I first met Mr. Youk Chhang, or simply “Pou Youk” as we affectionately call him, well over two years ago when I was working on my undergraduate thesis. He was kind enough to meet with me and later let me accompany his team a few times to Veal Veng, Pursat (a former Khmer Rouge stronghold) where there is an ongoing effort to document not just the district’s Democratic Kampuchea history but also its peoples’. One of the main goal of the field office is to promote dialogues and reconciliation between the perpetrators and the survivors living together today, as well as bridging the historical gap between the older generations and the younger ones. Some time later, I was given a chance to visualize what the center’s office could potentially look like.

The brief was precise and simple : An off grid steel structure that stands out from the local architecture but still speaking a similar language, with 100% visibility from any angle from the outside, housing a flexible office and community space capable of catering to various needs and demands including an art-filled workspace, a place for community gatherings and events, and even a temporary place for visiting staffs to stay. The bathroom will be a separate structure.

Veal Veng district is nestled in the Cardamom mountain range. Everywhere, breathtaking views of forest vegetations and mountainous silhouettes are waiting to be framed by a window.

Following the area’s vernacular architecture, the structure is raised on low stilts and sporting an unapologetically wide but low pitched roof. The space is then divided into a glass-walled indoor space and an outdoor space that sandwiches a sunken conversation external courtyard. More design features below: