Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

The phenomenon of urbanization has shifted Bangkokians to live in limited spaces. Middle-income nuclear families generally choose to live individually in either small condominium units in the city centre or small detached houses in suburban areas with relatively no care for their neighbours. Lower middle-income families, on the other hand, tend to live in Bangkok periphery with their relatives sharing limited resources for basic living such as food, houses, and finances. This research studies typical suburban Bangkok’s row house design housing lower middle-income families and aims to investigate how these families modify living spaces for supporting their living culture and lifestyles. By employing in-depth interviews, physical trace, and spatial configuration analysis, this research has found that lower middle income families optimize uses of their row houses for two main reasons. First, they maximize uses of limited spaces to house extend family members as the way in which multi generations take good and close care for each other. This reflects a return of a traditional Thai reciprocal living culture that elderly helps raising grandchildren while working ages work and take care of the elderly in return. Second, income-generating activities can be held at home with minimal labour costs due to the fact that family members have to contribute some ways to house owners. With respect to minimal building cost shown in a small land plot and habitable space, this research suggests a redesign of row houses to better serve multi-generational lower middle income families in Thai social context.