STUDIO SIFAH, THE DESIGN STUDIO SPECIALIZING IN BOTH ARCHITECTURAL AND INTERIOR DESIGN, REPRESENTS THEIR IDENTITY IN THE DESIGN ACCENT THAT IS RELATABLE AND SIMPLE AND ABLE TO MAKE THE ‘ORDINARINESS’ MORE SPECIAL

TEXT: STUDIO SIFAH
PHOTO CREDIT AS NOTED

(For Thai, press here)

WHO

Sifah Sornchaiyeun and Worrarat Rattanatrai. We are the founding members of Studio Sifah.

WHAT

We’re a small-scale design studio, specializing in both architectural and interior design.

WHEN

We were in the architectural profession for about 12 years before establishing Studio Sifah together in 2020.

Baan Sab Muang, Studio Sifah office | Photo: Rungkit Charoenwat

WHERE

Our office is located in Tambon Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.

WHY

We aim to create architecture that represents our identity as ‘Mueng’ people (the term for the largest group of northern Thai people) and reflects our style and taste as the ‘younger generation.’ We combine and convey these elements into a design language that is relatable and universal.

Baan Nai Suan | Photo: Jessada Peata

How would you describe your work?

‘Simple.’

We want to present the ordinary simplicity of our local spirit through styles and formats reinterpreted with our own architectural accent. We aim to make the ‘ordinariness’ more special in all possible aspects, maintaining straightforwardness while being more accessible to people from different generations.

CAPA Dance Studio | Photo: Thodsaporn Pangwipas

What is your inspiration and guiding principle for each creation?

Inspiration springs from witnessing people’s joy and contentment as they immerse themselves in the spaces we create. Our approach to each project is grounded in establishing distinctive goals that are shaped by interactions with the site, contexts, engaging conversations with people, and deep dives into captivating elements that enrich the overall creative journey. Certainly, there are works whose goals are incredibly simple.

LAAB is more | Photo: Jessada Peata & Thodsaporn Pangwipas

What project are you most proud of?

While we take immense pride in every project we undertake, the “LAAB is more” house holds a special place in our hearts. This endeavor afforded us the opportunity to engage from the initial design phase to the construction stage, including project management. It allowed us to experiment with developing new finishing materials, rearranging simple materials, and figuring out new methods and processes to finish the job. We had fun from start to finish.

How did the name ‘Studio Sifah’ come about?

The name is derived from my name ‘Sifah’ which means the color blue, representing sensations of lightness, coolness, tranquility, and openness.

Which stage of the design process do you like the most?

The sketching phase is the stage where we get to explore and visualize ideas, looking for possibilities and connections, and bringing our ideas out. It feels like emotions are being released during this process.

Baan Rim Nam | Photo: Jessada Peata

If you could invite a ‘creative’ to coffee, who would you invite and why?

Our choice would be Bijoy Jain from Studio Mumbai. We hold great admiration for his designs and harmonious fusion of Eastern and Western influences that skillfully articulate a local essence into a global language.