new dorms with library for novice monks of buddhanimit temple in thailand

buddhanimit temple, located in a rural community in udon thani, thailand, is a temple school that provides free education for families who are unable to afford public education. due to the increasing number of students enrolled as novice monks, an extension dormitory building is required — the architects skarn chaiyawat, rina shindo, andwitee wisuthumporn have renovated an existing abandoned building while keeping a part of the 154.000 euro budget for a new library.

all images by chaovarith poonphol photography 

after thorough site inspections and workshops with monks and novices, the architects proposed an economical scheme to renovate an existing abandoned classroom building on site into a dormitory. this leaves enough money to provide an additional library and washroom for the novice monks. novice living quarters intends to produce an environment-friendly design, respective to context and contributing to the monks’ ways of living.

the architects kept existing reinforced concrete beams and columns of the abandoned building while adding only necessary architectural elements to provide new shared bedrooms for approximately forty novice monks. the bedrooms are designed with translucent roof tiles installed at specific locations for natural daylight. these spaces are connected with a large corridor that serves as leisure common space for the users.

one of the noticeable features of the dormitory is the cement ventilation blocks which are designed at an angle to provide privacy from public view and openings for light and ventilation. located behind the dormitory building, is the communal bathing area to support all the novices within the temple’s ground and evoke casual gathering and conversation exchanges throughout the day. the communal bath’s roof is designed to evenly distribute daylight into building interiors by having alternating placements of translucent and solid roof tiles. hence, natural light and airflow increase to appropriate levels, resulting in an improved overall hygienic condition.

as an addition to the required brief, the architects proposed a library extended from the existing school building. featuring raised floors with a slanted roof, the library considers passive design decisions to better wind flow, decrease humidity, cool floor surface, and prevent direct sunlight from south direction. with the adjacent school building’s wall, sunlight is reflected to the library’s interior space, keeping books from deteriorating and maintaining comfort to the novice monks. 

project info:

architects: skarn chaiyawat, rina shindo, witee wisuthumporn

energy consultant: achareeya chaiyasamut

completion year: 2017

built area: 620 m2

project location: 250/9 wat buddhanimit, mueang pia sub-district, kutchap district, udonthani 48150, thailand

photographer: chaovarith poonphol photography

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edited by: maria erman | designboom