REINTERPRETING ‘THAINESS’ THROUGH GYPSUM – AN UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIAL IN THAI ARCHITECTURE – FROM ELEPHANT GYPSUM IN NOMA HOME BY INTERIOR VISIONS
TEXT: SARUNKORN ARTHAN
IMAGE COURTESY OF INTERIOR VISIONS
VIDEO EDITOR: PISUT PANKRATUEK
(For Thai, press here)
When speaking of Thai identity in residential design, many tend to picture the traditional timber house, with its gabled roof, raised structure, open undercroft, and other familiar elements inherited from classical Thai architecture. Over time, these references have shaped a relatively fixed image of what ‘Thainess’ in contemporary work of architecture is expected to look like.
In NOMA Home, however, Interior Visions proposes a different reading, moving beyond the gable and the column toward a more abstract, spatial, and contemporary expression, while incorporating a material rarely associated with this lineage: gypsum from Elephant Gypsum. The project begins with a search for a new architectural form through the lens of contemporary Thainess. For Thanawat Sukhaggananda, Design Director of Interior Visions, the point of departure was found in one of the simplest gestures of everyday Thai life: the wai. More specifically, he looked at the space formed between the palms as the hands come together, translating this quiet interval into an interior void defined by calmness, humility, simplicity, and restraint. The idea is carried through the house’s concave surfaces and asymmetrical composition, qualities that natural materials such as wood cannot easily achieve with the same precision or fluidity.
This spatial ambition is supported by the flexibility of Elephant Gypsum’s innovations. Rather than treating gypsum as a lightweight partition system for dividing rooms, the project uses it as a formative architectural medium, allowing NOMA Home’s graceful character to emerge through fluid, clearly articulated lines. Its performance also supports different design requirements, from Elephant D Zine, which is suited to curved applications, to the ZOLIDWall V.2 wall system, which provides acoustic protection and enhances privacy within the home.
Beyond its expressive and constructional possibilities, Elephant Gypsum also brings technical credibility to the project. Certified under Thai Industrial Standards TIS 219-2566 and TIS 863-2567, the product offers architects, designers, contractors, and residents confidence in its quality, performance, and long-term safety.
The design concept and in-depth interview with Thanawat Sukhaggananda can be viewed across three episodes as follows:
EP.1: Design Process
EP.2: 3D Material
EP.3: Interview