Abstract

This research aims to explain the effectiveness in terms of design process of the traditional Thai house by revealing its relationship to contemporary design concepts.The traditional Thai house serves as an excellent case study for our current generation of designers to consider, analyse, and develop for contemporary situations. This research and analysis demonstrates that the traditional Thai house exemplifies many important theories of the 20th century and current design directions of the 21st century. Issues such as sustainable design, prefabricated construction,modern ideals of dwelling, and shifting functions of the home are investigated as current trends across the globe that are,in fact, at the fundamental core of traditional Thai housing. Past research in Thailand has attempted to retain cultural identity through the immortalization of the traditional Thai dwelling, looking inwards at the development of a single culture without recognizing its relationship to the larger, global context. While historical preservation values the symbolic and cultural character of Thai dwellings, this research is interested in the concepts-some visible and some intangible-of traditional Thai dwelling and how they relate to the modern world.However,the traditional Thai house is not the ultimate goal, but instead it is the basic groundwork upon which new ideas about building and dwelling can be developed. These new ideas, confirmed by current global trends and practices,are perhaps the only way to maintain a strong cultural identity within today’s shifting world. Identity can be preserved by developing traditional building methods to merge with today’s technology, by identifying the patterns of dwelling that worked in the past and are still effective today, and by requiring our designed buildings and designed products to perform at higher standards.