Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP)

Artist’s Residence
The study results are presented through models, fabrics and video.
Size varies depending on the area.

The evolving role of Jim Thompson Farm as a platform for contemporary art within a rural context provides a unique opportunity to critically engage with the intersections of cultural heritage and modernity. The establishment of an Artist’s Residence is a natural extension of this dialogue, embedding artists within Isan’s rich cultural fabric. This initiative prompts a broader exploration of how contemporary architectural practices can coexist with local traditions and ecological conditions.

In collaboration with the Advanced Architectural Design Studio IV at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), led by Rachaporn Choochuey, Lucy Navarro, and Simran Raswant, and in partnership with all(zone), this project interrogates the possibilities of prefabricated architecture in rural settings. During site visits to Bangkok and Jim Thompson Farm in March 2024, facilitated by the Jim Thompson Art Center, twelve international students developed a deeper understanding of the complex cultural and environmental dynamics inherent to the site.

Inspired by the architectural ethos of the Jim Thompson House and Isan Village, the Artist’s Residence is conceived as a site of mobility and transformation. Prefabrication is a central design strategy, with all building components conceived to be disassembled, relocated, and reconfigured. Rather than recreating a historical Isan Village, the project offers a critical reimagining of contemporary Isan living. The program includes ten lodging units, a communal kitchen, workspaces, vegetable gardens, and other amenities. The architectural approach emphasizes material lightness, with fabric-based components and the integration of local crafts and techniques reflecting principles of flexibility and impermanence.

This studio challenges conventional paradigms that view buildings as static, completed entities. Instead, students were encouraged to approach architecture as a dynamic system—capable of responding not only to environmental challenges but also to interactions with broader ecological systems. Materials and spaces are designed to adapt, evolve, and transform in harmony with their surroundings. Informed by vernacular Southeast Asian architecture, the studio explored how buildings could accommodate natural cycles—such as the growth and decay of vegetation—while also responding to shifting social and cultural contexts. Beyond the immediate physical environment, the projects consider how architecture can engage with ongoing social transformations, reflecting changes in community practices, ways of living, and relationships with the land. The focus lies on creating resilient structures that remain open to adaptation, capable of evolving alongside both natural and social forces.

This collaborative exploration underscores architecture’s potential as an agent of resilience, addressing contemporary and future challenges through a lens of ecosystem integration, adaptability, local craftsmanship, and material innovation.

Studio Critics:
Rachaporn Choochuey, Lucy Navarro, and Simran Raswant

Students:
Carmen Chan, Kelly He, Licheng Huang, Foteini Kallikouni, Kris (Jiachen) Liu, Joan (Xinting) Ma, Sonam Sherpa, Philip Spence, Raymond Yu, Yiming Xiong, Haoran Wu and Wentao Zhu

A project from the studio, Woven Dualities, by Carmen Chen and Kelly He received the Lowenfish Memorial Prize for the most outstanding students in the final semester design studio and has been nominated by the M.Arch Program Office to represent Columbia University GSAPP for the 2024 RIBA President’s Silver Medal with the support of J.H.W. Thompson Foundation.

Foteini Kallikouni received the Honor Award for Excellence in Advanced Architectural Design.