Rueankorat : The Development of Local Architecture of Thai Korat Ethnic Group

The Development of Local Architecture of Thai Korat Ethnic Group
for creating arts and culture learning model to exalt Nakhon Ratchasima province to the City of Arts

Nakhon Ratchasima as well-known as Korat has the original ethnic group -Thai Korat. It has unique local architecture, called Rueankorat. It is the residence built based on the tradition and wisdom of local craftsmen which expressed the original social and culture procedure. Because of changed social phenomenon, it results less popularity of Rueankorat and wisdom of craftsmen is nearly to disappear. Therefore, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University (NRRU), incorporated with lecturers, students, and alumni, runs the project to develop the local architecture learning source of Thai-Korat ethnic group by creating the arts and culture learning model in order to exalt Nakhon Ratchasima province as the City of Arts and to conserve the wisdom of local craftsmen which is nearly to disappear as well as to promote the conservative of valuable architecture, indicatingcultural prosperity of the nation for people in the future. Also, it strengthens values for the society preserving the original Rueankorat instead of demolishing it and built it later. Moreover, it is beneficial as the learning model which integrates art activities to add value in terms of the commercial perspective and utilizes the arts to lead the drive of the city of art procedure.

Reuankorat (ReuanPhor Kong), the Tradiitonal House of korat

In 2018, NRRU cooperated with the alumni to investigate and plan to conserve the original Rueankorat in accordance with the academic principle by collecting the dataof configuration before demolishing, transporting, and relocating it in Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University. As a reason, Rueankorat became worthy as the learning source in terms of history, architecture, and local wisdom of people in Korat. All branches of local wisdom was collected in order to develop Rueankorat as the outdoor visiting place for the public to gain knowledgesuch as local planting, an exhibition of rice-culture (barn), an exhibition of community technology (water turbine), art dissemination such as Korat folk song, Korat folk dance etc. as well as to provide opportunity for the private sectors to investigate and to reproduce Rueankorat as the Cultural Mall which was concrete and sustainable expansion.

In terms of communication and campaign to promote love, cherishing, and proudness of the locality, research and the subject such as Local Architecture were promoted as well as the exhibitions, publicizing academic documents, creating learning media for interested people in the area especially for the youths. They could learn and understand their cultural background and feel cherished of their intellectual heritage of the predecessor. The performance of Korat folk dance was developed based on the knowledge base of Rueankorat as well as organizing the event to add the economic value (Rueankorat outdoor) in the Art and Cultural Festival.

In 2019, NRRU pushed the listing Rueankorat as intellectual heritage of the nation. In terms of traditional craftsmanship, it was publicized in the Government Gazette and received the price of Architectural Conservation Award from the Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King in honor of the committee to conserve the valuable old building as the treasure of the nation. Later, in 2020, the project of development of Rueankorat was chosen as the outstanding one in Intangible Cultural Heritage by the committee of Cultural Heritage Conservation.

NRRU collaborated withMinistry of Culture to raise Nakhon Ratchasima province to the City of Art. With determination of lecturers and students to create opportunities and to cooperate with people in the community in the process of arts and culture management, it resulted the development the city with arts by utilizing the area of Rueankorat in learning and providing various facilities for creative activities. Department of Local Culture was the key inspirationreflecting the uniqueness and the image of the city which Nakhon Ratchasima province was regarded as one of the three cities of art in Thailand. Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University was the host for organizing Thailand Biennale Korat 2021 whereas Rueankorat of NRRU was one of the important destinations of this event.