Finding an architect near Chiangmai

[jrmaanda]

Can anyone recommend a good architect near Chiangmai, or at least give me advice on how to find one? I may need a rather unusual one as it is for designing a house that will be 17th or 18th century European in appearance. I wouldn't need him to take charge of interior decoration (I already employ a skilled craftsman full-time), and he wouldn't need to speak English fluently (I can speak Thai). But I badly need:

     - Someone who can advise on and probably take charge of electricity, lighting, plumbing, drainage, ventilation etc.

     - Someone to draw up plans that would be accepted by the local planning authorities, and possibly for other purposes.

     - Someone with wide knowledge of how and where best to order the materials needed (excluding the stone and brick to be used for the walls), ideally including knowledge of how to obtain some materials from abroad that can't be found here.

 

I'm afraid I don't even know where to start looking, and I got badly cheated when I tried to find something like this twenty years ago.

[chilli42]

Sorry to say but the nearest good architect to Chiang Mai is likely in Singapore.  I suppose some are dishonest, though we have not had that problem.  They just don’t know their craft.  If you plan to use a Thai architect and don’t plan to spend mega bucks at one of the top firms then you better read up and know your stuff because the run of the mill architect in Thailand will not.

[chalawaan]

Wow, building in Chiang Mai? You're optimistic!

Most overbuilt City in possibly the world, resale values negligible.

Then there's the smoke... soot on everything all year round.

If you must build in Kalaland try Korat, it's going to be Bangkok's Milton Keynes when the high speed rail and freeway are finished. 

If it purely a vanity project, beware everywhere, nothing to stop some Somchai building a keenok bar with loud music blaring right next door. And there's nothing you can do about that either, except kill him.

[bluejets]

https://lenhend.com/building-in-thailand/

[AJBangkok]

I’m currently buying an unfinished house and completely changing the floor plans. I used a web based service called upwork to find freelance architects and it’s pretty good. I am using an architect in Arminia and one in Ukraine. They charge $30 per hour and $25 per hour respectively. The lady in Arminia is good she has a PHD in architecture and I think she has worked on historical buildings although she has more modern buildings in her portfolio. 
The upwork app does all the monitoring and billing and limits the working hours to 40 per week and in her case her first week she worked 14 hours.  
If you know what you want you can send them pictures and measurements of the plot ( and some inspiration pics ) and a hand sketch then you work with them to refine what they produce.

As far as using the plans for approval in Thailand I think you may have to get the cad files and have a local draftsman translate them but I don’t know the area you are in and the requirements as a lot of places in Thailand don’t need serious plans. The local land office would have somebody to take your plans and make them compliant for a small fee.

I have used Thai architects and designers for several condo renovations in bangkok ( which is more expensive than countryside) and they usually want to charge a % or 500k plus. Depending on how long I use these ones on upwork I’ll spend between $1000, to $2000 each. I think for an entire house you may need to budget 3-5k but it really depends on how much you time you want to spend on it. 
Check out upwork sand search for architect house plans or something like that. If you want the name of my Arminian architect ( she seems the better of the 2 i’m using ) then PM me.

 

Good luck.

[AJBangkok]

BTW you are still going to have to get an engineer to do the foundation. An international architect can give you the full plans you may need to get a local engineer to certify the foundation. Also if you want somebody to source materials etc and oversee the build you need to hire a foreman or a project manager. When I did my house in Hua Hin I hired a retired expat who had previously worked in the building trade. Not hard to find but hard to find a good one. 

[charliebadenhop]

There is an architect in CM that did some very nice work on a large meditation center in the CM area. Try googling. 

[LukKrueng]

19 hours ago, jrmaanda said:

... for designing a house that will be 17th or 18th century European in appearance. ...

 

 ...  - Someone who can advise on and probably take charge of electricity, lighting, plumbing, drainage, ventilation etc.

I think they didn't have electricity, lighting, plumbing, drainage, ventilation in the 17th - 18th century...

[chilly07]

As a retired UK architect and developer I can only advise going on personal recommendations and references with visits to examples of work. Absolutely no point using a designer out of the country. In Thailand you will stand a better chance of finding a Builder/Architect combination but again you will need references from satisfied clients and many site visits. You could start by You Tubing the many Farang bloggers who have built their own using Builder/Architect combinations.

[Janner69]

K.Art - 0815945128

CM based , good English and very easy to work with.

[placnx]

2 hours ago, AJBangkok said:

I’m currently buying an unfinished house and completely changing the floor plans. I used a web based service called upwork to find freelance architects and it’s pretty good. I am using an architect in Arminia and one in Ukraine. They charge $30 per hour and $25 per hour respectively. The lady in Arminia is good she has a PHD in architecture and I think she has worked on historical buildings although she has more modern buildings in her portfolio. 
The upwork app does all the monitoring and billing and limits the working hours to 40 per week and in her case her first week she worked 14 hours.  
If you know what you want you can send them pictures and measurements of the plot ( and some inspiration pics ) and a hand sketch then you work with them to refine what they produce.

As far as using the plans for approval in Thailand I think you may have to get the cad files and have a local draftsman translate them but I don’t know the area you are in and the requirements as a lot of places in Thailand don’t need serious plans. The local land office would have somebody to take your plans and make them compliant for a small fee.

I have used Thai architects and designers for several condo renovations in bangkok ( which is more expensive than countryside) and they usually want to charge a % or 500k plus. Depending on how long I use these ones on upwork I’ll spend between $1000, to $2000 each. I think for an entire house you may need to budget 3-5k but it really depends on how much you time you want to spend on it. 
Check out upwork sand search for architect house plans or something like that. If you want the name of my Arminian architect ( she seems the better of the 2 i’m using ) then PM me.

 

Good luck.

Building techniques in Armenia might be quite different from Thailand. I hope that your architect knows that construction here is normally concrete post and beam usually spaced at 4 m. If the plans have details in English it should not be a problem for a local architect to redo them in Thai.

 

As for the OP, the problem might be execution, finding the craftsmen. Some architects in Chiang Mai can produce quite sophisticated results.

 

A while back an architect in Chiang Mai city was lamenting that buildings under 400 sq m didn't require a permit, but that may also depend on how many floors.

 

These days decor shops I used to use have disappeared. You may need to source drapes and fancy furniture in Bangkok.

[itsari]

Since you have made your mind up what design of house you want then i say you need a good building engineer only .

[JBChiangRai]

My company designs and builds in Chiang Rai.  I have seen most building projects fail where the foreigner wants to build in anything other than the traditional Thai way.

 

My advice is to build Thai traditional and finish off the appearance in the style you want, supervise that bit every minute they are working.

 

Never ask Thai builders to build in a way they don’t understand unless you’re an expert and can be there all the time.

[Netease]

You don't mention your budget, or size of house, going with what you are asking for in one person expect to pay double for the building with all the commissions paid

[Tropposurfer]

7 hours ago, chilli42 said:

Sorry to say but the nearest good architect to Chiang Mai is likely in Singapore.  I suppose some are dishonest, though we have not had that problem.  They just don’t know their craft.  If you plan to use a Thai architect and don’t plan to spend mega bucks at one of the top firms then you better read up and know your stuff because the run of the mill architect in Thailand will not.

I agree with the respondent.

If you're going down this route only the very best from Singapore, maybe there's someone existing in LOS but I have never heard or seen a decent Old Euro style home here.

If you can find one they will be pretty costly as they will see you coming and charge accordingly, especially since you're asking for a design they would have studied (like other regional and historical styles) at university but have probably zero practical drafting experience creating.

A good port of call is the Thai Architects Association.

I mean no offence to Thai architects but most of the houses I have seen designed are atrocious with mind boggling waste of space and terrible flow etc with only the highest quality builds being good.

I'm curious about the desire for a European styled designed home? This design does not lend itself to the tropical conditions of LOS e.g ventilation/ drafting, over-hangs for shading western side walls, heat transfer from roof cavities.

Might I suggest you consider a French modern provincial style home if Euro style is not-negotiable for you. This style is far more amenable to the climatic conditions here and is more considerate of hot summer weather and therefore more suited to LOS.  Have you considered commissioning a French architect,?

If English style is what you have your heart set on then a Pom architect, why not explore commissioning an architect based in Europe to design a home for you.

You can do all this remotely with a bit of research and initial Zoom conferencing.

A skeleton draft idea won't cost you a bomb to get and if this proves fruitless you can either ask for a redraft of the skeleton design or move on to another architect.

Most western architects, if not meeting your brief expectations, will refer you on without angst.

All you have to do is provide them a scale plot diagram with topographical levels. Any decent to good architect can design anything you want from that.  

I'd imagine if you want to find one here you'll have to venture to BKK which isn't an issue in reality as if good he/she will be able to provide a project manager that will be of equal skill and quality to oversee and interpret the plans for the builders.

I had a great architect in Phuket, a Thai but he's a rare bird in his western design and thinking towards architecture.

He might be able to design for you, although he is by all I have seen highly influenced by western modernist (not wedded to the Lana style) and not a builder of such a style as you are keen on.

If not he might be able to refer you to another in LOS? His name is Khun At of Botanica Developments.

Edited February 7, 2022 by Tropposurfer

[attento]

17C or 18C - a period of 200 years.

Europe has many countries, and many styles within each country.

Freezing Scandinavian winters to hot southern Europe.

Palace or cottage.

 

You might consider narrowing your choices, but I guess you already have a specific style in mind.

 

Wish you every success with this ambitious project

[jrmaanda]

2 hours ago, attento said:

17C or 18C - a period of 200 years.

Europe has many countries, and many styles within each country.

Freezing Scandinavian winters to hot southern Europe.

Palace or cottage.

Yes, you are right of course. I must confess I haven't made up my mind on anything specific beyond the requirement that it look pre-19th century (I stress "look" only for the poster who sees inconsistency in my wanting electricity and plumbing). Beyond that, my mind is open, and something hybrid might suit Chiangmai better. Thanks for your kind good wishes. I expect I'll need them.

[jrmaanda]

9 hours ago, itsari said:

Since you have made your mind up what design of house you want then i say you need a good building engineer only .

So where should I look for a good one?

[jrmaanda]

9 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

I have seen most building projects fail where the foreigner wants to build in anything other than the traditional Thai way.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "the traditional Thai way"?  My understanding of that expression is a wooden house on stilts. I've already built two little houses that way, one in Lanna style and one central Thai, and I personally think they both look superb, but they leave a certain amount to be desired in terms of comfort. I've also built a smallish house modelled on a 17th-century English gate-house, which worked out well, but it was fairly simple and my craftsman employee "got" it. But my new project is much bigger and this time I know I'm not up to designing it: I'm much too ignorant to avoid serious mistakes. Can you explain a little more why you think a Thai builder wouldn't be able to cope if he had clear instructions from a competent architect?

[jrmaanda]

7 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

 

I'm curious about the desire for a European styled designed home? This design does not lend itself to the tropical conditions of LOS e.g ventilation/ drafting, over-hangs for shading western side walls, heat transfer from roof cavities.

Thanks for giving me such a full reply. It is not so much that I insist on European style, as that I insist on looking pre-19th century, as I find modern architecture hideous. I've already experimented here with traditional (wooden) Thai architecture and 17th-century European brick, and found the latter much better for comfort and maintenance. I am absolutely keen on adaptation to tropical conditions, but hope to do so without compromising exterior aesthetics. But I don't know how to do so in any detail.

7 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Have you considered commissioning a French architect,?

No, because I don't want anything modern in any national style.

7 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

If English style is what you have your heart set on then a Pom architect, why not explore commissioning an architect based in Europe to design a home for you.

 

Yes, as with the similar kind advice of AJBangkok, you have here opened me up to possibilities that hadn't occurred to me before, and that I must explore. Thank you.

[itsari]

6 hours ago, jrmaanda said:

So where should I look for a good one?

I have used a Thai engineer working for the local community . He works part time for himself . 

Main handicap is his English is not good but makes up for that with his knowledge . 

Most architects are not engineers .

I am located in the Chiang Mai province .

[JBChiangRai]

11 hours ago, jrmaanda said:

I'm not sure what you mean by "the traditional Thai way"?  My understanding of that expression is a wooden house on stilts. I've already built two little houses that way, one in Lanna style and one central Thai, and I personally think they both look superb, but they leave a certain amount to be desired in terms of comfort. I've also built a smallish house modelled on a 17th-century English gate-house, which worked out well, but it was fairly simple and my craftsman employee "got" it. But my new project is much bigger and this time I know I'm not up to designing it: I'm much too ignorant to avoid serious mistakes. Can you explain a little more why you think a Thai builder wouldn't be able to cope if he had clear instructions from a competent architect?

By "Traditional Thai way" I mean concrete post and beam on pads or piles, with block walls of some sort and cement rendered.

 

I've seen foreigners ask Thais to build in steel or to finish with real "finishing plaster" and it either fails miserably, looks a mess and/or goes massively way over budget.  On more than one build, I've seen the contractors walk off site, never to return, invariably with more money than is reasonable at that point.

 

I think you have to be extremely tactful to work with Thai construction teams too, they are very sensitive and losing face can be a major problem.

 

It's quite possible to build post and beam and finish it off with architectural decoration to look different, for example, look at the Queen Mother's swiss log cabin at Mae Sai, it's actually concrete post and beam construction.

Edited February 8, 2022 by JBChiangRai

[fabruer]

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