A Raised Home Among the Mountains
W House II by IDIN Architects rises above the landscape of Nakhon Ratchasima, a region of Thailand framed by open fields and distant hills. Conceived as an evolution of the owner’s original home, W House I, the new residence extends both the living space and the experience of the site. It serves as the family’s main dwelling, while the first house remains as a guest retreat below.
The design brief began with a desire for togetherness, which translated into a single-story home where the family could remain visually connected throughout the day. Yet the owner also wished to preserve the elevated mountain views once enjoyed from the rooftop of W House I. The solution was to lift the entire concrete house seven meters above the ground to the height of that former rooftop, thus creating an elevated plane that combines open sightlines with a sense of refuge.
images courtesy IDIN Architects
a garden for the family cows
With the W House II’s raised configuration, the team at IDIN Architects creates a covered garden and grazing space for the family’s two cows, while the living quarters and swimming pool occupy the upper level. The balcony wraps continuously around the house, allowing for long views that shift subtly with light and time. From this perimeter, the horizon feels close enough to touch yet far enough to frame a quiet distance.
Inside, the living spaces sit slightly higher still — forty centimeters above the balcony — so that when the glass doors slide open, residents can sit at the edge with their feet suspended above the view. The gesture turns the entire facade into a threshold between home and landscape.
W House II rises seven meters above the ground in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
idin architects’ waffle slab structure
The form of W House II is carried by two long concrete walls that anchor the building while freeing the plan from unnecessary supports. Between them, the floor plate adopts a Waffle Slab structure, which resolves the span while giving the underside of the house a patterned relief. The rhythm of the slab is both technical and expressive, echoing IDIN’s interest in structural clarity as an architectural language.
A double-skin facade extends this logic of precision. The inner layer is glass, and the outer consists of operable wooden screens that filter light and adjust to the family’s need for privacy. When closed, the house reads as a muted volume of concrete and timber; when opened, it becomes permeable to the landscape, its edges dissolving into air and foliage.
the raised structure preserves mountain views once enjoyed from the rooftop of W House I
inside W House II
Exposed concrete continues from exterior to interior surfaces, unifying the volume and anchoring it to the site. Against this neutral backdrop, maple wood introduces warmth and a finely grained tactility. The material palette remains disciplined — wood, concrete, and stone — but its interplay creates a calm domestic atmosphere that feels both grounded and open.
In the kitchen, slabs of Green India stone add depth and color, catching daylight in their polished surface. Throughout the house, the natural tones of the materials reflect the shifting palette of the surrounding terrain — subtle greens, dry earth, and the pale gray of distant mountains.
At the center, a large modular sofa defines the living area as the home’s gathering point. Designed to be reconfigured for reading, conversation, or rest, it captures the spirit of the owner’s wish for shared space. From this vantage, the family remains connected across the open plan, with sightlines extending toward the pool and the landscape beyond.
a continuous balcony wraps around the house for shifting views throughout the day
the ground level serves as a garden and grazing area for the owner’s two cows
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