Architectural Characteristic of Row Houses in Thakhek Old Town of Khammouane Province, Lao’s People Democratic Republic.

Abstract

Thakhek old town is a traditional and historical center of the commercial street. The row houses in this area were built to accommodate commercial and residential activities, possessing key values in linking the past economic and socio-cultural history with the present. This article was aimed at studying architectural characteristics of the row houses in Thakhek old town by means of research and documentary investigations, field survey, observation and interview. The data was analyzed in terms of architectural features regarding the use of space, façades, materials and structures. The findings revealed two styles of the row houses: 1) The French colonial style influenced by the western style mixed with Vietnamese construction techniques – The buildings were constructed with thick plaster, having gable roof, hipped roof covered with terracotta tiles, corrugated fiber-cement roof, or zinc roof, and wall stucco decoration. 2) The modern style, with the exterior form changed with the mainstream trend at that time – The buildings were constructed with reinforced concrete, half-brick plastered walls, shed roof or low gable roof supported with ornamental iron and covered with metal sheet, corrugated cement tiles or concrete with no specific patterns. In terms of building function and the use of space, both styles have a similar floor plan, i.e., the front rectangular area is parallel to the road with a pillar-to-pillar width of 3.00-4.50 m, a depth of 16.00-24.00 m, and a height of each floor of 3.50-4.00 m. The first floor is used for commercial activities and storage, while the upper floor is for living. The row houses in Thakhek old town are important cultural heritage influenced by architectural characteristics of France and the United States of America. Their physical elements are of values and importance in the old town. The information derived from this study forms the initial step for urban and historical conservation processes. Moreover, the valuable information obtained will be used as the database for the study of appropriate conservation model of row houses. The owners of these houses are interested in conservation and most would like to retain the front facades of the building. They would like relevant organizations to plan the conservation procedures based on an international approach and process in order to develop the area as a tourism attraction that links with the Savannakhet old town and Nakhonpanom in Thailand in the future.