Designing of a vernacular villa in a tropical climate
Perched atop a lush Thai hillside with panoramic valley views, our latest project is a joyful architectural experiment in contemporary vernacular design. Commissioned as a flagship investment villa, the concept takes a respectful bow to local traditions, then throws a party under a curvy, shingled roof.
The villa’s signature gesture is a sweeping, folded timber roof, inspired by the elegance of Thai vernacular shelters but reimagined with a modern cross-laminated structural system. The roof performs multiple duties: it channels monsoon rains directly into a sculpted pool, shades a wraparound veranda, and connects gracefully to the terrain via slender wooden piles—almost as if it's tiptoeing into the jungle.
We took the regional climate seriously: the heavy rains, tropical humidity, and intense sun informed every design move. A continuous gap between the roof and the wall structure promotes passive ventilation, allowing humid air to escape while drawing in cool breezes—no high-tech HVAC needed, just good old-fashioned physics.
Inside, the villa offers open living spaces that blur the boundary between interior and exterior. The swimming pool pierces the building envelope, flowing from the central living space outward toward the valley, inviting you to take a dip while contemplating your life decisions—or just your breakfast.
This project embodies sustainable architecture principles through material honesty, climate-responsiveness, and low-impact detailing. It’s a contemporary tropical home that doesn't shout for attention but whispers wisdom passed down through generations of vernacular design.
