If you're lucky enough to own a swimming pool, you already know they offer a great opportunity to relax, exercise, and perhaps throw the occasional pool party, too. However, the recently-completed Bangkok-based YAK01 house by architecture firm AAd goes further than this, by making use of a pool for passive cooling.
Though the plot upon which YAK01 sits isn't overly small at 560 sq m (6,000 sq ft), actual usable building space was limited, so the owners required some clever design to make the most of what was available. AAd delivered a structure which sees almost half the house cantilevered over the ground floor. This frees garden space, creates a cool shaded area, and provides 500 sq m (5,380 sq ft) of usable internal space.
The exterior of the property follows an "L" shape, and the pool is positioned in parallel. This is said to draw cool air into the house and go some way to lowering the blistering heat which Bangkok can experience.
To further take the sting out of the climate, YAK01's bathrooms, service areas, and staircases act as "buffer zones," absorbing the heat and keeping the inner rooms cool. Cross-ventilation is also provided where possible by opposing windows, and natural daylight floods in via glass walls, which are mostly positioned north to reduce the sun's intensity.
YAK01 has a modern feel overall, but the ground floor is laid-out like a traditional Thai home, with a courtyard serving as foyer.
YAK01 was completed earlier this year.
Source: AAd via Arch Daily
