The Evolution of Ventilators in Thai Houses

Abstract

Thailand is located close to the equator, which has resulted in the hot and humid climate and Thai houses being designed to conform with the architectural comfort zone. Ventilators are an important part of Thai houses in order to create architectural comfort zone for residents in the house. This article aims to study the evolution of ventilators in Thai houses by dividing the analysis into 4 topics: the use, sizes, materials, and patterns. The results showed that the evolution of ventilators in Thai houses can be divided into 4 important eras: (1) Traditional Thai House Era (before 1868); (2) Gingerbread House Era (1868 - 1966); (3) Industrial Block Era (1967 - 2009); and (4) Handcrafted breeze block (2010 - present). These evolutions showed the evolving of the use, focusing on utilization for ventilation, receiving light, creating shade and shadow, and building decoration. While, the size depends on the installation area, e.g., above windows and doors. As the material evolved from perforated wood to concrete, and patterns have evolved from delicate motifs derived from flora and nature to industrial and geometric patterns.