Asst. Prof. Apiwat Pattanasirimongkol
Abstract :
The architectural design of commercial public spaces is closely connected to everyday life. Small-scale public spaces have grown rapidly, shaped by economic pressures that demand efficient use of limited areas and by social trends in which people seek niche communities with shared tastes and lifestyles. These conditions have formed a distinct cultural pattern.
Bar Kabin is a local Thai restaurant and craft-beer venue in Kabinburi District, Prachinburi Province. The project involves renovating an existing reinforced concrete structure formerly used as a snooker club, featuring a 400 sq.m. open-plan interior and a 371.5 sq.m. outdoor area.
Key design considerations include:
• The year-to-year lease requires minimizing the impact of new installations on the existing structure, ensuring the building can be restored to its original condition.
• The large interior should be divided into 3–4 smaller zones to support phased construction, reducing Phase 1 fit-out costs while allowing future expansion. These divisions directly affect the capacity of air-conditioning and electrical systems, helping reduce MEP expenditures.
• Should future partners or tenants join the business, the subdivided spaces can serve as rental units. Circulation design must ensure that users of Phase 1 still perceive cohesion and continuity between zones.
• Reserve 2–4 parking spaces for EV charging stations.
• Introduce greenery in the outdoor courtyard to create shade and reduce heat absorption. Large concrete planters with broad-leaf trees provide sufficient soil volume without requiring floor excavation.
• Apply semi-permanent surface treatments—such as synthetic rubber mats and artificial grass—to reduce heat retention and enhance the comfort of the outdoor dining area.
• Replace sanitary ware while maintaining their original locations to avoid additional underground piping and maintain proper sanitation standards.
By integrating these considerations, the project achieves a functional and adaptable space shaped by deliberate choices in materials, installation methods, and spatial planning. Its aesthetics do not rely on bold visual expression but on subtle, experiential qualities perceived through use. It embodies situational appropriateness—an understated yet thoughtful aesthetic shaped by multiple dimensions of design thinking.
Objectives :
To design a commercial public space using lightweight and semi-permanent construction systems that minimize impact on existing building elements, while employing a phased construction strategy to reduce initial fit-out areas, optimize material use, and enable scalable future expansion.
Conceptual Framework :
Input
• Economic conditions
• Social conditions (target consumer groups, community culture)
• Physical condition of the existing building
• Time and budget constraints (yearly lease contract)
Process
• User behavior analysis
• Selection of materials and installation techniques that allow for disassembly and reassembly
• Phased construction planning
• Designing to accommodate new systems (EV charging stations)
• The concept of “Aesthetics of Constraint”
• Designing within a budget appropriate to the lease agreement
Output
• Flexible and expandable commercial public spaces
• Installation systems that minimize impact on the existing building
• Spaces that create a sense of connection between users and the owner
• Situational Aesthetics
Contextual Analysis / Site Analysis
The Sun Path Diagram and hourly. Shadow Study from 06:00 to 20:00. Reveal that the most intense sunlight occurs between 12:00 and 14:00. This Condition highlights the need for additional trees to provide shade and artificial grass to reduce heat absorption from the concrete surface.
• Microclimate Analysis
The microclimate simulation indicates a significant difference in ground surface temperature between the existing condition and the proposed design with added trees and artificial grass.
In the existing scenario, large portions of the concrete surface reach temperatures of 42–45°C during peak hours in April (around 14:00), contributing to severe heat stress across the outdoor area. The absence of vegetation results in high thermal absorption, causing the surrounding microclimate to retain heat and making the space uncomfortable for users.
In contrast, the proposed design, which incorporates broad-leaf trees and patches of artificial grass, shows a noticeable reduction in surface temperature. Shaded areas beneath the trees drop to approximately 35–39°C, while zones covered with artificial grass exhibit lower heat retention compared to exposed concrete. These changes reduce thermal stress levels and create a more comfortable microclimate for outdoor dining and circulation.
The comparison confirms that strategic placement of vegetation and surface-temperature-reducing materials effectively mitigates heat gain, enhances user comfort, and improves the environmental performance of the outdoor courtyard.
• Behavior Mapping Diagram
The restaurant is located near the Saha Group industrial zone, resulting in a primary user base composed of factory employees with diverse job roles, income levels, and break-time schedules. The availability of affordable local food and craft beverages allows the establishment to accommodate a wide range of users. The space begins to receive customers from 11:00 a.m. during the lunch period, typically workers who seek quick meals, short stays, and easily accessible seating.
By early evening, the outdoor courtyard becomes the most actively used zone, supported by natural shade, prevailing breezes, and the warm ambient lighting that encourages longer and more relaxed stays.
These behavioral observations inform the time-based user density mapping (Low / Medium / High User Density), reflecting the real patterns of space utilization. The analysis helps identify zones with high capacity potential, as well as areas that require improvement to reduce congestion and enhance user comfort in future phases.
• Cost Reduction Matrix
Process / Methodology :
Techniques and Materials :
For the exterior architectural finishes, bamboo was selected as a primary material due to its local availability. The bamboo was first soaked in water to remove natural sugars and then sun-dried a traditional method used to protect it against termites and beetles. The bamboo pieces were assembled into panels by inserting threaded steel rods through the internodes and securing both ends with metal washers and nuts. These bamboo panels were then installed over the existing metal sheet wall by adding top and bottom C-steel framing and fastening them with self-drilling screws.
For the interior partitions, fiber-cement boards were used, while aluminum-framed glass panels were incorporated in areas where spatial continuity and visual connection were desired.
Result / Conclusion :
In commercial public spaces, the fundamental objective of a project is profit. When design is able to strategically plan material selection, installation and dismantling methods, study the existing building conditions to make the most of what is available, create spaces that accommodate revenue-generating technologies, and craft an environment that delivers a strong first impression this becomes a design approach that integrates multiple dimensions.
The outcome is the smiles of both users and the project owner. This is not merely a superficial beauty perceived through the eyes, but an experiential aesthetics felt through the act of occupying the space.
Quantitative outcomes further reinforce the effectiveness of the design approach: phased construction reduced initial fit-out areas and costs; semi-permanent systems minimized structural intervention; microclimate strategies lowered outdoor surface temperatures by approximately 6–10°C; and behavior mapping demonstrated improved user distribution throughout the day.
These measurable results support the project’s aim to balance economic efficiency, spatial
flexibility, and user comfort—embodying a synthesis of design logic and lived experience at “Bar Kabin.”
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