In Ban Taklang Elephant Village, the lives of elephants and their mahouts (handlers) are enmeshed; they eat and sleep under the same roof. Mahouts prioritize their elephants’ nutrition, constantly providing fruits and vegetation and walks to water. The project is an interconnected system of occupiable multi-scale table typologies catered to elephants for dining and resting, water collection during the monsoon season, and passive farming. Located on the bank of a pond along a forest path, the tables are a pitstop for elephants and mahouts to promote the elephants’ health and happiness.

The design gained real-life context during my studio trip to Ban Taklang to truly witness the site and the local lifestyle. While the village’s devotion to the elephants encapsulated the atmosphere, it was clear that throughout the arid summer season, agriculture and reliable water supply is compromised due to lack of funds. The project gained an economic lens by facilitating community engagement in a farming cooperative to sustain agricultural demands and ensure rich soil, effective irrigation, and water recycling systems.