Thai contemporary timber construction system

Abstract

Historically, Thailand had a deep connection with wood as a construction material. Thai vernacular architecture utilized this material in almost all of its building elements and it was the most common form of residential buildings. However, in present day concrete has become the most common material in construction, while timber construction has faded into obscurity. Concrete is one of the leading unsustainable materials in construction, comprising up to 5 percent of the global CO2 emissions and this thesis will aim to address the problem of over utilizing this material in Thailand.

This thesis will explore the possibility of contributing to the development of Thai timber construction with the goal of creating positive environmental impact in global scale. This contribution will focus on the role of architect, while maximizing its positive impact. The development of “Thai contemporary timber construction system” will be the method for this contribution. This proposed system will aim to facilitate the process of building contemporary timber construction for Thai designers and builders. The utilization of this system should create a good quality building and maintaining strength of timber construction, while making the design process and building assembly less challenging. This facilitation will be executed through investigation, development of “Thai contemporary timber construction system”, demonstration of prototype buildings and evaluation process.

In conclusion, “Thai contemporary timber construction system” has shown the potential of timber construction in the context of Thailand. With the utilization of imported lumber in conjunction with relevant knowledge from local and foreign sources, timber construction can be competitive with concrete construction. This competitiveness came from its unique aesthetic, low carbon emission and end of life value that timber construction can offer, with a drawback of higher construction cost.