Raintank Bath House

Driven by the abundance of rainwater in Thailand and the opportunity to collect it for daily use, the Sukhumvit Raintank Bath House was conceived as a glorified water tank. A central structural column carrying mushroom cantilevered slabs that devide an outdoor bathroom on its upper level and a soaking tub below. Encircling the flying slabs are 22 cylinders that store rainwater collected from the roof of the adjacent old wooden house. Inspired by the Thai rainwater jar or "Ong (โอ่ง)”, an everyday object that is locally used for rainwater collection, the cylinders form the Bath House’s enclosure and are the slim-line urban siblings of the ubiquitous Thai jars.  As an experimental passive cooling strategy, this circular enclosure design lets the warm tropical breathe pass through its air gaps in an attempt to naturally cool the bathroom space within.