אדריכלות ישראלית

Thai Termitology

Architecture of Israel #

112

February

2018

page

english readers

Fishing villages usually consist of floating

farms containing huts and ponds for growing

fish, crabs and algae, as well as cages for

land animals.

A simple life style of attentive dialog with

nature finds expression in an adaptation to

water changing levels, at low and high-tides.

Some of the more distant floating farms

have a room with a large bed for a number

of laborers who sleep there for a few days,

while their families remain on land farms.

Special piers are installed for unloading

boats bringing people and supplies.

Usually, heavier timber boards are laid

upon bamboo canes, which float better,

while more elaborate rafts use barrels or

Styrofoam floats. Piers intended for larger

boats that require deep water are built on

concrete masses at a distance from the

shore.

Massive rainfall throughout almost the entire

year and the high rate of humidity create

ideal life conditions for termites that feed

mainly on damp cellulose. For this reason,

(mainly among the better off) there is

increasing use of concrete or metal columns

that are more expensive.

However, beyond the fact that it is easier

to adapt the height of the structure to the

tides with floating rafts, concrete building

in seawater constitutes an engineering

challenge in itself, since the salt attacks the

reinforcing metal.

thai termitology

tourism vs tradition

in Koh Yao Noi

Dr. Rachel Einav, Arch. Zvi Dunsky

Residing on the coastal plain between the sea and the mountains, the inhabitants of

Koh Yao Noi don’t see the beach as a vacation resort but rather as a balanced way

of life, on one hand dependant on aquaculture, and on the other - on land cultivation

of terraced fields on the steep mountain slopes.

While the millions of tourists who arrive there constitute a pipeline for western data

regarding advanced building materials and construction technology, they gradually

damage years of traditional evolution. The most prominent characteristic of this

is the elevated houses, expressing a never ending struggle with termites happily

multiplying in the humid climate and destroying any organic matter.

In addition, although concrete structures

ensure comfortable use throughout the year

and make it easier to deal with termites,

timber building is part of the ecological

system. A large number of them are used

only during the busy fishing season, or

when extracting rubber from the trees, and

when they are deserted, they are eaten by

the termites (biodegraded).

Whether constructed of metal or concrete,

building on columns is necessary whether

on sea in order to remain above the high tide,

or on land for protection against termites.

This role is also maintained in the more

sophisticated guest houses, where the

vernacular design language is maintained.

In this framework of living in peace with

nature, a climate-aware architecture has

developed, including calculating sun and

wind direction, and exploiting the humidity

beneath the floor to cool the air that

penetrates the structure through calculated

gaps between the floor boards.

This awareness, found even in the simplest

huts, is also expressed in the use of

biodegradable materials - mats and roofs

made of palm fronds, slate tiles found in

the mountains, and an endless recycling of

any material, such as corrugated tin sheets,

wood cargo surfaces, canvas cloth or plastic

sheets - all in a simple, unadorned style.

In this context, serving as the main means of

transportation, the boats express a functional

response to environmental conditions, but

also include certain elements of decoration.

Thus, the flat bottom enables movement

through shallow water while the engine is

installed on a long pole behind the boat to

enable approach to the shore, for anchoring

in shallow water without a pier.

The elevated, head-like prow is made of

metal to pass through the waves, and

in contrast to the simple wooden body,

its neck is decorated with scarves and

colorful ribbons for identification as well

as decoration that ensures protection

according to the superstitions characteristic

of seafarers.

In this reality, while western tourism possibly

contributes to advancing accumulated

knowledge of new materials and building

technology, it might interfere with vernacular

evolution, which is based on special

environmental conditions and, in fact, the

population’s ability to exist over time.

Inter-generational transformation reflects

here, as in other places, a sharp transition

from the traditional to the modern, and one

hopes that the Thais' instinct will help them

adapt to the new reality, without losing the

interesting sustainable buildings embedded

in their unique past.