and peaceful during the day.

3. Compound Housing type - we found that most of villagers if they are relatives, they are likely to live together under the same fences but not in the same house. So, in one land or in one boundary, there will be 3-5 households.

4. Compound Housing type - we found that most of villagers if they are relatives, they are likely to live together under the same fences but not in the same house. So, in one land or in one boundary, there will be 3-5 households.

5. Rice field - Rice field eats up most of area on this site, but surprisingly, villagers here are not farmers. The paddy field land belong to a landlord or rich merchant in the city, then the farmers from the south will come and rent the paddy field during the harvesting season. The architectural structures we found on rice field are “tieng na” it is where the farmers live during the harvest season.

- Plan -

- Section -

- Sketch -

6. Road expansion area - expansion of road from 5 meters to 8 meters to support the modern development that happening in this village

7. Modern Development - an urban village housing type that are under construction. The villagers told us that this group of house were built to sell people outside the village because the villagers could not afford them.  

8. Mobile toilet - placing across of sala. It serve as a public toilet which in our opinion it is not needed because there are zero visitors and villagers got their own toilet in their house nearby which this toilet is blocking the canal way and the paddy field view.

Project Proposal

“A new design of sala and urban bike deck that connect all of four sites”

- Progress sketching idea -

1. Redesigning the urban infrastructure that connecting all four sites together
In this area we generate a biking deck which connect all four sites togethers in order to gather more outside visitors and since most of village us bicycle and bike as their main commuter.

- Bicycle route-

- Sala connection -

2.Creating new vision of circulation, creating an attraction to a site

The area that used to be a placement of mobile toilet which blocking things out, we will place the observation deck instead and also put a “tieng na restaurant” on the end side of paddy field so people will not watching farmers working like a zoo because we do not want that to happen too. People who use the observation deck will be attract by the restaurant and wanting to go there which will create new circulation path which kind of creating a connection to all.

3.        Redesigning an existing “Sala”

e aim  to improve the facility and function of sala without harming the existing location. We decided to substitute our new sala on the same
site as old sala. So there will be 1 big sala and small sala. Both Salas are elevated up inspired from thai northern traditional house and
we are also taking the advantages of elevated floor by using the area underneath as a storage so the they could remove their stuff from
the water tank room.

The big sala - has multiple levels, We design the floor by adapting a stadium seat as you see in section so it could support larger numbers
of people and get rid of using chair which obviously there are limited storage and other side of seat will also elevated up 1 meters from
the lowest seat level to be a stage for the speaker or headman to talk on. We also keeping the exercise spot under the sala by the weir as original.

While smaller sala- more casual using function. It serve as a casual meeting spot for villagers to rest, eat or karaoke after they came back
from work in the city. So the purpose of the small sala would be helping enhance the social interaction among people in community.

The connector - wood lattice walkway/roof elevated up connecting small and big sala circulation together

Additional Design- we also want to place big sala on other side of the weir as other side is other district called “sa ked”  which other district
could use as a meeting spot and it will connect to the lattice walkway by using a bamboo bridge to cross over the weir not only creating new
circulation that connect relationship between two villages for further collaboration in maintaining the weir together.

Bamboo bridge - the bridge will connect from sala on sa ked district to lattice walkway in tha toom district over the wier. Connecting to
the walkway so the circulation will not interrupt the activities happening inside both salas in tha toom.

- Construction progress -

- Section -

- Landscape Relationship -

__________________________________

For us this project has benefit us in many ways, it help us understanding that the designers can not only design
space that they think it is already good for the people there, but we as a designer have to design
something that fit into that  context and cultural. Not forcing locals to use structure we design but instead
 make it blend in with locals routine and first step for all of us is to visit the site by
ourselves and talk to people.

______________

thank you.

Pear and Pin