FLOW HOUSE, DESIGNED BY OUT & ABOUT ARCHITECT, BLENDS NATURE AND COMFORT TO CREATE AN IDEAL LIVING SPACE FOR RETIRED PARENTS
TEXT: MONTHON PAOAROON
PHOTO: DOF SKY|GROUND
(For Thai, press here)
Nestled in Chiang Mai, this compact yet thoughtfully designed home serves as a retirement retreat for the homeowners’ parents, who relocated from Bangkok in search of a slower, more tranquil way of life. Out & About Architects approached the project with a deliberate departure from typical urban dwellings, opting instead to craft a residence that seamlessly blends city living with Chiang Mai’s more relaxed rhythms. Designed as a single-story structure, the home embraces the local climate, encouraging outdoor living while prioritizing ease of maintenance—making it effortlessly manageable for just a few occupants.We visited Flow House, the recently completed project, where we met Kitsupphat Na Lampang, co-founder of Out & About Architects, alongside Yusuma Ponnsmith. Joining us was the homeowner’s father, who had moved in less than a month prior. As he guided us through the space, our conversation unfolded naturally—candid and unhurried—offering personal insights into the inspiration and process behind the home’s design.
From the street, the house presents a clear spatial division. The right side is dedicated to communal activities, while the left is reserved for private living, both anchored by a central corridor. The public zone, accessed through the main entrance, unfolds with a parking area, an entryway, and a living room that extends toward a serene backyard. It is strategically positioned at the heart of the layout to maximize cross ventilation. On the private side, the layout begins with the home’s service areas at the front, including the kitchen, followed by two bedrooms nestled further within. Situated in a residential neighborhood where the front of the house is more exposed to ambient street noise while the rear remains the quietest, the architects made a conscious decision to position the bedrooms toward the back, ensuring a peaceful atmosphere.
At the heart of the design, the corridor serves as a defining element, effectively separating the two zones to minimize disruptions while seamlessly distributing access to different functions. To strike a balance between openness and privacy, the architects selected perforated breeze blocks as partitions. This design choice allows for the free flow of light and air, creating a sense of both enclosure and permeability. Walking through the corridor, one experiences a space that is simultaneously indoors and outdoors—open enough to encourage natural ventilation yet enclosed enough to provide privacy, particularly for the bedrooms. Given the home’s modest footprint of just 78 square wah (approximately 312 square meters) and its proximity to neighboring houses, privacy was a key consideration. With the rear of the property visible from adjacent homes, the architects sought to control sightlines without sacrificing natural light or ventilation. The breeze blocks serve this purpose, shielding the bedrooms from direct views while still allowing filtered light and airflow. “Having the bedrooms open directly onto the garden felt too exposed,” Kitsupphat explains. “These blocks not only provide a visual buffer but also soften the sunlight that reaches the sleeping areas.”
Situated within a residential neighborhood, the house was designed to blend harmoniously with its surroundings. To achieve this, the architects maintained a low roofline at the front, aligning it with the first-floor height of neighboring homes. Meanwhile, the gabled roof over the living area was elevated, enhancing natural ventilation while introducing a sense of volume and openness. Materiality was approached with a focus on accessibility and longevity, favoring readily available materials such as steel, granite tiles, and aluminum-framed windows and doors. While natural materials like wood were initially considered, the architects ultimately opted for alternatives that would be more practical in terms of cost, durability, and long-term maintenance. Rather than viewing sustainability solely through the lens of material selection, they took a broader approach, recognizing that affordability and ease of upkeep are equally critical factors. A home that requires extensive maintenance year after year, they reasoned, cannot truly be called sustainable. This consideration was particularly relevant given the residents—retired parents of the homeowners—who needed a living environment that was not only inviting but also effortless to maintain.
Before our visit, we took the time to explore Out & About Architects’ previous projects. A significant portion of their portfolio consisted of renovation projects, prompting us to ask about the studio’s approach to selecting commissions. Kitsupphat explained that, in reality, the firm has a wide-ranging design interest—the prevalence of renovation projects was more a matter of circumstance than deliberate focus. Having only been established for five years, the studio emerged during the COVID-19 period, a time when the team was frequently traveling between Thailand and other countries for further studies. When construction on this home began, much of the site supervision had to be conducted remotely—an entirely new experience for the team. Fortunately, with the homeowners overseeing the project firsthand, the process unfolded smoothly, and the home was completed as envisioned.
For Kitsupphat, good architecture should always be optimized—a principle that, in his view, encompasses a strong emphasis on passive cooling, maximizing natural ventilation, and designing for low maintenance. The intention behind this home was to harness natural breezes as much as possible, reducing reliance on air conditioning from the outset. “Growing up in Chiang Mai, I think many people—especially those who aren’t from here—don’t realize how pleasant the climate once was. Winters used to be genuinely cold; I remember having to wear two layers,” he reflects. “But with the changing climate and seasonal air pollution, buildings now need to be adaptable. They should be able to open up when conditions allow and close off when necessary, using air conditioning only as needed. That said, during the rainy and winter seasons, Chiang Mai still has some of the best weather you can experience.”
Throughout our conversation, we sat on the rear veranda, which opened onto the garden, where a soft breeze drifted through. Inside the house, the homeowner’s father, now settled in for a month, sat comfortably in the living area. Curious about his experience as the home’s primary resident, we asked, “Do you use the air conditioning often?” “Not really,” he responded. “Especially now, during the cooler months, I haven’t needed it at all. I spend most of my time here in the living hall—the breeze is pleasant. But of course, I do keep an air purifier on when the house is closed. That’s a must.” His response was a testament to the architects’ vision, reinforcing how the design seamlessly translated into daily life. It leaves us eager to see how Out & About Architects will continue to evolve this philosophy in their future projects.