HIGHLIGHTS

• Prestigious ASEAN Recognition: The Siri Witthayalak Building at Thammasat University won First Runner-up in the Tropical Building category at the ASEAN Energy Awards 2024, affirming its excellence in energy-efficient design tailored to hot climates.
• Innovative Sustainable Design: The building incorporates tropical architectural principles—such as natural cross-ventilation, skylights for daylighting, and extended eaves—to significantly reduce energy consumption while enhancing occupant comfort.
• Educational Philosophy in Architecture: Its oval shape and central courtyard reflect the values of equality and collaboration, aligning with the Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education’s mission to promote inclusive and interactive learning.
• A Model for ASEAN and Beyond: The award not only enhances Thammasat’s sustainability credentials but also serves as a benchmark for environmentally friendly architecture across Thailand and the ASEAN region, inspiring broader adoption of green building practices.

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The Siri Witthayalak Building, the learning hub of the Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education at Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, serves as both a teaching facility and an administrative office for faculty and staff. It is also a key venue for academic activities such as workshops and seminars. Recently, this building brought prestige to Thammasat University and Thailand by securing the First Runner-up award in the Energy Efficient Building category at the ASEAN Energy Awards 2024. This highly regarded ASEAN-level award underscores the university’s commitment to developing environmentally friendly buildings and fostering sustainability.

Siri Witthayalak Building Clinches First Runner-up at ASEAN Energy Awards 2024

The ASEAN Energy Awards 2024, organised by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), aims to promote excellence in energy efficiency, renewable energy development, and clean coal technologies across ASEAN. Recognised as the premier award in Southeast Asia for encouraging private sector involvement in sustainable energy development, the Energy Efficient Building category falls under the broader Energy Efficiency and Conservation Awards. This category specifically highlights practices and technologies that reduce energy consumption in buildings throughout the ASEAN region.

The Siri Witthayalak Building received the First Runner-up award in the “Tropical Building” sub-category, which recognises structures designed specifically for hot and humid climates. This achievement demonstrates the Siri Witthayalak Building’s success in achieving energy efficiency within the predominantly hot ASEAN climate. The award criteria for this category emphasise the importance of design that considers the unique characteristics of local weather conditions. Beyond the Siri Witthayalak Building, various projects and organisations from other ASEAN member states also received awards in different categories, showcasing a collective dedication and progress towards sustainable energy development across the region.

Unveiling the Success: Key Energy-Saving Features

The distinctive features and meticulously designed energy-saving technologies are what made the Siri Witthayalak Building stand out, earning it the ASEAN Energy Award 2024. A crucial aspect of its design is the incorporation of tropical architectural principles to minimise electricity consumption.

• Natural Ventilation: A key highlight is the building’s open, rectangular shape, which allows cross-ventilation from all directions. This design significantly reduces the need for air conditioning, a major factor in lowering the building’s overall energy consumption. This unique form is not just aesthetically pleasing but also genuinely energy-efficient.
• Natural Lighting: The Siri Witthayalak Building features strategically placed skylights to maximise the ingress of natural light. Utilising natural light reduces the reliance on artificial lighting during the day, leading to substantial electricity savings. Furthermore, natural light contributes to a bright and comfortable indoor environment for all occupants.
• Heat Reduction Design: The building incorporates extended eaves and external balconies on every floor. These architectural elements effectively reduce direct heat gain into the interior, keeping the building cool without excessive reliance on air conditioning.

Architectural Concept: Blending Innovation and Distinctiveness

Beyond its outstanding energy-saving attributes, the Siri Witthayalak Building boasts a distinctive architecture that seamlessly integrates innovation and unique character. The building’s unique oval shape symbolises equality and comfort, implying that no single part of the building is more important than another. This reflects the philosophy of the Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education, which prioritises educational equity.

At the heart of the building is a central oval courtyard with a skylight, making the interior feel bright and expansive. This central area is designed for versatile use, accommodating seminars, meetings, or small group activities. The design concept also encourages interaction and discussion among users, providing spaces for both formal and informal learning. Additionally, outside classrooms, U-shaped seating arrangements facilitate casual interaction.

The Siri Witthayalak Building also prioritises Universal Design, featuring accessible ramps to accommodate all users thoughtfully. The overarching design concept is to create an academic building that serves as a second home for students and staff—a space that fosters connections and promotes a collaborative learning atmosphere. Considering the physical relationship between the building and its surroundings was another crucial design factor, ensuring aesthetic harmony and coherence with the university’s context.

An Award Inspiring the Architectural Sector

Receiving the First Runner-up award at the ASEAN Energy Awards 2024 is not merely a source of pride for the Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education at Thammasat University; it also holds significant and widespread implications for the architectural sector in both Thailand and the ASEAN region.

For the Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education, this award enhances its reputation and credibility as an educational institution committed to sustainability. The Siri Witthayalak Building stands as a clear example of applying energy-efficient building design principles, which is highly beneficial for teaching and research in related fields. Furthermore, having a prominent sustainable building can attract more students and personnel interested in environmental issues to the university.

At the national and ASEAN levels, the Siri Witthayalak Building’s success serves as an inspiration and a model for other construction projects, particularly academic buildings and those in hot climates. Its design, emphasising natural ventilation, natural lighting, and heat reduction through architectural components, demonstrates a viable approach to creating energy-efficient and environmentally friendly structures. This achievement also highlights Thailand’s potential in developing sustainable architecture and contributing to ASEAN’s energy goals. Moreover, the award encourages the private sector and various organisations to increasingly prioritise sustainable building design, stimulating continuous investment and innovation in building energy efficiency.