Coconut groves surround brick retirement home on a Thai beach by NPDA Studio

This stripy brick home stands among coconut trees on the shoreline of Ko Pha Ngan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand.

The client asked Thai architecture firm NPDA Studio to design Somjai House primarily as a retirement home. But the beach house near the town Tong Sala also serves as a reception for guests at the Coco-NutNume resort.

A wide concrete patio in the centre of the building is open on two sides to provide views of the sea and nearby hills. It is used by both guests and permanent residents as a lounge, party venue and to practice yoga.

Four brick volumes with diagonal stripes of matching red render and sloping roofs sandwich the patio, providing separate sleeping and dining quarters for the inhabitants.

The architect chose red brick and polished concrete as the primary construction materials, based on the expertise of local builders and their ability to maintain cool indoor temperatures.

"The main colour used was red to make the building stand out from the green of the coconut plantation and the blue of the sea," explained Nutthawut Piriyaprakob, founder of NPDA Studio. "The line of the architectural form relates to the skyline of hills behind the building."

Walls facing inland have no windows but are surrounded by a shallow pool of water, while those facing the coast are glazed and open onto a large terrace. The terrace runs along the front of the two bedrooms and kitchen and is shaded from the hot tropical sun by the eaves.

Architects Adisorn Srisaowanunt and Naweepahb Taksayos used red brickwork and glass and to achieve the opposite effect for a house on the Thai coastline, where views are directed away from the sea and towards the land.

A narrow iron staircase at one side of Somjai House leads to a roof terrace, where residents can take in views of the sea and the neighbouring island Ko Samui. The steps were made by local workmen who are more typically employed on the island's piers.

The floating treads are aligned with the glossy red diagonal stripes that decorate the building's facades.