Paktriam
Conclusion All rebuilding projects after the Tsunami disaster, no matter how different in the meth- ods and the outcomes, have confirmed that there exist factors by which the spatial and formal configurations of human shelters are determined. Human settlements were never determined by anyone’s will. But as much as the formations of places are shaped by rituals and habits, the nature of places could also condition human activities. Perhaps the re- lationship between rituals and the formation of places are reciprocal. With the problems that occurred, one learned that architectural creation is not a contingent marked by cause and effect for while architectural spaces and forms are shaped by pre-existing activities, it also conditions actions that follow. In the cases of the post-Tsunami reconstruction, the forms of both the shelters and the villages also prompt human social action and ritual within the places. Architectural forms could not respond to only physical requirements, but has to follow psychological factors as well. The role of the “architect,” in this sense, is very limited. Although a house or a village could be artistically composed, but in the end it remains a setting formed by specific needs and patterns of inhabitation. Human shelters cannot be considered as a void space and form that can be repeated after a certain type or model, but refers instead to the production of artifacts that reciprocates life and action according to different criteria and conditions. g Note: Both Paktriam and Kuraburi villages mentioned in this article are collaborative ef- forts between CARE and CASE Thailand.
In other villages such as Paktriam, Pang- Nga, prototypical houses gave rise to various alternate offspring that could be adjusted according to particular needs of each family. Basic modules of the house were introduced, but only to welcome subsequent adaptations. Only the basic architectural framework was given in order to allow multiple modifica- tions. As for the planning of the village, the layout was neither organic nor rigidly geometric. Houses would revolve around small communal spaces so the inhabitants feel the presence of others around them. Each of these communal spaces would in turn be woven into an intricate network of the whole village. In regard to existing natural elements of the place, both the sizes of com- munal spaces and the distances between each house must allow variations in the growth of the community. In this way, the village is neither a product of chance nor a product of imposing design. For almost a year now, various organizations have been working with great efforts to find possible solutions for the villagers. While those organizations would not stay in the area for long, the villagers will, thus everything done must allow the locals to live sustainable lives after the aids are gone.
Tonkao Panin: practicing architect, Bangkok and a member of the Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University, Bangkok.
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architecture and land
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