Architecture practice Studionomad has built a block of five apartments in Bangkok with trees growing through the louvres of its facade.
Called Lom Haijai, the project in the city's Lad Phrao district was designed as an alternative to what Studionomad called "boxed air-conditioned building blocks" that dominate Bangkok.

Instead, the units overlook a central courtyard and face the street through a screen of thin wooden batons to maintain privacy.
"The project is a showcase of possibility. It aims to rebel against the norm, an antithesis to the most dominant type of residential architecture in the region," explained the studio.

In plan, the three-storey apartments are U-shaped and engage with the courtyard at every level. There is direct access at ground level alongside the dining room and kitchen, and Juliet balconies above in the living rooms and bedrooms.

"The courtyard of the building is strategically placed to allow the building to have many 'fronts', facing outdoor spaces in a dramatic departure from a regular townhouse building," said the studio.

This U-shape allows for light and natural ventilation to travel through the entire plan, with each room given two or more openings to maximise air flow.

At the front of the home, this air flow enters through the screen of wooden battens, creating a buffer zone which also provides space for balconies and plants.
A small parking space at the front of each unit leads into the dining area, which c...