Myanmar is one of the last places in Southeast Asia where a rich variety of traditional vernacular wooden residential architecture still survives. Yet this unique architectural heritage is rapidly disappearing. Built from locally sourced timber—including the highly valued Burmese teak—these modest farmhouses are more than just dwellings. They are living testaments to Myanmar’s cultural diversity, artisanal skill, and rural way of life.

In recent years, however, these traditional structures—quietly dotting the countryside—have faced growing threats from development, neglect, shifting social dynamics, and, more recently, conflict and an earthquake. In response, World Monuments Fund (WMF) launched the Burmese Teak Farmhouses Documentation Project, an urgent effort to catalog these architectural treasures and safeguard the cultural identities they represent.

Join us for an engaging talk on this WMF initiative to document Myanmar’s fast-disappearing farmhouses—distinct expressions of vernacular architecture shaped by centuries of tradition and ethnic diversity. WMF Senior Program Director for Southeast Asia, Jeff Allen, and Mandalay-based architect and WMF consultant, Khin Brani, will share insights and stories from the field.

Through on-the-ground documentation, community collaboration, and educational outreach, the project aims to preserve knowledge of the past and inspire future generations. In The Siam Society presentation, which previews the forthcoming July 8-27 public exhibition at Phra Phrombhichitr Architecture and Art Gallery at Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University, Wang Tha Phra Campus in Bangkok (daily from 10.00 to 16.00, closed on Sundays and public holidays), the speakers will discuss the project’s challenges, successes, and long-term vision and explore its connection to the global movement for cultural heritage preservation.