SET Money Tree - Interior architectural design thesis

Faculty of Architecture, KMITL, 2015

About the Thesis

This interior architectural design thesis presents a financial learning center that promotes financial literacy, management, and investment for people of all levels through exhibitions, learning sessions, and activities. The design incorporates the concept of a "Tree" as a metaphor for growth and investment. It uses architecture to renovate the building and redesign interior spaces based on research into user behavior to enhance the learning experience.

Project duration: May 2014 - May 2015

Advisor: Asst. prof. Charlie Maturakarn (charlie.maturakarn@gmail.com)

School: Interior Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, KMITL

Design process

Design thinking starts by asking "why" to identify a problem. For example, many Thais lack knowledge about personal finance and investments, including basic concepts like interest rates and taxes. The next question is "how" to solve this problem, which led to the design of a learning center for people of all levels. The design process involves selecting a location, analyzing existing buildings to see which spaces can be repurposed, and designing the flow of the space to create an accessible, engaging, and useful experience.

Make It Happen

After passing through the design analysis phase to the actual design process, including planning layouts, creating elevations, sections, and 3D renderings to visualize the interior space, and building a simulated model of the building to fully convey the design concept, which took almost half a year, the final result was completed successfully.

Bonus section

My thesis started off as a broad topic on economics, but it got rejected by the committee for being too general. My advisor worried that I would lose motivation, but I surprised him when I narrowed down the scope by doing extensive research.

I had a clear vision of what I wanted my thesis to be, and I went all out to bring it to life. I created an infographic that explained the design analysis of each step and even made a model out of acrylic pieces.

My hard work paid off as my thesis became a success, not just because it earned me first-class honors, but because I was driven by a big enough why.