Prach Tinrat and Siwat “Toon” Wittayalertpanya

Co-founders, Cultural-Oriented Design Studio

Industry : The Arts

Objects, buildings and rituals often carry culture further than written histories. At Cultural-Oriented Design Studio, or CODE Studio, Prach Tinrat and Siwat “Toon” Wittayalertpanya draw upon those forms of continuity to give inherited knowledge a contemporary life.

Working across architecture, art and collectible objects, the co-founders approach Thai heritage as an active design resource rather than a fixed set of references. Their seven Mae Sue rocking figures capture this philosophy with particular clarity. Inspired by stories associated with Wat Pho and Thai astrology, each incorporates a guardian animal connected to a specific day of birth, reinterpreted through traditional woodworking.

As the studio’s CEO, Toon brings an architectural and urban perspective to its work. After studying architecture at Chulalongkorn University, he completed a Master’s in Housing and Urbanism at London’s Architectural Association School of Architecture. His interests centre on heritage and its place within contemporary urban development.

Design director Prach specialises in Thai art and design, supported by a Master of Architecture in History and Theory from the Korean National University of Arts. His portfolio includes consultancy and curatorial work for Sooksiam at ICONSIAM, Mahamakut Buddhist University and the Thai Festival in Korea.

Together, Prach and Toon resist treating tradition as something to be preserved behind glass. Instead, they translate its stories, symbols and techniques into forms that can remain relevant, functional and present.