International project
Baan Huay San Yaw
DISASTER
On May 5, 2014, a strong earthquake of
6.3 Richter struck Chiang Rai Province
in the north of Thailand, destroying 73
schools and affecting over two thousand
students. Through the initiation of a nonprofit network named Design for Disasters
(D4D), a post -disaster recovery program
was launched to design and build nine new
earthquake resistant school buildings in the
most affected areas.
N
ine emerging Thai architects
were assigned to design new
school buildings, one for
each school. The Engineering
Institute of Thailand and
The Consulting Engineers
Association of Thailand
provided the engineering
support. Thai Contractors
Association linked the team to
construction companies while the Association
of Siamese Architects assisted in providing
technical support and gathered public donation
in the form of funding and construction
materials through its network.
Vin Varavarn Architect’s assigned school was
Baan Huay Sarn Yaw School. The school needed
three new standard classrooms for secondary
students who come from tribal families.
The design requirements specified that the
building must be earthquake resistant, easily
constructed by local workers and requiring as
low budget as possible. Most of the selected
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