Now on view at Jim Thompson Farm, outside of Bangkok, Thailand, this exhibition, a collaboration between the Spring 2024 Adv IV studio, led by Rachaporn Choochuey, Lucy Navarro, and Simran Raswant, and all(zone), displays GSAPP student proposals for an Artist’s Residence that interrogates the possibilities of prefabricated architecture in rural settings. This studio challenged conventional paradigms that view buildings as static, completed entities. Instead, students were encouraged to approach architecture as a dynamic system—capable of responding not only to environmental challenges but also to interactions with broader ecological systems.

The evolving role of Jim Thompson Farm as a platform for contemporary art within a rural context provides a unique opportunity to critically engage with the intersections of cultural heritage and modernity. The establishment of an Artist’s Residence is a natural extension of this dialogue, embedding artists within Isan’s rich cultural fabric. This initiative prompts a broader exploration of how contemporary architectural practices can coexist with local traditions and ecological conditions.

Through site visits to Bangkok and Jim Thompson Farm in March 2024, during GSAPP’s annual Kinne Week, twelve students visited the farm to inform, develop, and support a deeper understanding of the complex cultural and environmental dynamics inherent to the site.

Inspired by the architectural ethos of the Jim Thompson House and Isan Village at the Farm, the Artist’s Residence is conceived as a site of mobility and transformation. Prefabrication is a central design strategy, with all building components conceived to be disassembled, relocated, and reconfigured. Rather than recreating a historical Isan Village, the project offers a critical reimagining of contemporary Isan living. The program includes ten lodging units, a communal kitchen, workspaces, vegetable gardens, and other amenities. The architectural approach emphasizes material lightness, with fabric-based components and the integration of local crafts and techniques reflecting principles of flexibility and impermanence.

Materials and spaces are designed to adapt, evolve, and transform in harmony with their surroundings. Informed by vernacular Southeast Asian architecture, the studio explored how buildings could accommodate natural cycles—such as the growth and decay of vegetation—while also responding to shifting social and cultural contexts. Beyond the immediate physical environment, the projects consider how architecture can engage with ongoing social transformations, reflecting changes in community practices, ways of living, and relationships with the land. The focus lies on creating resilient structures that remain open to adaptation, capable of evolving alongside both natural and social forces.

This collaborative exploration underscores architecture’s potential as an agent of resilience, addressing contemporary and future challenges through a lens of ecosystem integration, adaptability, local craftsmanship, and material innovation.

Advanced Architecture Design VI, Spring 2024 led by Rachaporn Choochuey, Lucy Navarro, and Simran Raswant featuring the student work of, Carmen Chan, Kelly He, Licheng Huang, Foteini Kallikouni, Kris (Jiachen) Liu, Joan (Xinting) Ma, Sonam Sherpa, Philip Spence, Raymond Yu, Yiming Xiong, Haoran Wu and Wentao Zhu.