This house is an old residence in Bangkok that the owner purchased to renovate and rent out as a property. The target tenants are foreigners who want a spacious living area for both daily life and hosting gatherings with friends on weekends. These tenants often prefer a large pantry area for simple cooking, as well as an additional guest bedroom for visitors. However, the ground floor was too small to accommodate all of the owner’s requirements. Therefore, the architect proposed extending the building by adding a third floor and expanding the second floor over the garage, both to create more usable space and to make the overall building form more balanced.

After a detailed structural inspection, it was found that the existing structure could not support the additional third floor. The architect therefore designed a new structure to overlap the old one, allowing it to bear the weight of the new extension securely. This resulted in some columns appearing in the middle of the house, so the interior layout was designed to conceal these columns seamlessly.

The high, airy ceiling with a double-volume space enhances the sense of openness, making the interior feel more comfortable and spacious. The preservation of original elements such as the gable roof and the staircase has naturally become part of the house’s distinct character.

The surrounding neighborhood is rather dark and quiet at night, so the architect aimed to enhance the sense of security for the residents. Openings were strategically placed in areas with little activity, such as the stair hall. For more frequently used rooms, windows were positioned on the sides, while the ground floor features more openings—screened by a solid fence—to maintain privacy from passersby. This design results in a facade with solid walls on both sides and open spaces in the middle.

In terms of material selection, the architect introduced perforations into the solid sections of the building to add visual detail and reduce the perceived mass of the structure, making the overall form feel lighter and more refined.