Baan Fai Rim Ping: a haptic approach to the phenomenon of genius loci by a riverside residence in Thailand

Abstract

Standing on the west bank of the Ping river in northern Thailand, Baan Fai Rim Ping displayed a fluid profile of multiple perspective points. Such an eccentric appearance, however, belied the senses of place and historical continuity, along with the feeling of belonging provided by this waterfront residence. Apart from occupying a prime estate near a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kamphaeng Phet province, apposite utilisations of materials, coupled with sensational spatial organisation and formal composition, were the major contributing factors to the said characteristics. Informed by a conceptual framework of genius loci, this research presented multidimensional inquiries on the haptic design of Baan Fai Rim Ping for generating a phenomenon of place through the sensory receptions of its dwellers. Containing three thematic foci, the studies firstly examined the contextual background leading to the creation of the building. Second, the investigations concentrated on how the design parameters and elements of the house were developed and implemented. Third, the aforementioned modes of problematisation lent a basis to argue that the quality of placeness was not confined exclusively to traditional or vernacular structures, but could be found in the unorthodox aesthetics of Baan Fai Rim Ping as well.