The translucent hotel

Little Shelter is located in Chiang Mai where the local architecture is characterised by wooden structures with shingle pitched roofs.  The hotel roof pays homage to the local architecture has a little reinterpretation with an asymmetrical form blending naturally with the surrounding tree top silhouette.  The design continues the local architectural character through the use of the predominant traditional material – wooden shingles.  Small units of wood shingles are laid out like fish scales to become a watertight architectural plane.
Designed by Department of Architecture whom explored the possibility to fuse new materials into the system to create a contemporary architectural surface yet deeply rooted in tradition.The wood shingles are used on the roof and side walls.  On the river facade, polycarbonate sheets are cut into the same size as wood shingles and constructed to become the architectural translucent facade.
On the entrance  façade, the upper portion is composed of solid wood shingles and they trickle down to mixed with polycarbonate shingles on the lower part.  The facade is glittering in the sun as the light touches different material grains, from the solid wood shingles to the different translucency levels of the polycarbonate shingles.  The light passes through the facade and creates varying interior atmosphere at different time with the changing light condition of the sky.  At night with the light from the inside, the building becomes a lantern glowing on the riverbank.  The structure seems less of a building but becomes more like a piece of craftwork.