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DrAndy

We bought a small piece of land in Chiang Mai old city centre about three years ago. It is only about a quarter of a rai. there was an old wooden house in situ, with poor foundations.




We designed a house, essentially a U shape, which would take up most of the land space. The centre of the U was intended to be a courtyard.

We got planning permission for 3 stories, and a 3 metre front wall. This latter was intended to reinforce the enclosed courtyard feel.

After a couple of years, and renewing the planning permissions, we started building the wall




My SD card failed, unfortunately, so there are no more pics of the building of the wall until this next stage




we will increase the side fences later

This is the Soi that the land is in, quite small connecting two of the main roads in the old city inside the moat. Very quiet but very close to lots of bars and restaurants etc etc




more wall building pics




I don't like the knobs on top, they will go. The lower inset decoration is good though. Both of these features were put in by my wife when I was away!

There is a large back-set gateway and a small pedestrian gate; both these will have wooden gates made eventually.

The left hand side wall




and the inside view of the right side





well, that is the wall. We did not do any more building for a while. We let the wooden house to parents of a friend and did other things (like building our house in the ricefields)

When we returned to CM last year, in September, we thought it was about time we built the place.

so we demolished the wooden house and started in earnest

__________________
keep 'em coming

DrAndy

The house gone and high sidings to protect the neighbours







The teak trunks we had stored in the house. They will be used for supporting the rebuilt wooden house which will form one wing of the new house (i.e. the right hand wing of the U shape)

At this time we also decided that a three storey house was a bit too large for our uses, so we cut off the top storey. We now are building a two storey house with a flat roof terrace.


another view of the land









we dug up all the good plants and took them away


the workers built themselves a nice toilet, connected to the old septic tank




so, the land was totally cleared and work started

benlovesnuk

wow cant wait for this beauty, i have high expectations looking at those trunks you got, im sure as to your other threads you surely wont dissapoint!

Any inclination into price and how about you came by the land, if one might be so forward?

Marmite the Dog

I didn't even get a guided tour over New Year. Very upsetting.

Rural Surin

I trust you replace that nice old wooden Thai structure with something similiar. Instead of these homogenous and dismal looking cement/brick abodes.

Scandinavian

Nice to read this and see the pics. Wish u all the best during your construction, looking forward to seeing more pics as it progresses.

DrAndy

thanks folks

building can be stressful but if you find the right architect (to translate your ideas), the right builder (flexible and energetic) and the right project manager (wife who can call up and complain, congratulate or just chat), then the stress will be within fun levels


Marmite, why should you? it was just a building site, no drinks or food

Ben, my wife found the land just asking around. Price, don't remember, but more than ricefilelds!

RS, no, not similar, but better! That old house was not very pretty, just functional. The wood, however, was all teak, so will be reused.

more pics soon!

Now we are on the subject, as was said, the house will have a courtyard as centre stage

The high wall will reinforce that feeling. As the land is quite small, we could only get a courtyard about 4m wide, hardly sufficient for what we want (yes Marmite, parties and lots of food). So we are keeping the ground floor of both wings of the U open. The courtyard will then extend under the house on both sides.

Should be fun.... the building continues

Rural Surin

Good to see that your reusing that teak! At today's prices...that is if you can't find it blackmarket. Outside of retaining heat {a big drawback} - I love tropical hardwoods.

DrAndy

Actually, the trunks are reasonably new, confiscated by the government from illegal loggers. They were also reasonably priced and delivered. It took five or six guys to move them!!

They should be fun to erect, prob need some builders Viagra

Marmite the Dog

Fair enough.

Jolly good. When is the moving in party?

Lily

Yep, how long?

DrAndy

well, the basic building will take until the end of April, that is, no decoration, tiles or anbathroom or kitchen fittings. So there will be a building, weather proof but unfinished at that time. Then we go away for a few months and hope to finish it towards the end of the year

party time

DrAndy

however, before we have that party, we have to do the building

This is the single men workers house, nice bicycle eh?

the married couples are staying down the road




The site laid out and the metalwork begins



The first hole gets dug by hand




The women knitting the iron; the site office on the right




more iron delivered, safely! The guy in the orange shirt is the foreman




The first hole hits water at about 1.5m. This means every hole will have to be pumped out and drained before concrete can be poured




anyway, we have the first hole ceremony, to propitiate the spirits



they should be happy now; we also threw loads of gold coins in the hole (well, 25 and 50 satang pieces)




they found an old well in one of the holes



so we reclaimed the nicely curved bricks

DrAndy

next, they started the proper digging

some of the foundation holes were very large and deep



you may ask why

they decided to knock down part of the wall....

the neighbours had complained that the trucks blocked the road, so they had to get them inside the site. never mind




cement delivery; the truck managed to get inside enough



The building continues, the ground beams in place, ready to pour




As you can see, the site is very cramped so they took the wooden house to storage, except the tree trunks

the windows and doors I am sourcing from reclaim woodyards are also stored in the same place...as are some ancient bricks I found which will be great for the courtyard. They came from a demolished tobacco factory.

Pics later of that

this is more beams and posts



and then those being poured

they use the cement truck to deliver into an old bath, which they then shovel into buckets for delivery to each beam

I don't think the trucks have pumps!

Anyway, they then vibrate each pour to settle the cement betweem the iron

jandajoy

good to see they're using a riddler (vibrator) doesn't seem common in LOS.

Are this crew available for hire, outside CM ?

DrAndy

depends on how far, I would think

I doubt they would want to locate to another province

Lily

Good one! I should be just about ready by then for a trip to Thailand!

Texpat

Back at it again Andy...

At least you've been down this well worn road before...

benlovesnuk

courtyard is a pretty sweet idea...................here's mine................well the one i would like to have:

Airportwo

Great stuff! be following this with interest as house sounds some what like the next project! a house yes, but with flat roof as Dr Andy's planning, also planning building as U with courtyard, though as land bigger will include pool or pool on flat roof.