NOMINATED FOR BLUEPRINT AWARDS 2021

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARCHDAILY 2022 BUILDING OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Location: Bangkok

Program: Playground

Status: Completed

Thawsi playground was conceived as a departure from the standardized mass produced plastic playground. It was meant to replace an existing wooden playground highly rated by its users at Thawsi school. In that sense, and in order to preserve the qualities of the defunct playground, we began with attempts to identify and reintroduce its qualities into the new design. A key driver was to maximize the connection with nature and to provide a sense of free play.

The site is unique and challenging. The playground is situated on a platform above a road, and the play structures must be built offsite and reassembled on the platform with no supporting foundation. We took this as an opportunity to produce a diversity of individually designed play objects - each with its own function, structural logic, and autonomy. The bridge, the tower, the sandpit, the balancing beam and the climbing steps - each has its own identity and is conceived with the others in mind.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Residential

This extensive residential interior renovation was the result of a careful assessment of the original floor plan, where the central area of the apartment was cluttered with back of house (BOH) programs, storage and bathrooms. The existing entrance sequence was also virtually disconnected from a large centrally located balcony. We soon identified the potential for this central area to be utilized differently and started to scatter BoH programs elsewhere, clearing out the central space. We made sure that this point of entry into the residence became generous, inviting and with a clear and seamless connection to the main balcony across from it. Through this reconfigured central space we reimagined the arrival into the apartment as a single large outdoor court. In order to achieve that we expanded the balcony area inwards so that it would act as a threshold between the public areas and the private areas in the residence and effectively transformed the residence with the provision of clearly zoned areas and a generous semi-outdoor space virtually nonexistent in condos of its kind.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Facade Design

Status: Completed

Typically when a large decorative facade is constructed, an additional layer of structure is needed to mount this ‘second skin’ on top of the exterior wall of the building. In order to minimize the construction cost, instead of designing the second skin as a cladding surface, we use structural pipes as the decorative elements - making it self supporting, thus eliminating the need for the substructure.

Location: Thailand Creative Design Center, Bangkok

Type: Exhibition

Status: Completed

For this Creative Virus Exhibition, iO (Imaginary Objects) started with the premise that our behavior is the defining strategy to combat the pandemic and that through carefully planned navigation, events can safely take place. In that sense, social distancing, more than physical enclosures, becomes the driver of the exhibition’s design. Making use of Moksha Patam (Snakes and Ladders) as a navigation model, we designed and projected a numbered grid on the ground. The squares are dimensioned so as to ensure social distance when visitors stand in the center. Visitors (players) can move through the space in the numbered sequence, moving from square to square and never sharing a spot in order to keep social distance. As in the original board game, we’ve introduced alternative paths (or shortcuts) that can be followed in order to skip and advance to other zones of the exhibition. These alternative paths are thematic, with each linear figure corresponding to and hosting the content for one of the following themes: Art Projects, Product Design, Graphic Design, Architecture, and Design Hero. The intersecting points that result from the exceptions must be carefully navigated so as to prevent multiple visitors clash at any one square. The historic version of the game was inspired by an understanding of Karma. The game visualized the impact of good and bad deeds on destiny, where the players’ progression through the board represented a life journey complicated by virtues (ladders) and vices (snakes). In that sense, the exhibition empowers visitors to make their own navigational choices while being mindful of others.

Photo Credit: art4d Magazine, Ketsiree Wongwan

Enfold

Location: Pattaya

Program: Music Pavilion for Wonderfruit Festival

Status: Complete

Enfold is a pavilion for ambient music at Wonderfruit, the largest music and lifestyle festival in Thailand.  Designed as a calming refuge away from the festival's bustle, the pavilion offers a space for contemplation, relaxation, and reconnection with sounds and the environment. From the outset, a courtyard was chosen as the typology—a walled space that isolates from the surroundings and focuses attention on the performance within. This square courtyard is accessible through small openings on each side. A covered walkway with speakers mounted in a surround layout runs along the perimeter, while the central listening area opens to the sky, allowing audiences to sit and experience a focused listening environment and gaze upward to the vast expanse above.

Enfold features a unique 360-degree immersive sound system. Our design concept began with the requirement to set up over 20 surround speakers optimally, which determined the courtyard's dimensions to be a 15x15m square.

The pavilion prioritizes the use of natural materials. The construction of the walls resort to an ancient building technique, wattle and daub, where a mud cement mix is applied onto a thin lattice to dry. The roof structure is made of bamboo and supports thin plastic sheets to provide rain shelter for the audio visual equipment while keeping the view to the sky as open as possible.

To enhance the relaxing experience, we provided mats and pillows instead of seats, which allowed the audience to lay on the ground, often spending extended periods immersing themselves in the sonic experience and taking a break from the festival's excitement. Wicker lamps along the courtyard's perimeter subtly contrasted the dimly lit boundary with the dark center, drawing focus to the starry sky above.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Residential

Status: Completed

This residential interior renovation in Bangkok is defined by a decisive and bisecting parti wall. The wall is designed as an inhabitable wall and hosts a series of storage compartments, appliances, fixtures and other functions. By doing so, the wall consolidates functions and frees up the spaces on either side to become more open and generous. Furthermore, the division imposed by the wall becomes an opportunity for it to become a threshold between the more public rooms like living room and kitchen and the more private ones, such as bedrooms and bathrooms.

Kitblox are giant foam blocks for children to design and build their own play environments, enhancing creativity, mobility, and problem-solving skills. They create a space for kids to learn turn-taking, sharing, strategizing, and collaboration, making them valuable for early childhood development.

Kitblox addresses space and budget limitations in Bangkok communities by offering a moveable, ‘pop-up’ playground that can be quickly deployed in various settings without needing a dedicated site.

For more information, visit kitblox.net

Photo credit: Mappa and Jinnawat Borihankijanan

Location: Bangkok

iO’s design for Roots Coffee at Mega Bangna mall begins with the simple premise of a continuous counter as a loop. Whereas the typical coffee stand positions baristas behind the counter and customers along its perimeter, our proposal aims to articulate a more permeable continuous boundary between the two. The coffee counter becomes a distinct sculptural element allowing customers to inhabit it within and without. The design of the loop offers formal and spatial variety, rises and descends to different elevations and becomes the host to a a range of functions and occupancies. People are able to sit on, sit next to, lean against, and otherwise position themselves along the counter as its contour and architecture varies. In parallel, the continuous counter serves to manifest Roots brand identity and history, facilitating products and company information and processes be curated along customized displays built into the loop again as a linear and continuous narrative.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARCHDAILY 2021 BUILDING OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Design collaboration with Hypothesis Design Agency

Location: Bangkok

Program: Canteen & Classrooms

Status: Completed

This renovation exercise aimed to transform existing facilities at Bangkok University across two buildings including a student canteen, several labs, classrooms, and corridors. Our general approach was to strategically remove the non-essential elements encountered on site, retain the newfound clarity and proportions of the spaces, and follow up with the selective introduction of minor interventions to enhance the usability and interactivity of the spaces. Of particular attention are the student canteen’s transformation into a permeable semi-outdoor space connecting two sides of the campus and our strategic expansion of classroom corridor areas of into voids, envisioned as multi-function spaces for studying, lounging or lecturing.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Exhibition

Status: Completed

Bangkok is a city filled with dispersed, neglected, abandoned spaces. Rather than to see them as impractical leftovers, we choose to envision them as spaces with potential to be repurposed as meaningful venues for the community.

Playgrounds, or playscapes, being typically outdoor public places enabling play are well positioned to bring a diverse demographic to an area and by so doing activate its immediate surroundings.

We see these objects of play as an opportunity to launch a long-term city-wide project with the objective of revitalizing communities and leftover spaces in Bangkok.

At Bangkok Design Week 2020, with the sponsorship by Vespa Thailand, Imaginary Objects is launching the campaign with three ‘Vespa Playgrounds’ situated in three locations around Bangkok.

Special Mention in the Architizer A+ Awards 2024 for the Architecture +Joy category

Location: Bangkok

Program: Wellness

Status: Completed

Year: 2024

Grown-Up Playground is a linear play structure. It hosts along its length different profiles and activities meant for engagement and play. What may not be apparent is that the design is intended for adults. This was part of the brief by Frasers Property Thailand who sought to encourage grown-ups to play as a way to relieve stress and to take a break from the prescribed formats of our daily lives.

We immediately empathized with the idea of encouraging adults to play! As an approach, instead of seeking to manifest distinct forms of adult play, we revisited established play structures from our memory as children: the typical swing, monkey bars, climbing walls, and slides. We firstly re-proportioned these play elements for adult use, and secondly combined them into a unified continuous object. The result is an inclusive play structure, designed for adults but very much accessible to everyone.

Given the complexities of the site - a narrow pedestrian strip in front of an operational mall - we opted for a prefabricated construction method. This allowed for off-site fabrication and overnight on-site installation using concrete blocks for stability, minimizing disruptions to mall operations. Furthermore, our modular design facilitates future relocation, with each play feature designed independently to adapt to different site dimensions.

The siting of the project is one of its most important qualities. In a city like Bangkok, where playgrounds are scarce, our office seeks to redefine urban spaces through play. Grown-up Playground is representative of the transformational potential of play in an urban context. It transforms an underutilized strip adjacent to the mall into a vibrant destination, fostering community engagement and recreation. It breathes new life into a space typically underused, offering a free and accessible outlet for fun and relaxation for all ages.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Playground

Status: Under Construction

This international school in Bangkok sought to introduce two new playgrounds for its students, one for kindergarten, the other for primary. Both playgrounds are positioned at opposite ends of the school grounds, preventing integration. The two sites are quite different, the kindergarten playground placed in an outdoor lawn safely flanked by school buildings, the primary playground in contrast placed outside of the school’s entrance, adjacent to the parking lot. Whereas one playground allows for a generously proportioned rectangular site, the other was long and narrow. We saw this as an opportunity to give each playground their own distinct identity. Fortunately a low and grounded playground seemed appropriate for kindergarten, whereby a longer, more challenging and vertical play environment seemed more appropriate for a primary school. As a result the kindergarten playground is representative of an activated ground, a shallow composition of basic shapes and figures as play elements, with the largest and most defining figure being a circular sand pit exhibiting a range of smaller features nestled within it, inclusive of slides, balancing bars, stepping stones and water play. In turn, the primary kindergarten playground is less grounded, with most of its elements either suspended, elevated or otherwise exhibiting some verticality. As a result, different forms of climbing or ascending become the defining means of engagement. The resultant climbing frames, climbing walls, monkey bars, balancing bars, and tree house are all arranged in a clear linear sequence in keeping with the site constraints, creating a neatly orchestrated and stimulating elevated playground. The most significant characteristic of the primary playground is its co-existence and integration with the parking lot, whereby a series of play graphics occupy parts of the road, allowing for the vehicular path to become a field of play when not in use.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Residential

Status: Design Development

Treehouse is an innovative interior renovation aiming to transform a high rise residential unit in Bangkok into a versatile work & living space integrated with mindfulness programs. Mindfulness programs include a float room, areas for tea making, pacing, yoga and meditation. Work & living programs include a living area, kitchen, several bedrooms. A large 200 sqm. roof terrace offers commanding views of the city.

Our approach sought to reconsider the area attributed to the indoors and reconfigured the plan so as to provide an additional 80 sqm. of outdoor area. We did this by removing all the existing glazing and introducing a new facade footprint set inwards from the original facade. The result is a continuous outdoor and semi-outdoor zone defining the perimeter of the unit. The living room becomes an expansive linear axis in the floor plan offering visual permeability from the north to the east facade. The more privatized rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms and float room are efficiently laid out and tucked inwards, away from the living area and the outdoor zones. The terrace is envisioned as a roof garden and it's designed to offer both seclusion from the surroundings skyline as well as allow for unimpeded views when desired. A waterfall feature wall defines the east and west perimeter, and a shallow reflecting pond surrounds the sun room area of the living room. A grassy sloping hill with a water feature at its edge provides the compelling impression that there is no boundary between the landscape and the city.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Education

This multi-story interior project required us to reconsider and re-invent a series of key educational spaces. The most significant and most public space of the building is envisioned as a multi-purpose co-working, library, and exhibition area. The second and third floors are intended as flexible classrooms. The ground floor of the innovation center was initially designed to be mostly open-air, allowing a seamless connection with the adjacent building and semi-covered outdoor areas. Libraries are typically indoor and climate controlled for the sake of comfort but also book preservation, which inevitably separates the libraries from the outdoors. Despite this constraint, our proposal aimed to allow for a connection between the library and the outside. Our approach aims to achieve this by introducing an urban-scaled seating furniture element at the junction between inside and outside. By doing so, we are able to transcend this divide and create a strong and unified visual and spatial reading as a continuous space. Furthermore, by allowing the glazed threshold between indoor and outdoor to be operable and permeable, the urban seating element serves as a playscape element literally connecting inside to outside.

The classrooms are designed to have maximum writable surfaces on the wall, while some rooms also have a moveable partition, allowing the space to be capable of hosting multiple types of learning activities.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Residential (Exhibition)

Status: Complete

The design for the SCG Post Covid House Exhibition was an opportunity for us to reimagine what a Thai family residence could be in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas in a typical extended family house in Thailand, all rooms and spaces share the same level and are arranged horizontally, our proposal departs by envisioning these same programs stacked vertically instead. The main objective of stacking vertically was to effortlessly allow the compartmentation and isolation of the different living units as well as providing natural cross-ventilation in all rooms and spaces. The design is made up of five living units stacked vertically, each with an area of 46 sqm and equipped with all necessary utilities for cooking, cleansing, working and resting. The communal space in the design consists of the (8m tall) ground floor lobby, which serves as the gathering space for the family members. A shared roof is also a significant feature of the design. Because the residence is designed with natural cross ventilation in mind, all communal spaces and circulation zones and stairs are open-air. Furthermore, shading of the units became critical so that the outdoor space could be fully utilized throughout the day. The façade design as a shading screen controls temperatures in the interior whilst providing privacy.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Complex of Houses

Status: Unbuilt Proposal

Despite its central location along a busy road, the site offers a lush haven from the bustle of the street. Our ambition was to preserve the existing trees and vegetation found on the site whilst fulfilling the objective of positioning a cluster of homes on the same spot. In order to achieve this we opted for a configuration exhibiting multiple and diverse linear volumes allowing program to have varying degrees of separation and proximity while also facilitating we build sensibly around existing trees.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Cultural Exhibition & Event Space

Status: Unbuilt Proposal

The design brief called for the conversion of an existing industrial building into a wide range of gallery spaces as well as for the introduction of a flexible outdoor space for art and events. Our response finds its way selectively between adaptive re-use and new architecture while attempting to define a series of distinct interventions, some expressed as objects, others as settings, with the overarching intent to define a powerful cultural journey.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Exhibition

Status: Completed

A distinct warehouse renovation project with the ambition of introducing a Pop Up Museum, Art Space and Cafe. The project is envisioned as a series of uniquely branded spaces that create a stimulating journey for shopping, selfie-taking and play.

This private playground structure presented us with the opportunity to introduce a designed object to serve as a stimulating setting for play.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Wellness

Status: Concept

Bluedoor was an opportunity for us to engage in an adaptive reuse exercise with the objective of creating a destination for a cross-generational demographic inclusive of parents, kids and elderly.

Defining the program was part of the brief and an integral part of our proposal. We pursued a mixed used composition made up of creative spaces for workshops, performances, exhibitions and a library. Outdoor Play Space was prioritized and made up most of the designed area of the proposal. A Cafe was envisioned and introduced into the proposal as the binding element between the creative indoor space and the outdoor play space.

Architecturally, we worked with the existing factory building and approached it as a flexible framework onto which we could insert activity. In order to enhance the project's distinctness, visibility and functionality, we introduced formal and spatial deviations to the grid of the factory building. These exceptions were meant to express their own identity and use in a playful manner and were designed as foreign objects in dialogue with the existing.

Lastly, given the desire to transform the outdoor setting into an urban oasis, the surrounding landscape was designed as a lush tropical garden.

Location: Provence

Program: Residential

Status: Completed Concept

iO’s design for a house extension in Provence (France) arises out of a desire to establish a sensible relationship with the existing house on the site while prioritizing views to the riviera and introducing new programs. What appears to be a new stand-alone house is in fact an inter-connected expansion that introduces a duplex living area into what would otherwise be a single story residence. The new extension ascertains that new views are framed towards an adjacent woodland in addition to the principal view towards the valley. A mezzanine level within the extension provides access to and is expanded by a balcony offering commanding views of the French Riviera. Below grade, a wine cellar is introduced. As a result, the house extension effectively expands the residence above and below grade, creating a larger spectrum of different spaces and experiences.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Mixed Use

Status: Completed Concept

The Bangkok University Campus located in Khlong Toei lies north of the Thai Port Authority and West of the Trimitr Innovative District. The existing campus is the result of buildings being added over time, lacking perhaps, a co-ordinated vision. IO was asked to visualize and speculate on ‘what if’ the existing site were to instead host a coherent and comprehensive development. Our approach was to define a building mass and distribution strategy exhibiting, flexibility, identity and connectivity, where the core program, as an innovative hub, could become a true adaptable open platform inside and out.

Precast concrete tables that we embedded discarded plastic plates and bowls into the mould in order to create varying topographies for play. The table is made from lightweight glass reinforced concrete which allows it to be weatherproof, durable, as well as easily moveable.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Retail, Food & Beverage, Exhibition, Event Space

Status: Ongoing Schematic Design

Bangkok is a city of disorder where beauty arises from unsuspected conflicts and clashes. Our approach to renovating an old Bangkok warehouse was to introduce distinct spatial configurations into it so as to create optimal conditions for disarray and inter-action to arise on its own. The warehouse brings together a unique combination of programs; workshop, restaurant, exhibition and retail, all consolidated into a single unusual object-as-intervention.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Art Storage & Domestic

Status: Ongoing Schematic Design

Located along Rama IV Road, within a lush private plot sheltered from the street, this structure posed a main challenge, its function. It is not a public venue, gallery, museum or a house, but exhibits some of their features. The project is, in fact primarily an art storage facility, with the ‘exception’ of being privately showcased, host events, allow art to be displayed and sustain a living area with supporting program. The result is essentially a storage volume onto which domestic program has been inserted in the form of a glass house.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Playgrounds and Canteen

Status: Design Development

This school in Bangkok presented us with the challenge to revive and enhance multiple zones with the objective that they become key vibrant spaces; a kindergarten playground, a primary playground, and a canteen. The main drivers of the project are the two playgrounds, each designed, programmed and proportioned to their corresponding age range. In keeping with our approach to playground design, the playgrounds themselves are the result of a compositional exercise, whereby each play feature, as a distinct figure in space is carefully arranged in relation to the rest to achieve experiential appeal, minimize potential clashes and maximize playability. In this case, the vast majority of play elements are intended to facilitate mobility play. The playgrounds feature stepping stones, balancing beams, ladders, pull up bars, climbing frames, climbing walls, rope walks, monkey bars, hideouts and slides. This multiplicity of features enables users to resort to a wide and diverse range of motions and postures, guaranteeing an exciting and stimulating play environment. In addition to mobility play, the kindergarten playground also offers sensory play, whereby a series of specialized play elements provide the opportunity to engage with sand and water. In turn, the primary playground features a playscape seating element able to seat a large audience in the event of a public function.

The canteen design aims to become an extension of the playgrounds in its approach. As a result, the seating area is defined by a series of space frames reminiscent of climbing frames. These frames serve as structure to define but also support seating areas. We aimed to create a range of diverse configurations allowing for different types of groupings. Furthermore, the distinction between tables and seating surface is explicitly tenuous in an attempt to create a continuous playscape of horizontal surfaces.

Location: Bangkok

Status: Complete

Little Treehouse sits in the backyard of a suburban home. An escape into the tree canopies. It tries to float above the ground - hiding from view and giving room for the hammock and the swing underneath.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Exhibition & Event Space

Status: Competition

This Money Expo Pavilion was an attempt to reconsider the experience of visiting an expo / fair. Expo's / Fairs are often crowded and offer insufficient amenities and spaces to sit and rest. Our proposal sought to become a public oasis for people to take a break, relax, recharge and socialize while visiting the expo / fair. We sought to create a destination providing wellbeing through service and experience.

The design is defined by a grid that establishes a spatial field and is then pulled back to create a landscape of public seating. The seating establishes a direct relationship with adjacent booths. We then introduced wealth stations as zones where people could learn more about wealth management and services. Each zone was made architecturally distinct through suspended architectural elements that defined the programmatic experience beneath them as well as serving as infrastructural elements. These elements supported signage, lighting and way-finding, enabling the hosting of events and customized experiences under their cover.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Installation

Status: Complete

Bangkok is full of under-used urban spaces that could greatly benefit everyone if they were made accessible and occupiable. Common problems of these spaces are poor lighting and lack of urban furniture.

Whereas last year iO proposed play objects as social stimulus for abandoned spaces, this year we want to explore the potential of lighting & furniture. Some of these spaces, such as empty parking lots or alleyways, oftentimes left empty at night, have the potential to be activated first by the mere provision of light and then by the introduction of furniture.

Lights make people feel safer because they allow people to see and be seen but they are also able to facilitate day-to-day life, from mundane to more improvised activities, whereas furniture allows us to sit, stay and is able to create the comfort we need for those activities to arise.

With the sponsorship of Vitamilk and Light Up Design, iO puts forth an initiative to identify a series of underutilised urban spaces in Bangkok and brighten them via stand-alone light + furniture hybrid interventions, which in addition to light, aim to offer commentary on the possibility of providing additional infrastructure for a range of temporal activities to take place in the public realm.

Location: Bangkok

Program: Playground

Status: Completed Concept

Our experience with playgrounds led us to the realization that there is much untapped potential in the design of these structures. After some thought, we took it upon ourselves to reconsider how they might be configured, designed, and built in a manner that prioritizes experience, distinctness and ease of delivery. The result is iO's Play Objects.

The Play Objects in this catalogue are designed in advance so clients can easily identify what they want and yet they are custom-built so they can be carefully adapted to each specific location. iO will oversee the coordination and construction of the designs as well as make use of carefully selected materials and contractors in order to deliver the play objects seamlessly - from design to finished product.

For more information, please contact io@imaginaryobjects.co

Social distancing has infiltrated our built environment and manifests itself architecturally through a series of devices and transformations.

Four architectural typologies are reinterpreted through the lens of social distancing. A dormitory is re-imagined as a field of inflatables. A restaurant is subdivided into a series of pocket spaces. A grocery store becomes a maze of single file aisles. An office is replaced by a network of decentralized domestic studios.

We reimagined cutlery as architectural objects that have features to serve novel ways of dining. A 2 sided fork - one sharp side for stabbing, the other long side for noodling. A 2 sided spoon - a tablespoon and a teaspoon combined. And a minimal knife carved out of a single thin piece of wood.