personal floating lodges of the Z9 resort line the shoreline of a thailand lake

floating off the shoreline of the srinakharin lake in western thailand is the Z9 resort, designed by bangkok based dersyn studio. the design of the resort shows a careful consideration for materiality and orientation within its context. guests are offered accommodation either on land or within a private ‘raft’ lodge. these individual floating rafts are organized along the perimeter of the lake while the main, on-land building is oriented to optimize views of both the sunrise and sunset. dersyn studio designed the Z9 resort to be fundamentally sustainable so as to best offer guests the opportunity to enjoy their natural surroundings. as designers at dersyn prioritize the concept of ‘reuse, reduce, and recycle,’ these three methods had been incorporated throughout the design and construction process.

images by beer singnoi and jagkree phetphosree

in the construction of the Z9 resort, designers at dersyn studio implemented methods of reuse by sourcing local discarded timber. this repurposed wood was used as ornamentation. oriented strand board was implemented in the ceilings. this board is created by compressing layers of wood flakes — otherwise wasted material. second, methods of reduction can be seen in the siting of the project. with the intention of reducing the physical footprint of the resort on the site, the designers chose to extend the structure into the water. this decision minimizes the amount of land to be excavated. the project is built upon a lightweight steel structure which widens the span while further reducing contact with the land. construction of a light steel structure has proven to be faster and cleaner when compared with other building methods such as concrete.

because much of the reclaimed wood was quite large, pieces were recycled to be used for interior furniture. a closed circuit water treatment is used to treat the water coming out of the resort before its eventual drainage into the lake, allowing guests to freely enjoy activities on the water. dersyn studio designed the resort with the intent of offering guests privacy, serenity, and an environment in which one can tune into the natural scenic context.

project info:

project location: si sawat, kanchanaburi, thailand

completion: 25 december 2017

gross built area: 3,100 square meters

principal architects: sarawoot jansaeng-aram (dersyn studio co., ltd.)

project team: chanita wannamass, kunakorn buathong, nuttawoot mutchima, suchin thongmorn, tawee natrakulwisut, thitipong fuangfung, wasawat maneeon
client: chatchai chatudomkul

lighting consultant: saksit veeramas

electrical engineer: teeracote konglomjeake

structural engineer: narathip deekaew

contractor: TEN design and construction