Mud Brick Library Building for Baan Luuk Rak - Khon Kaen, Thailand

This year we waited out a long and protracted rainy season to begin our building season in October.  After plans to build a library at another home were undermined by a royal donation (of a complete library!), the staff at Baan Luuk Rak in Khon Kaen asked if the DCF could build there instead.  The home which has been active for over 10 years and currently provides support to more than 40 children is a project of the Child Help Foundation in Thailand.  Dragonfly was asked to turn an empty and unused plot on the home’s land into a library and fun learning space for the kids to use.

Quick Details:

Construction Period = November 2009 - January 2010

Budget = 78,951 THB

# Volunteers = countless

# Paid Workers = none

# Bricks Made = 3200

# Building Days = 36

Project Timeline

By July 2009, architecture intern Elena Martinez de la Varga had created a design for a 6m x 8m hall, and modifications were added by DCF staff to make use of new materials and techniques.  October saw countless Khon Kaen locals (mostly university and technical college students) donate time on the weekends to slopping around in mud pits until we had amassed an amazing 3000 bricks!  The land was also built up and sadly the water buffalo lost its wallow.

In November our building volunteers arrived and began the 18-day building work, starting with plotting out and digging foundation trenches, pouring a concrete foundation, building up the walls with windows and doors incorporated, and designing and building in bench seating.  A special feature was a wall section built out of old glass bottles, which took a lot of effort to create.

In December and January, after the main volunteer team had left, roof construction took place, as well plastering and painting walls, building seating and shelving, wiring electricity, setting in doors and windows, and outside landscaping.  This work was aided by innumerable visitors and volunteers to the home, most of whom are local high school students.  The library was officially opened in February, decorated with mobiles and paintings made by the children and volunteers.

Unlimited thanks to the main builders: Adam Edholm, Ben Taylor, Mari Mcleod, Charlotte Simpson, and Tomoko Fukuwarai.  Additional assistance came from Tipawan Chansri-ngam, Michael Hoffbauer, Jarrod Roberts and students of St. Stephen’s International School, Cheyen Dijck, Sofia Bravo, Nanda de Smit, Manny, Ot + Oat, Siobhain McDonnell, Hannah Gassman, Kim Tjarks, Martin Walsh, Nienke van Os, Garrett McDaniel, Ana Antonetti, Graham Bigmore, and most of all the kids and staff of Baan Luuk Rak.

Budget information is reported through this PDF file on www.dragonflycommunity.org

This build was powered by generous donations from the following sources:

Aj. Nipa Sonsa-ardjit, Tipawan Chansri-ngam, and Mr. X
Mark & Michelle Kempe
Vip Nandanwar
Siobhain Mcdonnell, Maureen Green, Andrea Twibill, Cecilia Wan, Debbie Drewsen, and Diane Burnett and ProCare Personnel
Anonymous
Marjaana Haljala
Dom + Katie Holmes
Kevin & Cynthia Hocking
Ian Newman
Berni + Ken Hart
Jed & Mary-Anne Kelly
Pierre Geirnaert
Scott Roman
Marian Lockwood
Sebastien Brusseau & Isaan Lawyers
Staff and students of Uttaradit Rajabhat University
Paul Mountjoy
Gordon Bailey & Tokyo Stars and Stripes
Joan Williams
Will Squier

Thank you to all who helped on this great project!