Pete Paueksakon
United States
"Bridging Choa Praya, Vernacular Performances in context of public multitudes."
Currently, Bangkok suffers the urban heat island effect due to the city's population density consists an unpredictable growth through its congestive chaos between the disorganization of the urban fabric and lack of public spaces. As a result, the overall urban heat conditions establishes a humid environment that is constant year-round with inadequacy for places within the city to have thermal comfort from tropical temperatures. However, that is when Thailand's unique vernacular architecture comes into play in resilence to the humid climatic situations.
In this proposal, "Bridging Choa Praya" follows an integration of the public ground as an establish node within the city where the urban congestion in the area can be breath out through vernacular architectural practices.
Situated, near the Bangkok 's grand palace and markets, the bridge serves to be a cultural destination for the people. The intention is to generate similar experiences inside a traditional Thai house but at an urban context scope of a waterfront shed beside the Choa Praya river. By through the use of the bridges gabled structure, a surface can be installed within, shaping the flexibility of the bridge to be both an open air and a closed envelope system, operating to accommodate many public events by the riverside. Along with the identity from Thai traditional roof, the bridge materiality includes bamboo which uses features from common vernacular practices enabling hot air to travel out and let the wind breeze in. Thus, creating a comforting environment against the humidity but also to stand out as a place, to be a catalyst of cultural identity, a shelter to the urbanized city, and for the people to experience the uniqueness of vernacular identity within Bangkok.