a walking oasis for a monk
EKAR Architects presents its Walk House as a tranquil oasis, an extension of the Wat Thammayan temple in Petchabun, Thailand. The project is surrounded by trees and mountains, and takes shape as a living space for an abbot, the head of an abbey of monks. Along with typical sleeping and living areas, the architecture is programmed with spaces dedicated to a daily ritual practiced together with other monks — a walking meditation.
The team tells designboom: ‘Instead of designing a traditional house, a key concept of walking meditation which is a concentration on the present dimensions of earth and sky to enhance awareness of mental and physical states, was reinterpreted in the architectural context.’
images by Ekaphap Duangkaew
The sloping rooftop and mountain beyond
EKAR Architects (see more here) organizes its Walk House as a long corridor, facing the East to receive the gentle morning sunlight, regarding the big landscape of this faraway temple. This continuous space stretches 59 meters (194 feet) and is enclosed by a single sloping rooftop, whose graceful curvature follows the contour of the mountain beyond. The team continues: ‘The space below and above the roof is designed to accommodate and support the daily practices, including walking.‘
a humble space by ekar architects
The team at EKAR Architects perforates a section of the sloping roof of the Walk House so that lush trees are allowed to grow through. Here, sunlight and rain passes through, while the roof’s curving surface helps channel the rainwater flow toward one end of the space, as the architects note: ‘imitating a natural water flow on the mountain.’
The group continues: ‘Under the bended roof; the lowest ceiling space, there are different functional areas for the abbot; including sleeping area, working area and praying area. The interior space is compact which is the attempt to compromise the nature of Buddhism — humbleness, in the…
