H168 House: a garden home in bangkok
Bringing together a mixed-use program of living and working, Bangkok-based studio Only Human builds this H168 House in Thailand’s capital. The design draws from the owners’ long connection to China, translating spatial concepts found in traditional paintings into a built sequence of rooms, corridors, and framed views.
A central corridor organizes the project into two interlocking halves. On one side, the private residence includes bedrooms, kitchen, dining, and living spaces, along with a garage that extends into a collectibles room and a dedicated music listening area. The other side accommodates an office, additional bedrooms, and a warehouse. This division establishes a clear structure while allowing both halves to remain visually and spatially connected through openings and courtyards.
images courtesy the architects
Courtyard as threshold
The team at Only Human opens the center of its H168 House with a courtyard to introduce light, air, and plantings to the interior. A circular opening, set within a steel beam, reinterprets the traditional moon gate. Rotated and abstracted, it frames a tree that rises through the void toward the upper level, where it meets the edge of the living area balcony. The gesture holds both symbolic and spatial weight, and marks a point of transition while maintaining continuity between ground and upper floors.
Around this courtyard, materials remain direct and legible. Concrete surfaces carry the structure and services in view, while brick surfaces define enclosure and texture. The house presents its construction openly, allowing joints, conduits, and beams to remain visible as part of the architectural language.
a circular opening in the courtyard frames a tree that rises through the building
curated views for framed gardens
The second-floor corridor extends as a long, linear passage that draws movement toward the private rooms. Above, a continuous skylight runs the full length of the axis. Its arched fins introduce a measured rhythm, casting shifting bands of light across the floor and walls throughout the day. The sequence recalls the cadence of a colonnade while remaining integrated into the roof structure.
Rooms along this axis maintain a consistent relationship to light and landscape. Openings are placed to frame greenery at close range, while larger sliding doors extend interior spaces outward to terraces and planted edges. The living room, with its circular window, offers a more contained view, focusing attention on foliage and filtered daylight.
exposed concrete and visible systems define the design language throughout
only human’s restrained material palette
Only Human curates the material palette of its H168 House to be restrained, with concrete and brick forming the primary surfaces. Imported dark grey brick, associated with traditional Chinese construction, appears across the facade and continues into the interior. Its use establishes a continuous tone that moves from exterior walls to interior floors to maintain visual coherence.
Brickwork alternates between horizontal and vertical orientations, creating subtle shifts in texture while improving efficiency. This pattern reduces material use while introducing variation across surfaces. Timber elements, including cabinetry, shelving, and ceilings, soften the composition and bring warmth to living spaces, especially in bedrooms and shared areas.
dark grey brick flows from facade to interior surfaces for a continuous tone
alternating brick patterns introduce texture while improving material efficiency
sliding glass doors open living spaces toward planted edges and outdoor terraces
timber cabinetry and ceilings bring warmth to interiors shaped by structure and light
full height windows create vertical frames for the landscape
project info:
name: H168 House
architect: Only Human | @onlyhuman_studio
location: Bangkok, Thailand
area: 870 square meters
completion: 2026
photography: courtesy the architects
lead architects: Runn Charksmithanont, Chayaluck Peechapat
design team: Thanakrit Siriseth
interior design: Only Human
general contractor: Lamphuan Phetloet
landscape architecture: Ah Ma’s Garden
engineering, consulting, electrical: KC Loft
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