History
Khun Preeda Phongpitakvises Private Living Museum: Built in 1986
An ancient technique is used to keep the house cool: the house slightly leans inward to support itself like an upside-down “V.” The premise of this technique is the simple rule of thumb that “hot air goes up, cold air goes down.” There are no straight lines in this structure, and the builders did not use a spirit level; the carpenters relied on years of training and experience to know when each piece was completed and in place. There are no modern building schools or training programs for this ancient practice. Instead, the builders began as apprentices and learned from master builders, and they continue to learn new skills until the end of their careers. |
The museum is made of four houses, each 200 years old, from three different owners that were reassembled into one living quarters in a U-shaped configuration on stilts. The houses are conjoined by an open ceramic tile terrace.
Because modern Bangkok construction companies were unable to build this traditional-style house, Khun Preeda had to commission a seventy-year-old carpenter and his five workers from Ayutthaya Province. In keeping with the traditional method of construction, the solid teak structure uses the tongue and groove technique to connect components without the use of nails. |
Time and weather have done a tremendous amount of damage to the beauty of these centuries old houses. Fortunately, however, the Thai houses were built with solid teak wood. The high composites of oil and rubber in teak wood give it a self- weatherproofing quality. Teak works as a barrier against the elements without sealers or finishes. In addition, teak oil serves to resist ultraviolet rays, rot from rain water, as well as resisting termites and wood bugs. After a brief cleaning and retouching with a modern wood preserver, the beauty of theses centuries’ old houses are brought back to life again. |
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