Chumphon Village
Located on the coast of Chumphon, Thailand, Chumphon Village is a residential development of low-rise homes and apartments organized around a series of landscaped courtyards. Inspired by the scale and spatial character of traditional Thai villages, the project creates a contemporary coastal community shaped by climate, landscape and its relationship with the sea.
Rather than approaching the development as a collection of isolated buildings, the masterplan is structured around a sequence of interconnected courtyards. Residential modules define these shared outdoor spaces, transforming the voids between buildings into exterior rooms, each with its own landscape, character and views. Moving through the village becomes a gradual experience of discovery, allowing residents and visitors to understand the project through its courtyards, passages and changing relationship with the coast.
Pedestrian movement is prioritized throughout the development. Vehicular parking is positioned toward the rear of the site, while two service routes accommodate golf carts along its edges. A central public axis crosses the development, connecting the main road directly to the beach and jetty. This axis also organizes the site into two plots that can be developed independently while remaining part of a coherent overall masterplan.
The residential units are generated from a modular planning system based on a 4 × 4 metre grid. The modules are arranged around the principal courtyards to maximize views toward either the sea or the landscaped communal spaces, while maintaining access to private outdoor gardens. Ten unit configurations, ranging from approximately 60 to 78 sqm, provide a mix of one- and two-bedroom residences designed to respond to different patterns of living.
The architecture maintains a deliberately modest scale. Buildings alternate between two and three levels, reinforcing the horizontal character of the development and its relationship with the coastline. Rather than competing with the landscape, the architecture opens progressively toward the sea, creating a low-rise environment grounded in human scale.
Public and private spaces overlap at key points throughout the village. Along the beachfront, a family restaurant and bar establish a meeting place shared by residents and visitors. Toward the road, the ground floor of the apartment buildings accommodates communal and supporting functions, including reception, a convenience store, gym and administration. These programs create an active threshold between the residential community and its wider surroundings.
Climate plays an important role in shaping both the architecture and landscape. Responding to Thailand’s heat, humidity and monsoon conditions, the project incorporates shaded transitional spaces, porous landscape surfaces and vegetation throughout the courtyards and private gardens. Different species of local flora help define individual spaces while reinforcing the identity of each courtyard.
The landscape continues onto the rooftops, transforming the fifth façade into a series of communal spaces overlooking the village and the sea. Outdoor stairs and elevated connections extend circulation vertically, creating a continuous promenade through the project and turning transitional spaces into places for encounter and interaction.
The material palette combines white-rendered surfaces with locally familiar materials such as brick and wood. The contrast gives the development a contemporary architectural language while maintaining a connection to its climatic and cultural context.
Chumphon Village is conceived as more than a residential development. It is a coastal community shaped by courtyards, landscape, climate and movement—a contemporary interpretation of village living that establishes a strong relationship between architecture, people and the sea.
