Typologies of Waterfront Verandas: Edging Place and Connections

Abstract

This research aims to build an architectural typology of waterfront-dwelling verandas, a defining habitat for many communities living along the rivers of Thailand. The waterfront veranda is, in this paper, considered as an in-between space, a place at the edge of two spheres, a place that separates but also connects, and also a place of transition. Verandas in Thai traditional dwellings are considered as essential elements of the domestic space, encapsulating the lifestyle of their residents and their connection to the neighboring environment. Yet, despite their outstanding features and their significance for communities, they have not received much attention from heritage practitioners and architectural historians. This paper builds this typology on the basis of nine case studies of waterfront dwellings surveyed along the Om-Non Canal, Nonthaburi Province. The survey offered the author of this paper an opportunity to explore spatial relation schemes, conduct observations on environmental behavior, and also interviews.

Survey findings show four emergent types of waterfront verandas: (1) pavilion type; (2) veranda type; (3) veranda-plus-pavilion type; and (4) gallery type, all of which approximately take up between 20-25% of the total ground floor area of the dwellings surveyed. On the one hand, each type surveyed features a distinctive spatial arrangement which testifies to the relationship between the waterfront dwelling and the neighboring waterway and the boundary between the two spheres. On the other hand, all waterfront verandas share this common feature as an in-between and edging place in terms of semi-open transition and offer spatial flexibility for mixed use functionalities and social space for informal interactions with other residents of waterfront communities.

In conclusion, waterfront verandas encapsulate the sense of identity of waterfront communities even if water transportation among these communities has seen its role decline significantly. As new suburban residential developments encroach on these traditional waterfront neighborhoods without any connection to their immediate environment, understanding of this typology of waterfront verandas may offer alternatives for meaningful redevelopment of waterfront neighborhoods and contribute to reconcile the needs for preserving the cultural identity of waterfront communities with the pressure of future property developments.