Embracing the World from the Back of the House: Back of the House

SPACE July 2023 (No. 668)​

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Embracing the World from the Back of the House

Interview Boonserm Premthada principal, Bangkok Project Studio × Youn Yaelim

Youn Yaelim (Youn): This is a new building project that replaces two now-demolished old wooden houses that had undergone multiple renovations.

Boonserm Premthada (Premthada): Back of the House is located in the heart of Bangkok. Close to Bang Sue railway station and Thailand’s central rail hub, this plot of land was originally the residence of rail workers. It went through demolition, renovation, and three more expansions which deteriorated and settled the main structure below street level, causing frequent flooding. Based on the poor condition of this run-down residence, we decided to demolish and rebuild it as a new house that would unite the whole family. We managed the construction ourselves as we didn’t have an extensive budget, employing only 2 – 5 workers. When we had money we built, when we didn’t have money we halted all building work. Finally, construction began in May 2016 and lasted until 2023, taking seven years in total.

Youn: You insulated the building’s façade and rear quarters from visual interference, and this makes me curious about its relationship with the surrounding buildings and street.

Premthada: Even with your eyes closed, your other senses are still active: your ears can hear sounds, your skin can sense temperature, your nose can smell. As with this building. For me, there is more than one way to create a home that interacts with its context. I respect a place by designing a calm building that does not add to the existing urban chaos and modern eyesores. This building is large but humble in respect of its neighbours.

Youn: Something completely unexpected awaits us in the building’s interior. The building’s centre is open to the sky, and the back of the house is open to the neighbouring forest via a double-floor terrace.

Premthada: I asked myself how to put a spotlight on the back of the house while maintaining a balance between privacy and the environment. I want to communicate with people so that they can see the importance of the back of the house, which is often overlooked and undervalued, but is a key element of the house with the potential for changing our way of life and city planning. In general, the back of the house should be an enclosed space, but it should also bring in the outside world, such as the back courtyard, creating a lively and dynamic atmosphere throughout the day. Seen from outside, the house gives off an unpredictable feel, but once inside, there’s nothing to hide: you can see through to the back of the house and up to the sky. What a surprise!  turned the backyard inside out to create a courtyard. The outcome is a balance between the outer and the inner spaces, between nature and man, and the connection f the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and temperature. The back courtyard occupies almost 50% of the house, playing an important role in creating programmes, implementing and blending them.

Youn: Back of the House is your own home and also the office for the Bangkok Project Studio. Could you explain he purpose behind each space?

Premthada: I do not separate home from the office because both are one and the same for me, and both form one life. I started with a question: how do we make a house that doesn’t look like a house? How do we make a house that is more than a home? We would like to see a house where every room can be reprogrammed in many different ways. Regarding the common spaces in the house, there is no designated living room, but central hall serves as a dining room, a guest room, living room, as well as an office and conference room. The living quarter and the working quarter share a common space, linked and separated by a staircase and a back courtyard. A staircase circles the back courtyard, climbing on the wall, opening up the view of the backyard. There are five bedrooms in this house for the three generations who live here―my parents, my wife and I, and my children. All bedrooms and offices are equal in size and located at both ends of the building. When many ordinary spaces of the same size and design are grouped together, they become interesting, naturally and effortlessly.

Youn: The materials and furniture also play a role in making this house ‘not appear like a house’. The raw texture of bricks can be found even in the interior. The room is unfurnished, and a mattress has been used as the bed.

Premthada: I see furniture not as objects but sites. The floor is not just for feet to tread on. We can devise many activities on a floor. The atmosphere in the house is thus the key. A mattress placed on the floor makes the space feel as ‘empty’ as possible. By using only a few light-weight pieces of furniture, we can keep the space flexible and always ready for different functions.

Youn: The grey bricks on the façade are something which you had long developed since your Kantana Film and Animation Institute (2011).

Premthada: In this house, we experimented making bricks with fly ash from a coal power plant. We tried different ratios of fly ash from 15% to 50% mixed with various proportions of cement, sand, and gravel. The result was eight types of no-bake bricks which were water-cured and air-dried for 14 days. These bricks are lighter than normal bricks, of finer texture, less cement, and durable against sulfate and chloride.

Youn: The exterior impression of brick buildings can easily change depending on how one wishes to handle the remaining mortar, and in this case, you decided it should protrude and be exposed.

Premthada: Generally, we set bricks in an amazing pattern, but for this project, we applied mortar so that it protruded from the grooves by a thickness of 25mm which is unusual. This allowed us to line up bricks of uneven sizes in a straight plane and hide their flaws to achieve a harmonious look. The protruding mortar technique brings out an aesthetic that is hidden behind the wall, invisible and unreachable to builders. The Back of the House thus values hidden elements and reveals the benefits of the overlooked such as the material that is left behind, the construction technique that is hidden, and the back of a house that is forgotten.

Youn: I was impressed by your explanation that the essence of this house lies in the question ‘What’s the reason for having a house?’ and by your committed philosophy that a ‘home should be a place that inspires me to create my next work.’ I am curious about the relationship between this house, your work, and your life.

Premthada: I was born and raised in a slum in the Bon Kai area. One of my ears receives only 30% of the sound, and the other is completely deaf. After all this time, I have never had a house of my own, so I built this house to remind me where I came from. My home is not a token of success. On the other hand, it is a place where one can reflect upon oneself, continually improving oneself as a human being. For me, adversity is the drive that helps me create works that are truly myself. ‘Too much comfort weakens motivation.’ The Back of the House is not just a house; it’s our life.​

You can see more information on the SPACE No. 668 (July 2023).​