Colonial House – Heuan Queripel1
Heuan Lung Que is a colonial style house, built in 1926. It was an early example of such houses in this era. Colonial style houses in Chiang Mai were first built by foreigners working with trading or logging companies in Thailand and Burma. Some of the early adaptations were the covered veranda and large doors and windows for better ventilation. The style became popular later among the aristocrats and the nobles.
This floor plan of this house is rectangular in shape. The entrance to the house is at the center of the building. The first room upon entering the house is a big hall with a fireplace on one side. The stairway leading up to the first floor is also in this hall which is uncommon in Lanna traditional style houses.
The ceiling of the ground floor is relatively high to aid the ventilation. The first floor ceiling is not as high and has access to the roof. The veranda is totally covered so it can be used during the day and keep the rain and the sun away from the main compartment.
The owner of the house was Mr. Arthur Lionel Queripel, a British trader working for the Bombay-Burma Trading Company. The house was constructed in 1922 by a Burmese architect called Mong Chan.
Thailand was occupied by the Japanese during World War II from the 1941 invasion until 1945, during which time Mr. Queripel and his wife Dokchan were forced to leave the house.
After Mr. Queripel passed away in 1946 in Bangkok, the Queripel family returned to live in the house until it was expropriated by the government and became part of Chiang Mai University in 1963.
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