The Cultural Appropriateness of Housing Design: Responding to Kon Muang Local Housing Culture with Earthquake-resilient Architecture in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand

This thesis explores the intricate relationship between housing and culture, specifically within Thailand's earthquake-prone Chiang Rai province, focusing on the Kon Muang community. Recognising housing as both a practical necessity and a cultural artifact shaping identity, the study underscores the critical need to integrate cultural dimensions into post-disaster housing design for the wellbeing of affected communities. In the Kon Muang context, animism and kinship beliefs significantly influence housing practices, forming the foundation for resilient and culturally appropriate designs. Utilising theoretical frameworks, including animism, kinship, modernisation, and type and typology concepts, the study integrates cultural attributes into housing design and construction practices. A case study approach examines both traditional and modern Kon Muang housing forms through architectural and typological analyses. The exploration of traditional Kon Muang houses underscores their deep cultural significance, highlighting spatial arrangements influenced by animistic and kinship concepts, as well as distinctive structural elements. Design briefs are created to introduce key cultural elements in Kon Muang housing practices, forming a foundation for integrating these aspects into architectural design. The research tracks the evolution of traditional housing practices during modernisation, identifying changes in spatial organisation, house forms, and structural elements. In assessing government housing designs, a lack of cultural alignment with Kon Muang's practices is highlighted, underlining the need for culturally sensitive approaches in housing design provision. In response, the the thesis suggests culturally rooted housing designs as prototypes for alternative permanent government housing. These prototypes, incorporating cultural, architectural, and spiritual elements, function as communicative and preparatory tools, fostering understanding between the Kon Muang community and government authorities, while anticipating future seismic events. Beyond their practical utility, these designs play a vital role in preserving and respecting Kon Muang's cultural heritage within their housing and community.