Recording the Past
As part of the fieldwork, today morning, the participants of the Field School went to do a survey of two vernacular timber houses in Ban Phantom. Both houses are lived in by immigrants who mainly serve tourists visiting the Khao San area. We split ourselves into two groups of fifteen participants each. While my group was tasked with the measured survey of the big house, the other group was given the job to measure the small house. Both group members divided the work among themselves and intensively measured and recorded the floor plans, elevations, and details. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
My sub-group members tasked with measuring doors and windows first prepared a schedule and soon after started to measure each door and window from inside to outside, meticulously recording all details and ironmongery. We left the measurement of the window at the highest level for the last.
Details and ornament sub-group members were busy measuring timber staircase, balustrades, and other decorations in the house. During the process of recording we found out that the decorations found in the house was popular during the King Rama VI’s (King Mongkut) period.
The elevations sub-group were seemed happy recording the house as they drew the sketch elevations of the house (some quite interesting as well). Sketching has been often a hobby of architects and they enjoy it as and when they get a chance.
The sub-group surveying various plans of the house were the most efficient, in my opinion. They managed to measure the entire house with only a little error in their group recordings. Nonetheless, they faced a tough challenge to determine the exact position of columns as some of the rooms in the house were locked ~ immigrant tenants were back to their respective provinces due to the long weekend of Asalha Puja). We had a long and hard (and hot) day today, but we managed to get most of the work done, so tomorrow should be comparatively an easy day (at least I hope so).
I was surprised that almost all participants from various universities ~ Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore surveyed and recorded the house in a standardised manner. It was interesting to know that the standard of architectural pedagogy (at least to understand and record vernacular architecture techniques) is similar in the three participating universities.
I had a bad day today with the metal measuring tape as I cut myself several times. Here is the piece of advice for my friends using metal tape tomorrow ~ Don’t use it! Instead get one made up of a softer material, fabric, etc.
In the afternoon, our documentary group went to meet Kunyai Raongsri (the last surviving silversmith of Ban Panthom) to record her stories in the form of an interview, to be used for our short video. She was very kind to respond our questions as we all were really eager to know about her early life and her family business as a renowned silversmith of Thailand. It is sad that these traditional Thai crafts will die as the younger generation are not interested to continue them. It was with heavy heart and great gratitude that we left her place. On behalf of my group and the people of Thailand I just want to say, “Thank you very much” Kunyai Raongsri for shaping our past and the present. Now it is up to us to shape our future.
