Pak Phanang Wind Park Community Center
The project is a community center at the coastal wind turbine park in Pak Phanang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, where local people can learn the significance of the alternative energy source and use it as a recreational area. It consists of library, exhibition, conference hall, research center and café, all are powered by clean energy.
The design concept is drawn from culture and history within Pak Phanang. The architecture’s curvilinear form and space are narrated through the story of cowry shells, previously used as a form of currency of exchange, the site’s cultural heritage. The section reveals internal spatial quality that shows the curvilinear line from the protective exterior shell to its internal core The project also concentrates on using local materials. Bricks made from grey earth, are being used along with local concrete and wood.
Pak Phanang Wind Park Community Center is designed in consideration of the existing, polluted shrimp pond. As a way to revive the abandoned water body, the architecture will be built upon the water surface, while a population of mangrove will be planted in order to recover and bring back a healthy ecosystem. The coexistence not only creates a dialogue between the context and architecture but also culture and local community.
