Petchabun, Thailand
EKAR architects and landscape architects Groundsplay team up to create Walk / House for the Dhammayan Temple, taking cues from nature to transform physical space into a boundless mediation on mental and physical states of being.
Surrounded by trees and mountains Walk/House is located in a tranquil part of a temple in Petchabun, Thailand.
The project is conceived as a walking meditation, not only a place for an abbot to live but also to maintain his daily ritual practice together with other monks.
For its inspired twist on the traditional home, Walk / House has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Instead of designing a traditional house, the key concept of walking meditation—which is a concentration on the present dimensions of earth and sky to enhance awareness of mental and physical states—was reinterpreted in the architectural context.
The configuration of the house is wide and long, facing the east to receive gentle morning light, with respect to the vast landscape of this faraway temple.
The continuous 59-meter long roof covers the whole space, with a slope that follows the mountain’s contour.
The space below and above the roof is designed to accommodate and support daily practices, including walking.
Some parts of the roof are indented, allowing trees to grow and sunlight and rain to pass through.
Meanwhile, the form of the long, curved roof helps divert rainwater flow to the middle line and to fall on the ground at the very end–imitating a natural water flow on the mountain.
Under the bent roof, the lowest ceiling space, there are different functional areas for the abbot, including a sleeping area, working area, and praying area.
The interior space is compact, which is an attempt to comprise the nature of Buddhism–humbleness, in the place.
The long continuous path that also follows the natural contours makes a gentle slope for a comfortable walk.
Step, flat, and curve are the elements featured in the path, together with different simple materials, such as paving blocks, mosaic tiles, earth, and grass, allowing monks to walk barefoot and feel different textures.
The objective of the Walk / House is to offer no boundary for monks to meditate by walking, with the hope to enhance their ritual practice anywhere.
Project: Walk/House
Architects: EKAR Architects
Lead Architect: Ekaphap Duangkaew
Design Team: Thaywin Wannabamroong and Saranyu Kamphukaew
Landscape Architects: Groundsplay (Athipat Ae-uam, Pacharee Sophonphaisit)
Contractor: V-Sathapat
Project Management: Thaywin Wannabamroong
Technician Assistant: Saranyu Kamphukaew
Structural Engineer: Pimol Nontalee
Client: Dhammayan Temple
Photos Courtesy of Ekaphap Duangkaew
