Baan Sailom: A House Filled with Wind and Light
Living in a busy city, we keep up by doing things fast paced. No time must be wasted due to the mindset of accomplishing more in a short amount of time means success. We’ve forgotten to breathe and savor every moment in our lives. But when the pandemic happened, it gave us the opportunity to take a break, to pause, and to live slowly to appreciate what we have.
Baan Sailom in Bangkok, Thailand, takes away the pressure to be productive and accomplish tasks immediately. Here, one can wake up naturally, brew coffee, and spend the morning appreciating the lush garden. It is a place that promotes slow living, a concept that allows you to live at your own pace and live better.
Incorporating Slow Living in Architecture
Long before the 2020 pandemic, the slow living movement has been the lifestyle of many individuals around the world. It started as a response to “fast food” culture and evolved into people having their own definition of the movement. In general, however, the slow philosophy is about having a meaningful and conscious lifestyle that aligns with what a person values most in life.
Anonym, a Bangkok-based architecture studio which designed Baan Sailom, defines slow living as living a life at your own pace. “Sometimes one needs to be energetic, other times, one needs to be more relaxed. Eventually, one needs to pause.”
As architects, they believe they should be able to anticipate these moments while also keeping in mind that architecture should coexist with nature. Anonym’s approach to slow living is evident in Baan Sailom, emphasizing that nature is key to a slower pace of life.
When it comes to their style, slow living is presented in their works through physical manifestation. They organize empty spaces or transition spaces and connect the interior spaces with natural elements whether it be light, air, soil, or trees. Others are through detail elements, like subtle crafted details take time when appreciated.
Richard Leplastrier, an Australian architect, is one of Anonym’s inspiration when it comes to slow living architecture. The team loves how his projects, such as his Lovett Bay house, Palm House, and Osborne house, show his way of living that coexists with nature. Anonym’s approach to slow living is evident in one of its projects–the Baan Sailom in Bangkok.
The House of Wind
“Baan Sai Lom” is a Thai phrase which means house of wind. True to its name, the house is filled with natural light and wind. It is a four-storey home designed to accommodate members from three families. Phongphat Ueasangkhomset, architect director of Anonym, explains that they designed the inside of the house to look and feel like a service apartment with functional spaces that each family member can use freely and separately on each floor. Common areas, such as the living room and kitchen occupy the first floor. The upper floors, meanwhile, house bedrooms, more living areas and small pantries.
Moreover, the architect explains that the project is all about connecting spaces.
Learn more about Baan Sailom in BluPrint Vol. 3 2022: Breathing Space. Download your copy now.
Photography by Soopakorn Srisakul and Ketsiree Wongwan
