Chatpong Chuenrudeemol: Bangkok Bastards

About the Lecture:

“Bangkok Bastards”, structures created by the city’s forgotten citizens including illegal squatters, street vendors, migrant workers etc, are homegrown architectural concoctions researched by CHAT architects and research division CHAT lab. From temporary construction worker houses to semi-legal shantytowns to underground sex-motels, these vernacular typologies are scattered though out the city.  Despite their illegitimate origins and shabby appearance, Bangkok Bastards can be said to be the most authentic form of vernacular architecture in Thailand’s urbanism as they are crafted by everyday people who are trying to survive in the metropolis. CHAT’s “bastards” research has become the foundation of their design projects, with notable examples such as SalaAreeya and the Samsen STREET Hotel.

About the Speaker:

Chatpong Chuenrudeemol (Principal of CHAT architects) obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from U.C. Berkeley in 1994 and his Masters of Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 2000.  After completing his studies in the US, Chat returned to his birthplace of Bangkok to form CHAT architects, a practice combining research and design, resulting in innovative multi-scalar projects that aim to stimulate community through strategies that re-interpret authentic local conditions. In 2015, he created CHAT lab, a research think tank aimed at discovering new Thai vernacular “street” typologies, affectionately called “Bangkok Bastards”.

The lecture will be conducted in English. All non-CUHK participants are required to register here.