Architecture of Thailand

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The Architecture of Thailand is a major part of the country's rich cultural legacy and reflects both the challenges of living in Thailand's sometimes extreme climate as well as, historically, the importance of architecture to the Thai people's sense of community and religious beliefs. Influenced by the architectural traditions of many of Thailand's neighbors, it has also developed significant regional variation within its vernacular and religious buildings.

Contents 1 Thai Stilt House 1.1 Kuti 2 Religious Buildings 3 References

[edit] Thai Stilt House

As the moniker “Thai stilt house” suggests, one universal aspect of Thailand’s traditional architecture is the elevation of its buildings on stilts, most commonly to around head height. A traditional house is usually built as a cluster of physically separate rooms arranged around a large central terrace. An area in the middle of the terrace is often left open to allow the growth of a tree through the structure, providing welcome shade. The level of the floor changes as one moves from room to terrace, providing a wide variety of positions for sitting or lounging around the living areas.

[edit] Kuti

A Kuti is a small structure, built on stilts, designed to house a monk. Its proper size is defined in the Sanghathisek, Rule 6, to be 12 by 7 Keub (or 4.013 by 2.343 meters). This tiny footprint is intended to aid the monk's spiritual journey by discouraging the accumulation of material goods. Typically a monastery consists of a number of these buildings grouped together on a shared terrace, either in an inward facing cluster or lined up in a row. Often these structures included a separate building, called a Hor Trai, which is used to store scriptures.

[edit] Religious Buildings

Thailand features a large number of Buddhist temples, a reflection of the countries widespread Buddhist traditions. Although the term Wat is properly used to refer only to a Buddhist site with resident monks, it is applied loosely in practice and will typically refer to any place of worship other than the islamic mosques found in southern Thailand.

[edit] References

• Ruethai Chaichongrak. (2002). Thai House: History And Evolution. Weatherhill. ISBN 0834805200