NAPLAB WANGLANG | Photo: YAMASTUDIO PHOTO CREDIT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
WHO
We call ourselves in Thai as “Tuen DESIGN STUDIO”, (Tuen in Thai is ‘ตื่น’ means Wake) but we named our team’s English name “AWAKEN DESIGN STUDIO”. The reason why our team have different name in different language is because a part of suggestion from Ajarn Ban, Theeraphon Niyom, a national artist, also the person we respect said that “Who on earth would pronounce your “TUEN” in English aloud correctly!?”
WHAT
“What?” is the most asked question we got after we introduced the team name “TUEN”. Because our customers and suppliers probably not sure if they heard the name correctly.
WHEN
AWAKEN TEAM was formed in 2016. We work in architectural design with the believe that what makes great architecture is not just about beauty, it is the value for society, community, environment, or even for someone.
WHERE
We got our-own office space at Banthat Thong Road, Bangkok. close to Chulalongkorn University and Siam Shopping District, where we have been familiar with since our school days.
WHY
Another frequently asked question “Why named your office AWAKEN?”. We love this name because it is from the word “mind awake” in Buddhist aspect, also we feel that it has a deep and powerful meaning when listened to this word.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE CREATIVITY?
Creativity is a way of thinking that is very useful in design and it’s not just only for designer to have it. Architects or Designers aren’t the sole owner of the word creativity. We can even find creativity from anyone and anywhere even where it might appear to have no design at all.
PLEARN PATTANA SCHOOL | Photo courtesy of AWAKEN DESIGN STUDIO
DESCRIBE YOUR PRACTICE IN THREE WORDS
Works | People | Mind
WHERE DO YOU GO, OR WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU GET STUCK ON A PROJECT?
“Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa”
Praying to get the mind out of the problem, then look back at the problem, accept that problem and solve it.
WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
NAPLAB, RUEN PINRAT, KIEW NONG BUA and every project we have done. When we intend to make every design work valuable, the process will make us feel valued and proud of ourselves.
KIEW NONG BUA | Photo courtesy of AWAKEN DESIGN STUDIO
IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY CREATIVE OUT FOR COFFEE, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
We want to invite our younger selves. We believe that when we were a child, we have the power of creativity without being confined to any framework, at least if we saw ourselves as a child again, we might remind ourselves of how much energy we used to have fun and creativity without any fear or worry. The only problem of the invitation is when we were kids, we couldn’t drink coffee…