Project Entry 2017 for Asia Pacific
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Ban Chang Town Hall, Rayong, Thailand
The project is not only the expected future prosperity of Ban Chang community; it is also about people’s perspective of the problem, power of unity, creativity and conciliation. The community members, all together have written down the new history by transforming conflict into harmonious collaboration for their better future, and also for the nation.
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Ban Chang Town Hall, Rayong, Thailand
The key of this revitalization project is to see the possibility for community’s future. It is about changing the perspective of locals and visitors in perceiving the unique identity of Ban Chang as Brownfield–Tourism community. The project encourages urban activities through organizing tourist attraction route. The town hall will serve as the gateway to Ban Chang with its location on beachfront streets connecting two famous beaches with community temples, and the highway to U-Tapao International Airport.
Last updated: March 21, 2017 Rayong, Thailand
Ethical standards and social inclusion – People
The project started from local’s wills to invest Power Development Funding in a city landmark instead of spending on an annual festival that did not benefit future generations. The environmentally friendly landmark will instead revitalize tourism; stimulate community economy by attracting visitors locally and internationally. The proposal passed through public hearing from members of village, municipal district and provincial levels leading to the approval within a year for new Power Development Funding with the supports of architect, community leader, government officer and Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate. The collaborative action expressed the solidarity among all parties, overcame conflicts between locals and power plant industry, leading to sustainable energy security of the nation.
Resource and environmental performance – Planet
The town hall utilizes the fly ash, coal combustion waste from nearby power plant as concrete mixture to gain concrete performance efficiency. Fly ash reduces cement usage, but increases strength and durability, suitable for seaside construction that requires acid and sulfate corrosion resistance. It lowers maintenance costs and risk of cracking due to the higher exothermic rate than usual concrete. Using fly ash responds to government policy of waste reuse instead of placing in landfills, reducing risk of soil contamination, water and air pollution. Less cement usage also leads to less limestone mountain destruction. The town hall construction reduces pollution and preserves natural resources by transforming fly ash into the environmentally friendly habitat for humans, plants and animals.
Contextual and aesthetic impact – Place
The town hall was designed to trigger consciousness of “living with nature through realizing the overlapping between air volume and void space”. The catenary shaped dome amplifies voices for the assembly hall. Repetitive forms function as structure and planter while the bamboo form-work traced walls express delicate handicraft feelings. Perceiving various colors of the walls stimulates energetic sense, attracting people to get inside. The town hall will be the monument of industrial history, imprinting community efforts to preserve natural resource since coal power will be replaced by other renewable energy in the near future. The aesthetic arises from polishing trash into diamonds, which resembles the beginning of city revitalization of abandoned brownfield to prosperous tourism economy.