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5. Interior Matter

Nichamon Dejprasert

From 2010-2015, Nichamon had studied in Interior Architecture at King's Mongkut University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok. Her design practices were based on deep research to genuinely resolve urban and domestic issues. In 2014, she participated in Thailand team to build sustainable house in Solar Decathlon Competition in Versailles, France. After graduated, she worked as an Interior Designer at Junsekino Architecture and Design for a few years before moving to London for postgraduate study. In Summer 2019, she decided to challenge herself with something different from interior design field. With her fondness for cooking, she worked as a commis chef for Afternoon Tea service at Sketch Restaurant in Mayfair to learn more about culinary arts and professional kitchen. Nichamon became very fond of handmade materials, she joined Tile Making classes at Raw Materials Workshops in the begining of 2020.

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instagram: aor_nichamon

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Degree Details

School of Architecture

5. Interior Matter

While working at Sketch, Nichamon had learned about life behind the exquisite interior space. Inside non-ornamentated and fully functioned professional kitchen, bags of food waste and packaging were thrown away every day. From kitchen to interior design, she questioned on how much waste has been created after beautiful materials or are they leaving a lot of carbon footprints behind. Beside the aesthetics, Nichamon intends to create works which are more sustainable and meaningful.

Reducing single plastic usage is already a good practice but could it be better if the wastes are given new lives and could be used as alternative materials for construction. Design for the future is not only about complex futuristic form or hightech home automation but also a responsible design that respects the nature, supports the locals and elevates the quality of life. 

RCA2020

How do you feel at home when you’re away from home?

The community kitchen provides a communal space where people can cook, eat, and feel at home together. It acts as a public house for the 21st century. An antidote to the loss of shared spaces in over-priced rental accommodation. A place to foster community and to bring life back to the high-street.

The community kitchen uses materials to create a sense of comfort and domesticity while offering the performance and durability needed in commercial spaces. Small formats, warm tones and natural finishes are used extensively to create a relaxing, down-to-earth and welcoming space. 

How to feel at home, when you're away from home.

How to feel at home, when you're away from home. — When you moved away from home, how did you make yourself feel at home in your new place? Apart from filling up an empty room and cooking your own food, inviting friends over is impractical for some people since they might live in a shared flat which has no common living room or even a dining table, or live alone in the self-contained room that comes in 12 sq.m. size.

Do we still need communal space to live and to dine together? — People in these days are more isolated and separated by the living conditions. We may not overcome the housing crisis but we could have the place that we can make new friends, learn new recipes, grow your own food, recycle the waste, engage with community and feel the sense of belonging.

From Public House to Public Kitchen — 163 Kensington High Street was a Public house in 1890. From traditional pub to public kitchen in 2020, the appearance of pub facade was adopted and its hand-crafted aesthetic were reintroduced by the use of ceramic cladding with handmade encaustic tiles from Granby Workshop.

A blender is louder than a diesel truck.

A blender is louder than a diesel truck. — Acoustic panels are applied on different surfaces to tackle noise problems. Medium absorption is for kitchen area where surfaces have less porosity due to its waterproof properties. Higher absorption is for socialising space like dining room.

Materials_Foyer — A warm welcome to home. Renewable or natural materials give a sense of humbleness and in practical term, it is more sustainable. Wall panels are at lower height for intimacy, lower ceiling for sound absorption and domestic scale wall pattern. A hint of exterior wall tiles are reintroduced to the interior perception, combined with Buxkin recycled leather custom-made in the same scale as tiles and at the same time, giving better sound absorption properties. Timber structure is designed to give the sense of boundary and intimacy and can be used as umbrella rack. Ceiling panel made from recycled wool felt to absorb noise from the street. And Ruckstuhl coconut fibre rug at the entrance is durable to London weather and in high traffic area.

Materials_Kitchen — The combination between commercial and domesticity. Materials selection is driven by the domestic scale, colour, durability and low maintenance. The recycled eco resin panel from 3Form is used as light diffuser on oak ceiling structure. Plywood wall panels gives the domestic hand-crafted feeling. Small scale and warm tone colour of Excinere, Volcanic ash glazed ceramic tiles are cladded on kitchen walls, giving the sense of aesthetic and durability. Silicastone terrazzo counter top has low porosity and is 98% made from recycled glass and ceramic. Forbo Marmoleum is more than just a Grandma’s kitchen linoleum tiles, it has durability, slip resistance, noise reduction, low environmental impact and unique appearance from recycled cocoa shell texture.

Materials_Dining — The area where community get involved in the space. The main materials criteria is acoustic absorption in the theme, ‘collection of individuals’. White table is made from 100% recycled yoghurt pods by Smile Plastic. Foresso tabletop, the beautiful combination between recycled oak wood chip and recycled plaster in Azure colour. Placed on top of solid oak wood legs and wood panel cladded with end-grained wood veneer from Plexwood. Linoleum tile with recycled cocoa shell is also applied here in white chocolate colour to brighten up the space. Lastly, community-made paper tiles are installed on plywood panel as acoustic wall. More tiles are added on the wall means the community is getting bigger.

Kitchen-made Paper Tiles — Acoustic Paper Tiles making is the activity happening in the community kitchen to invite members to garnish the dining atmosphere and enjoy making materials in the way they enjoy baking a tray of cookies. Around 3 millions egg cartons are discarded in a day, would it be better if members cook the eggs, up-cycle the cartons and save the space in recycle bin. In old days, egg cartons were also used as acoustic wall due to its affordable price. To reinvent egg cartons for contemporary usage, the kitchen-made paper tiles are made to be thicker and applied on plywood panel for better acoustic absorption.

Paper tiles recipe will be handed to all members at the beginning of their membership.

Paper tiles recipe will be handed to all members at the beginning of their membership.

What in your home reflects who you are. — At first, lower ground floor is partially equipped. Leaving the room for members to turn a house into home. Member will be asked to leave one personal item in the space anywhere they like, giving them a sense of belonging. Altogether, the place will become a collection of community expression.

Story of Olivia, Member #75

Story of Olivia, Member #75

Medium:

Images, gif
BiodegradablecommunityHandmadehomeKitchenMaterialpublic programmePublic SpaceRecyclerecyclingSustainablewaste

Materials Criteria

Material Sheets_Sample

Materials Table

Dzek_Excinere — Volcanic ash-glazed ceramic tiles

Medium:

Images

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