Kalae House

The kalae house is a traditional style from Northern Thailand's Lan Na region, centered on modern day Chiang Mai and nearby districts such as Hangdong, Doi Saket and Sankampang, and takes its name from the decorative wooden carving, the kalae, that projects from the peak of its gables, typically about half a meter long. A kalae house consists of two compartments sharing a single platform, raised on stilts for protection from flooding, and its floor plan is organized into distinct areas for sleeping, cooking, a veranda, a terrace and storage space underneath. The design draws on Lanna building traditions together with the practices of various Tai ethnic groups, and its roof is deliberately oriented along the cardinal directions, usually facing north or south. The style has evolved over more than two centuries, and later houses tend to have lower gables, louvre covered gable faces and more complex interior layouts than the earliest examples.