Lalita Phatthanachaisuksiri
Thailand
Gassho or Gassho Zukuri is one of the Japanese vernacular type with unique high pitch triangular roof that resemble the praying hand, or “Gassho” in japanese term. This high pitch roof allow more attic spaces, up to 2-3 stories that use for Sericulture as one of the main sources of income of Gassho dweller, apart from normal agriculture. As technologies developed, silk was replaced by synthetic fiber. Sericulture in Japan collapsed, young people moved out to the city for jobs, left only elders with abandoned Gassho houses. Many of Gassho houses broke down, most of the remaining were transformed to modern houses and replace thatched roof with metal sheet. Luckily, there were some well maintain Gassho houses left and were promoted to be world heritage village, to preserve this vernacular architecture. However, cultural routine of Gassho dweller could not be saved, with modernized conditions, Gassho villages were changed to be Tourism community, left the old tradition to fade away. One popular way that have been used to maintain traditional practice is to create a cultural learning center. Super Gassho is one of those learning center, providing 2 traditional productions, Sericulture and Washi paper making. Super Gassho training center is not just one day learning but provide long term practice to visitors and allow them to be part of the actual production, which take around 3 months or a season, circulate in a year. Super Gassho borrow the high pitch triangular roof from the original Gassho,which fit well with the snowy west valley region of Japan. Interior programs can be divided into 3 main parts, Production ground, Living Units, and Common spaces. Living zone of Super Gassho have been pushed to the sides of the roof slope, leaving inner volume for production, and top attic space for sharing facilities, such as, kitchen, dining hall, and shared bath. On Production ground, the space has open floor plan with a central heating core, as a boundary of two productions. This heating core provides hot water for both industries and living units. It als