fattstudio adjoins sheltered recreational space to existing move-in-ready home in thailand

Pattanakarn 44 house by fattstudio

Move-in-ready residences lift up the weight of furnishing a home and pinning down the desired layout off a homeowner’s shoulders, but opting for these houses may also mean accepting the compromises that they already offer. Thailand-based architecture firm Fattstudio faced a similar hurdle when they took on PTK44 house in Pattanakarn district in Thailand.

The family with a child was keen to have an open space for their youngster to play and roam around. The existing home, though modern in style and generous in natural light through the abundance of large windows, isn’t suitable to turn this desire into a real space, not when each area in the house is already dedicated to a certain function. Fattstudio stepped in with a proposal: extend the residence with a brick-based building with wooden elements adjoining the original home.

images courtesy of Fattstudio | photos by Ketsiree Wongwan

Playground, office room, and storage space in one

Fattstudio didn’t just want to waste the space by turning the new building into a playground for the couple’s child. Rather than constructing a sheltered area for the child, the design team anchored a storage room and office area above the mini-playground to maximize the space and function of the architecture. The extension saw a two-level building where the family can rest and relax outdoors while still staying within their property.

The design team built a brick-clad wall below the storage and office rooms that expands onto the front yard of the property to allow the child to run to and from the space, enlarging the areas the family can use. Instead of opting for closed divisions, Fattstudio stripped the extension from any barricades to allow the unrestrained flow of air and sunlight while the upper level enjoys a tall ceiling and an open space that encourage the homeowners’ to creatively tweak to their desire.

lower level

Adding a sense of fun the construction is the bridge that connects the main and extended house, followed by the spiraling stairs positioned outside to access the upper level. Fattstudio shares that they revised the original layout after the child had been born and add that the upper level now doubles as the child’s room and was reduced in size for the child’s safety. ‘This extended house shows one of many alternative ways to make an already-built home your own,’ says Fattstudio.

helical stairs