Marble House | Openbox Architects

Marble House is designed by Openbox Architects, The initial idea is to allow habitant’s behavior to carve a dwelling space into a monolithic piece of marble sculpture. The main piece appears so solid, yet so light it floats to defy the gravity, while external landscape space flows underneath through the center courtyard.

photography by © Wison Tungthunya

Residual marble pieces fell onto the ground to become part of the landscape features, isolated, yet visually related so boldly, as they use to be part of the marble boulder.
The excavation of unique shape, form, and space is created by shifting the building linear and non-linear planes. The Marble House is placed on one end of a rectangular land plot with a large, magnificent Raintree on the opposite end.

photography by © Wison Tungthunya

The visual impression of the Raintree is enhanced by a modern architecture style pavilion. A contrast of the simplest structure and a fully grown, natural-formed Raintree, over a reflective swimming pool surface, create a memorable, signature scent for the house.
Marble finishes are, in fact, a large-scale, light-weight, wall tiles with marble pattern print. As an external finish applied over a layer of an internal brick wall, it also acts as weather cladding, shielding the house from direct Sunlight, and external heat of Bangkok summer, and therefore help to cool down the interior during the day.

photography by © Wison Tungthunya

A relationship between architecture and landscape is subtly displayed everywhere. The overall square shaped form surrounds an open courtyard in the center, allowing natural light and ventilation to reach all remotest corners. Bamboo in the center courtyard moves and ways to create the presence of the wind.
The concept “private balconies” are very useful for an urban residence, surrounded by neighbors. Pockets of enclosed open terraces create privacy, but still, welcome natural light and ventilation. The void above such area becomes a great feature, as the terms given by the architect, “the private sky”.

photography by © Wison Tungthunya

Some windows have to be placed on the neighboring side. The concept of tilting of windows towards a more open corner of surroundings also contributes to the form of the house. After all, it all started by having the habitants behavior and view preference to naturally form this piece of sculpture. The play of materials, space, and forms flows seamlessly inside-out, and outside-in making strong connections between architecture, landscape, and interior.

photography by © Wison Tungthunya

Project Info:
Architects: Openbox Architects
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Lead Architects: Ratiwat Suwannatrai
Project Team: Nattawan Supanan, Sudatip Pipatthakorn, Nonglak Boonsaeng
Area: 1000.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Wison Tungthunya
Manufacturers: Hafele, Porcelanosa Grupo, Boonthavorn Lighting Center, Boonthavorn World Ceramic Center, LifeStyle Furniture
Project Name:  Marble House