This stripy brick property stands between coconut trees on the shoreline of Ko Pha Ngan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand (+ slideshow).
The client asked Thai architecture firm NPDA Studio to layout Somjai Property primarily as a retirement residence. But the seaside property close to the town Tong Sala also serves as a reception for guests at the Coco-NutNume resort.
A broad concrete patio in the centre of the building is open on two sides to provide views of the sea and close by hills. It is used by both guests and permanent residents as a lounge, party venue and to practice yoga.
4 brick volumes with diagonal stripes of matching red render and sloping roofs sandwich the patio, delivering separate sleeping and dining quarters for the inhabitants.
Connected story: Layers of brick, concrete and glass define private spaces in a Thai property
The architect chose red brick and polished concrete as the main development components, based mostly on the expertise of nearby builders and their potential to sustain cool indoor temperatures.
“The principal colour employed was red to make the constructing stand out from the green of the coconut plantation and the blue of the sea,” explained Nutthawut Piriyaprakob, founder of NPDA Studio. “The line of the architectural type relates to the skyline of hills behind the building.”
Walls facing inland have no windows but are surrounded by a shallow pool of water, although these dealing with the coast are glazed and open onto a large terrace. The terrace runs along the front of the two bedrooms and kitchen and is shaded from the sizzling tropical sun by the eaves.
Architects Adisorn Srisaowanunt and Naweepahb Taksayos employed red brickwork and glass and to obtain the opposite impact for a house on the Thai coastline, the place views are directed away from the sea and in the direction of the land.
A narrow iron staircase at one particular side of Somjai House prospects to a roof terrace, in which residents can get in views of the sea and the neighbouring island Ko Samui. The measures had been made by regional workmen who are far more typically employed on the island’s piers.
The floating treads are aligned with the glossy red diagonal stripes that decorate the building’s facades.
Photography is by Anotherspace.
Venture credits:
Architect: NPDA studio, Nutthawut Piriyaprakob
Interior architect: NPDA studio, Nutthawut Piriyaprakob
Engineer: Apisit Chawacharoen
Floor strategy – click for greater picture 
Roof program – click for greater image 
