Ashton 41 Residence

Situated in Sukhumvit, a dense neighborhood in Bangkok, this project is a high-end low-rise condominium. It is similar to other new condominiums in this area of the city, as the available plots of land are limited. As such, the available area for our landscape design was reduced to a channel-like narrow space located in between the twin main buildings. And, of course, the facades.

The two buildings were built to a mirror plan, meaning that they each face the neighboring building on the opposite side. The balconies were tilted to an angle of 45 degrees as a way of slightly turning them away from facing directly across the channel.

We were able to introduce a planting scheme In between each balcony, creating tall vertical greenery that extends from the ground floor to almost to the roof, engendering distinct rhythms between the built structure and nature. These green walls provide a welcome sight of plant life, giving the residents something green to catch their eye without filling the balconies with potted plants. In addition, these living curtains help to absorb the heats while also catching dust and providing more oxygen, creating a pleasant microclimate.

We placed the main pool for the condominium in the narrow area between the two buildings. Looking down from the balcony, the pool with its light blue color set amid the light stone surrounds offers a wonderful glimpse of tranquil repose. Our team wanted to view the twin buildings as forming a gorge, with the pool acting as a creek in the valley channeling between the two sides. The underwater seating and stairs of the pool are designed to imitate a rocky stream place, offering a place where people may rest after a dip in the creek. To establish privacy around the pool, we employed levels at the ground floor to divide the semi-public space comprising the car drop-off point and the main entrance with that of the pool area.

Each building is endowed with a roof garden. We planned for these gardens to function as a catchment for rain water and also to reduce the overall heat gain. As some residents have direct access to the roof from their apartments, we had to ensure that our design maintained a proper sense of privacy for them. We added various rooms and corners with seating to create privacy but still open to the outside for the views. Raised planter beds are employed to define private space, and are located between the seating and the circulation.