Perforated brick screens create private space admist busy Bangkok streets

Screens of perforated brick shield the residents of Bangkok’s Ngamwongman House, designed by Jun Sekino, from prying eyes of neighbors and passersby

Amidst the densely populated city streets, the brick home was designed as an urban respite, with private patios to enjoy the outdoors. Traditional brick is reimagined as a sunshade, staggered in patterns to filter light, create seclusion and push the limits of the materials to make a unique home in the Thai capital.

With rising costs of land in Bangkok, Jun Sekino turned to brick as an inexpensive building materials to keep on budget. Rather than build traditionally, the home was designed to use brick in a forward thinking way. Encasing outdoor areas, the architect created a latticework of brick walls, which act as privacy screens and filter light into the interior. Throughout the day, the brick screens cast a myriad of exotic shadows that fill the spaces with geometric patterns. Patterned brick work is also used on the home’s façade to bring together the design of the patios and main house.

The thick brick walls also function as a natural insulator, blocking the harsh tropical sun, and helping to keep the interior cool. Inside, a living room, kitchen and bedroom are divided by a timber staircase, stained to match the exterior brick work. Upstairs, two additional bedrooms are each met with outdoor patios that over look the street behind their brick screens. An interior courtyard keeps the outdoor space private, and shaded.

The home opens onto the street with a large entryway, with a concrete overhang that shelters the family cars.