TYIN Tegnestue is a non-profit organization that does humanitarian work through architecture. In February they have finished the Soe Ker Tie House, a project located in Noh Bo [Tak, Thailand], made with iron wood construction, that is prefabricated system, assembled on-site, using bolts to ensure reasonable precision and strength. Most of the materials is delivered by the Karen National Union on the Burmese side.

No Boh is a village on the border between Thailand and Burma inhabited by 2000 Burmese refugees that for different reasons are not permitted into the refugee camps. The orphanage here is run by Ole Jørgen Edna, a migrated Norwegian. TYIN was given the task of designing and building new accommodation for some of the children. The basic idea behind separating the sleeping quarters into 6 different houses was to recreate a sense of normality to the children’s existence. Every child needs their own space, a home and a neighbourhood. In the houses, all the beds are elevated from the ground floor to grant privacy and leave the space for common use. The buildings are placed on the site, out of alignment, to give the spaces in between different characters and uses.

The wall cladding is made out of different types of weaved bamboo, and the roof is in corrugated steel, as we can see in the image below:

The wooden construction is elevated from the ground with concrete shoes to prevent material decay and give better air circulation inside.

Catherine Slessors quotes on her review for the AR Magazine [November 2009]: "This project involves the construction of a serie of dormitory pods for No Boh's expanding orphanage. Originally capable of housing 24 children, the amount of accommodation required soon doubled. A dismaying statistic perhaps, but it has catalysed an architecture of simplicity and dignity that uplifts the spirit. rather than design a large, single dormitory building with institutional overtones, the aim was to recreate the children's more experience of living in a family house".

Client: Ole Jørgen Edna Program: 6 sleeping units Budget: 68.000 NOK (Approx. 10.000 USD) Project year: November 2008 – February 2009 Photographs: Pasi Aalto