Adaptive Reuse of Old Shophouses in Bangkok

Abstract

Currently in central Bangkok where land value is high, the demand for space in various forms has been increasing steadily. This is a result of the urban development that has grown rapidly over the last 10 years. Today, there are many shophouses in Bangkok that have been in vacant condition or underutilized. The demolition of particular slot and reconstruction in the same footprint as original building is impossible because of the setback requirement. Therefore, the reuse of old shophouse is necessary. Thus, this research aims to provide guidelines for reusing the old shophouse to support the changes in physical components, spatial organization and adaptability. The research methods include 1) reviewing the academic documents related to the shophouse and theory related to adaptability and 2) surveying spatial and physical characteristic of the shophouse in Siam Square area. Photographic documentation and hand sketch are the primary method of collecting information in order to analyze the usage patterns. The findings reveal that the spatial characteristic of shophouse shows irregularity and obscurity of the usage patterns which depends on the type of businesses. While, the physical characteristic has high rigidity in structural layout, dimension and supporting utility. This physical characteristic has already determined the circulation, location of sewage system and floor slab that are difficult to modify to follow the usage patterns. This contrary is the key reason that make shophouse difficult to adapt. Therefore, the analysis from the survey has led to the proposal of design guideline for reusing old shophouse in Bangkok. In order to accommodate changes in the physical and spatial configuration in the future, the supporting utility should be placed along with the structural columns that is distributed throughout. The stair and slab should be designed as a modular unit that can be filled in or moved out easily. The façade should be designed as a frame with adaptable module that corresponds to the interior space. This design guideline is implemented in the vacant shophouse in Asoke to study the possibility, as well as advantages and disadvantages of the design proposal. Finally, it is anticipated that the knowledge gained from this study will provide architects, building owners, and users of old shophouse with appropriate adaptive reuse design alternatives.