Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida “Poh” Songkittipakdee

Co-Founder and Principal Architect, HAS design and research

Industry : The Arts

Before Jenchieh Hung and Kulthida “Poh” Songkittipakdee design, they observe. At Bangkok-based HAS Design and Research, the co-founders and principal architects treat local culture, climate, craftsmanship and everyday life as material for architecture just as surely as concrete, glass or aluminium.

Their research-led practice spans cultural institutions, public spaces and community
developments, with each commission grounded in its particular setting. The resulting work
addresses environmental and social questions without detaching itself from place. Projects
including Aluminum Grotto and Public Ground have earned international awards, bringing wider attention to an architectural language informed by Thailand rather than merely located within it.

The pair’s influence also extends beyond their studio. As professors and design critics in architecture, Hung and Poh work with emerging architects, while leadership roles at The Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage connect them with the profession more broadly.

Their international outlook is therefore firmly anchored at home. By presenting locally rooted
projects on global platforms, they make a case for Thai architecture as an active participant in conversations around sustainability, urban development and cultural identity. Equally important is what they pass forward: an example for younger designers of how close observation, inherited knowledge and contemporary thinking can produce architecture with relevance far beyond its immediate site.