Chonburi Multi-Purpose Building / SUPHASIDH

In Thailand, I retraced an old technique of building with rammed earth, thinking that perhaps the local building industry could learn something of value. Although the technology was invented thousands of years ago, it has been disregarded for its labor-intensive and time-consuming nature of manually compressing the earth. I relearned this ancient construction technique with our local contractors and builders, allowing them to master the expertise through trial and error. In finding the right material composition that would be suitable for the tropical climate with high humidity and a harsh monsoon season, the final mixture consisted of an addition of 10% concrete to stabilize the compressed earth components. Specimens of earth were collected from different parts of the country to create shifting shades and hues to the building's expansive façade. The structural elements are designed in reinforced concrete columns and beams since rammed earth is not a certified load-bearing material in Thailand. The rammed earth facades embrace the columns from the exterior, leaving them visible from the interior, where the rough natural finishes were preserved. The two years construction process resulted in a 3-stories building standing in a remote seafront town in Chonburi, Thailand. The 196-square-meter project stands distinctively unique in this context, making the time and labor put into the project’s design and construction process a worthy endeavor.