Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS)

Site Suitability Assessment for a Health and Recreation Center’s Public Space, Rangsit, Pathum Thani

Natthawadee Temeeyakul — 2023-12-28

The objectives of this study are to explore the site suitability for the Rangsit City Health and Recreation Center, to analyze the potentials and the limitations of the locations in identifying an appropriate site, and then finalizing a conceptual design for the Rangsit City Health and Recreation Center’s Public Space in Pathum Thani province. The study methodology included a review of the literature to establish criteria for analyzing the location and developing the proposal of the concept design and a cadastral survey of two potential sites,in accordance with the policy of Rangsit City Municipality. The first site area was located in Soi Rangsit Nakhon Nayok 45, and the second was located in Soi Rangsit Nakhon Nayok 39. In analyzing the suitability of the two sites, the study considered location and accessibility, as well as environmental factors conducive to convenience and safety, wellbeing, recreation, and awareness. In comparing the two areas, the analysis showed a strong potential for Soi Rangsit Nakhon Nayok 39. to be a health and recreation center, as it met criteria regarding context of location, access, and linkage. The site can be accessed from several ways as well as easily connected to other public areas in the neighborhood. The surrounding area is open, well drained, and the rectangular area makes it easy to design and maintain safety. In terms of concept design, three main concepts were emphasized: Connect, Cool, and Clear. Connect focused on creating spaces with easy connection for either indoor or outdoor activities. Cool required the design to fit with local climate as a means of creating a comfortable state of mind. Lastly, Clear highlighted open spaces and uses shapes and lines which are easy to understand based on a concept of universal design, to facilitate access for people of all groups and ages.

The Development of a Modular Adaptive Facade System Based on Pre - Calculated Light Values Through Parametric Models and Real - Time Light Sensors

Nassareen Ahamadjula — 2024-02-05

The design of exhibitions often faces limitations in utilizing natural light inside the building due to the diverse and rotating nature of exhibited artworks. These objects have varying light sensitivity and prolonged exposure to excessive light can cause damage or deterioration. Therefore, in exhibition design, it is crucial to consider the direction and quantity of light that falls on the displayed objects to protect them from potential harm caused by natural light and extend their longevity. Consequently, the factor of utilizing natural light within exhibition spaces becomes a challenging element to control. The goal of this research is to develop an adaptable building envelope system to control the amount of natural light in response to the use of exhibition spaces. This was achieved by creating a parametric model using Rhinoceros software and its Grasshopper plugin for designing the building envelope. Together with the use of physical computing to create a hardware system that was programmed to develop a prototype of an adaptable building envelope we have developed a process able to optimize lighting delivery for exhibited objects. The building envelope has adjustable openings that correspond to the position of the exhibited objects and the sun. The building envelope can serve as a sunshade to prevent direct sunlight from impacting the exhibited objects while allowing the utilization of natural light in other areas within the exhibition space. The results of this research demonstrate suitable building facade designs that can be applied to exhibition spaces in various projects. The researchers evaluated the performance of the model by simulating exhibition spaces equipped with the building facade system in the southern and western directions and measured the intensity of light entering the exhibition areas. Results showed an average light intensity for the spaces ranging from 30 to 90 lux, which does not cause any damage to the exhibited objects. The researchers also tested the functionality of the building facade system with natural light and found that the control system and mechanisms worked accurately, reducing the sunlight intensity by 97.3%. This adaptable building facade system can address complex architectural design challenges and allow architects to control the amount of natural light within exhibition spaces. The design flexibility of the facade envelope system allows it to respond to different daylight periods that vary seasonally and would impact the exhibited objects.

Assessment and Selection Criteria for MICE Destinations and Convention Centers in Thailand

Siwaporn Klinmalai — 2024-01-02

The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry is growing rapidly and has generated a substantial income and economic impact on a national level. Many cities therefore aim to become an international convention destination or MICE destination. The objective of this research is to study the factors in the assessment and selection criteria of MICE destinations in Thailand. The methodology involves document analysis as qualitative research. The study found that many different sets of selection and assessment criteria for MICE destinations and convention centers have been established by a number of national and international organizations. It is the intention of this paper to propose a synthesized set of criteria that would be applicable to the Thai context and which could be applied from the scale of the city to the scale of the convention center. The study also revealed that certain key factors can be found within all assessment criteria reviewed for MICE destinations: accessibility, MICE venue, context, and accommodation. Nevertheless, when considering the construction of a convention center, it must be accompanied by other physical developments of the city, such as MICE tourism-related infrastructure and facilities, as well as support from both the public and private sectors.

Revitalizing Urban Resilience in Thailand: Exploring Conceptual Frameworks and Terminology

Thawatchai Palakhamarn — 2024-01-02

This article presents a comprehensive exploration of urban resilience in the Thai context, focusing on the integration of frameworks, interpretation of concepts, and their transformative potential. Through examination and interpretation of scholarly articles, reports, policy documents, and relevant publications, we unravel the conceptual frameworks and terminology specific to Thailand’s urban resilience landscape. The study reveals the multidimensional nature of urban resilience, encompassing physical, environmental, social, economic, and institutional dimensions. By contrasting global and local terminologies, we emphasize the importance of contextualizing resilience concepts in terms of conditions that are uniquely Thai. The evolution of resilience-related terminology reflects Thailand’s shift towards a holistic and inclusive approach, emphasizing community-based processes, sustainability, and environmental protection. The implications for policy and practice offer actionable insights to foster resilience in Thai cities. Integrating local knowledge with global frameworks, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, promoting capacity building and knowledge sharing, and prioritizing monitoring and evaluation emerge as key strategies. These approaches aim to build resilient, sustainable, and inclusive urban environments that can withstand the challenges posed by climate change, rapid urbanization, and social disparities. This research serves as a foundation for further exploration, inspiring scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to delve deeper into the multifaceted aspects of Thailand’s urban resilience. By refining our understanding and harnessing collective wisdom, we can develop context-specific solutions that address the unique challenges faced by cities globally.

Global Landscape of Urban Agriculture and Covid-19 Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Suphathida Sawangchaeng — 2024-02-08

During the Covid-19 pandemic, urban agriculture, which refers to various forms of agricultural production within or surrounding the city, gained more attention from scholars worldwide. Given the multiple benefits associated with urban agriculture, these practices were adopted to address the adverse impacts in various dimensions, such as food security, health, and well-being. Simultaneously, urban agriculture also was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, influencing the practice from both theoretical and practical perspectives, which expanded the scope of research in this field across various disciplines and perspectives. Consequently, it is difficult to track the topic and scope of the current research status as a basis for developing research about urban agriculture in the future. However, a systematic review that consolidates the current state of knowledge to support advanced research had not yet been conducted. Our paper aimed to fill this gap by employing a bibliometric analysis of articles in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) to examine the research landscape of urban agriculture and Covid-19. VOSviewer was the main platform adopted to conduct the bibliometric analysis in order to construct the research landscape based on three scopes, namely, main contributors (authors, sources, organisations, and countries), hot issues, and research themes. The analysis revealed that the WoSCC had indexed a total of 214 articles, with an increasing number of publications from 2020 to 2022. Although studies on urban agriculture and Covid-19 were conducted worldwide, authors and organisations from developed countries, especially the United States, were the primary contributors to article publications. The journal “Sustainability” was the main source of published articles about urban agriculture and Covid-19, receiving the highest number of citations. Research on urban agriculture and Covid-19 was conducted under eight crucial research themes associated with the food sector, benefits for health and well-being, climate change and air quality, marginalised communities, practising the community garden, practising home gardening, lessons learned from the policies and projects, and innovation and technology. Despite research being conducted on urban agriculture and the Covid-19 pandemic within different themes and geographical contexts, the majority of studies primarily focused on the benefits and behaviour change associated with urban agriculture practices to mitigate the negative impact of Covid-19 in terms of the food system and mental health. This finding is consistent with the keywords co-occurrence analysis, which identified “food security/insecurity” and “resilience” as the main hot issues. In addition, most of the other high-frequency keywords also were associated with the food system and well-being. Based on these findings, research on urban agriculture during Covid-19 generally concentrated on the crucial problems associated with Covid-19, especially for the food sector and health, rather than urbanization, which had been the primary focus in earlier times. Finally, we provide recommended ways forward for future studies in this field by offering insights into the current scope of the research landscape on urban agriculture and Covid-19, which had been neglected in previous studies.

Thermal Impact Investigation of Shaded Opaque Walls in Bangkok

Thanun Srithongchai — 2024-03-06

The effectiveness of overhang shading devices in mitigating solar radiation on opaque walls is crucial for passive building design in tropical regions. However, opaque walls commonly are side-lined in shading design due to a preoccupation with insulation properties, appearance, and aesthetics. Unprotected walls exposed to solar radiation maximize heat gain, while shaded walls decrease external heat gain and indoor temperature, resulting in improved indoor thermal comfort and well-being. This research employs EnergyPlus and SPSS to investigate the optimal design of overhang shading devices for opaque walls in Bangkok, Thailand. The investigation is divided into two phases: (1) determination of the optimal depth-to-space ratio of overhang devices based on a parametric study of 12 overhang configurations; (2) an evaluation of the ratio in reducing solar radiation. The findings demonstrate a relationship between the device depths and the wall solar radiation and indoor temperature. The optimum depth-to-space ratio is suggested as 1:1.15, which can lower the annual average indoor temperature by 3.53% (1.18°C) compared to the benchmark design. Deeper shading device depths than the optimum depth-to-space ratio can be applied, with a slight improvement in protective performance (and commensurately increased costs). This research underscores the importance of overhang shading devices as a performance-improving strategy for buildings in the tropical climate of Thailand.

The Walking Bangkapi: Inclusive Pedestrian Network’s Integrated Design and Implementation Study on Bangkok’s Emerging Transportation District

Napong Nophaket — 2024-01-30

With a city growing in size, capacity, density, and intensity, walkability in the Bangkapi district (Bangkok, Thailand) represents a challenge to produce more inclusive transportation through mobility planning that suits the multimodal transportation system (skywalk, MRT lines, water transportation) and the walking experience of the pedestrian. Drawing from Bangkok’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) strategic plan, the challenge lies in the balancing point of efficiently and effectively elevating walkability while keeping the local urban identity. This study investigates the notion of walkability as both a ground-up participatory design process and within the overall mobility planning framework by reviewing both Thai and international sidewalk standards and through interviews with stakeholders. We conclude by producing an experimental design guide and policy recommendations on how area-specific sidewalks have the potential in shaping more feasible and equitable mobility planning from the ground up.

Bridging Global Policy-making and Local Intensive Developments in the Urban Voids of a Megacity: Insights from Bangkok

Federico Puggioni — 2024-03-20

Megacities and rapidly urbanizing territories are contemporary issues which have now reached international attention and institutional recognition. Megacities and rapidly urbanizing territories in Southeast Asia especially are subject to both intensive and extensive patterns of growth that are reflected by the dynamics of densification in consolidated urban areas and loss of agricultural lands due to development in peri-urban areas. The New Urban Agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an international shared understanding of policies and knowledge to tackle, among other issues, loss of agricultural land, general land use management, segregation and inequalities within megacities and rapidly urbanizing regions. However, oftentimes, this international level of policy-making loses its strength when the urban issues are scaled down to local applications. Influenced by the presence of local private interests and global economic forces, the local urban processes of intensive and extensive growth appear to be detached from the general international policy framework and affected by site-specific dynamics. This article examines the level of this separation in Bangkok, especially in regards to a specific kind of the aforementioned intensive growth at the metropolitan scale, the development of the urban voids - terrain vague. I discuss how this separation is more evident in those empty, underused, and abandoned areas where possible intensive developments could happen. Furthermore, I evaluate this separation by reflecting on how it can affect the upcoming future of the megacity of Bangkok.