Thread: A "not so Grand Design" in Ubon Ratchathani

Well, after a long delay partly because of Covid and then me prevaricating, the missus and I are about to start building. Or perhaps I should say, we are about to start starting while we wait for the designated lucky day. According to the local abbot, there was only one good day left this month and 3 next month...including the 13th , Christmas Day and the 27th (just before everybody stops work for New Year). The cynical might think these are the only days left that the monks are not already booked for weddings or house blessings. So the provisional lucky day is Jan 11th

After eliminating a couple of potential builders for various reasons it came down to a choice of 2 more, finally settling on Khun A/Ae/Eh or however you would transliterate เอ๋ ? He is a full time builder, not a farmer doubling up for some off season work, and the demo houses we looked at were ok, no complaints from the owners.
We had some Sketchup drawings that were going to be turned into proper plans by a guy at the local Or Bor Tor but while we were dillydallying he moved on to greener pastures so we had to pay a proper architect to draw up plans, which is where the first minor hiccup has happened. Despite giving him lots of Sketchup drawings and screenshots of how we visualised things he did his own version. Nothing too major that requires structural revisions, just stuff like putting a window where the wall mounted TV is planned, not leaving space for the washing machine in the clearly designated laundry/outside toilet, and no windows in the workshop cum shed cum storeroom. We have a meeting planned with Khun A/Ae/Eh in a couple of days to sort these out.
My Sketchup drawing:

Approx 230sq.m. of internal space including 2 bedrooms, Buddha space for the wife's mumbo-jumbo, decent sized kitchen and living areas. Lots of covered outside relaxing space as well, something I considered essential. Also the workshop/store/escape from the wife space and space for a small home gym and all her hulahoops !

looks excellent. but i would completely cover the area between the house and the what i assume will be the workshop building, for shade and to keep the rain off, and i would have 2 bathrooms in the house.

good luck with the project.

Some of the architect's errors :

My idea, clearly showing an extractor where he placed a window, and the archway walls he left out (highlighted in yellow above)

As I said before, nothing major that requires structural changes but just little mistakes that should not have been made.

Originally Posted by taxexile

looks excellent. but i would completely cover the area between the house and the what i assume will be the workshop building, for shade and to keep the rain off, and i would have 2 bathrooms in the house.

good luck with the project.

there is only the 2 of us, so one bathroom inside is enough plus the outside for visitors on the verandah imbibing too much booze and needing a quick piss. There is going to be shadecloth over patio area, I want to landscape that with orchids ferns etc. Plenty of dry space on the 36 sq.m. verandah !

The land is just under one rai, about 500m from the center of town and 80m down a dirt track. Rice paddies at the rear, and vacant blocks to the front and one side, a disused market garden on the other, so nice and quiet.
highlighted in yellow:

We are going to have ta word with the neighbor about her shonky power pole on the corner outside our land ! After this rainy season it is leaning a lot more !

why not put the washer where the shower is....the drain and water supply are there, nobody will probably use that shower and you can still wash your hands after making a colon blow.

Originally Posted by mikenot

My idea, clearly showing an extractor where he placed a window, and the archway walls he left out (highlighted in yellow above)

Why not have the extractor go straight up? That way you get light over your stove?

Originally Posted by Topper

why not put the washer where the shower is....the drain and water supply are there, nobody will probably use that shower and you can still wash your hands after making a colon blow.

That's another thing, there was never supposed to be a shower in there ! It could go in that spot, I will have to think about if there is enough knee space.

Why not have the extractor go straight up? That way you get light over your stove?

I would rather clean cooking splatter off tiles than a window. Also the best height for the extractor is around 60-70 cm above the cooking surface, standard windows are 110 or 100 cm high so it would look a bit weird.

Originally Posted by mikenot

I would rather clean cooking splatter off tiles than a window. Also the best height for the extractor is around 60-70 cm above the cooking surface, standard windows are 110 or 100 cm high so it would look a bit weird.

Fair enough, but isn't cleaning up cooking splatter for the wife? Having a wall there also gives a place to hang tools or seasonings.