Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS), through its Faculty of Architecture, works with local authorities and community organizations to address housing needs, urban planning and community development in Songkhla Province. In 2025, these collaborations focused on accessible housing, public infrastructure development, climate-resilient urban planning and post-disaster recovery.
Collaborative Planning for Affordable and Accessible Housing
Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS), through its Faculty of Architecture, works with local authorities and community organizations in Songkhla Province to address housing needs, improve residential accessibility and support community-based housing development.
From19-21 May 2025,lecturers and students of the Urban Planning Program worked with the Songkhla Provincial Rehabilitation Fund of the Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization (Songkhla PAO) to conduct field surveys for the home adaptation program for persons with disabilities and bedridden patients.
The team visited and collected data on a total of 162 homes in five districts of Songkhla Province: Hat Yai, Na Mom, Bang Klam, Khlong Hoi Khong and Sadao. At each home, lecturers and students met residents and their families, assessed the physical condition of the house, measured rooms, doorways and access routes, and identified barriers affecting residents’ safety and mobility. The collected data will be used to prepare home adaptation designs and recommendations, including ramps, accessible bathrooms, handrails and safer flooring, to support improvements under the Rehabilitation Fund.
On 17 September 2025, Faculty of Architecture lecturers participated in a workshop to develop the 2026 Action Plan of the Songkhla Provincial Rehabilitation Fund, managed by the Public Health Division of the Songkhla PAO. The workshop aimed to establish directions, strategies and activities responding to local needs. As a working partner of the fund, RUTS brought its experience in home adaptation and accessible housing into the provincial planning process.
On 25 September 2025, RUTS lecturers participated in the Songkhla Provincial Housing Collaboration Forum at Tha Kham Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Hat Yai District. The forum brought together 125 participants from community organizations, government agencies, housing development networks and educational institutions to discuss cooperation and define joint operating guidelines.
The Faculty of Architecture, together with Muslim Architects for Community, presented its role in designing house plans for bedridden persons with disabilities. The meeting agreed on a draft shared goal of developing safe, secure and accessible housing through community participation and self-management. The proposed approach included establishing subdistrict working groups, conducting household surveys, organizing community forums, preparing subdistrict housing plans and mobilizing volunteer builders and architects. RUTS was identified as one of the provincial support partners.
Urban Planning and Community Infrastructure Development
RUTS also contributes architectural and urban planning expertise to local development initiatives involving municipal authorities.
On 18 March 2025 a Faculty of Architecture research team met with the Deputy Mayor of Songkhla City Municipality to discuss guidelines for developing Mueang Songkhla Hospital into a modern healthcare facility. The discussion focused on developing the hospital site in line with the physical and cultural context of Songkhla city, preserving the architectural value of existing buildings while providing facilities suited to community needs.
On 23 May 2025, the Faculty of Architecture participated in the handover ceremony of the Landscape Improvement Project for Bus Stops of Songkhla City Municipality (AIS 3BB Fibre BUS STOP). Working with the municipality and private-sector partners, RUTS Visual Arts students contributed artworks to eight bus stop locations across Songkhla city. The project aimed to improve public spaces, promote local cultural identity and enhance the urban landscape.
On 19 September 2025, Urban Planning lecturers participated in a Hat Yai Economic Council meeting at Hat Yai City Municipality, together with representatives of the municipality, private sector, academic institutions and civil society. Discussions included the community-level development of the Klong Toey Link project, the survey and design of pedestrian walkways in central Hat Yai, and proposals to develop the municipal public park into an ASEAN-level “Well Park.”
As urban planning specialists, the RUTS lecturers contributed academic perspectives on pedestrian-friendly urban design, community development and the improvement of public spaces.
Disaster Recovery and Climate-Resilient Urban Planning
On 7 November 2025, lecturers and students from the Urban Planning Program participated in the World Town Planning Day seminar under the theme “City in Nature for Climate Change,” hosted in Songkhla by the Provincial Office of Public Works and Town & Country Planning.
The program presented student-prepared area development plans for communities in four southern provinces, including Koh Yo Subdistrict in Songkhla and Pak Phanang Municipality in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The exhibition provided an opportunity to share planning proposals with government officers, professional planners and local stakeholders, alongside discussions on climate-resilient urban development.
On 12 December 2025, lecturers and first-year Urban Planning students joined officers of the Songkhla Provincial Office of Public Works and Town & Country Planning to inspect buildings damaged by the severe floods in Hat Yai District in late November 2025.
Working alongside provincial officers, the students surveyed flood-affected neighborhoods and commercial streets, observed damage to houses and shophouses, and recorded building conditions using mobile devices. The collected information supported the provincial authority’s damage assessment process, helped prioritize repair and recovery, and provided an evidence base for assistance to affected households.
Related links:
1. Survey of 162 Homes for Persons with Disabilities (19–21 May 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DNV79q9Tb/
2. Songkhla Provincial Rehabilitation Fund Action Plan (17 September 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18Jxo9oBGQ/
3. Songkhla Provincial Housing Collaboration Forum (25 September 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DbRPB2H6f/
4. Mueang Songkhla Hospital Development (18 March 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/189qi3ngyu/
5. Street Art and Eight Bus Stops (23 May 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CDw79fGUx/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FJYuvtzKm/
6. Hat Yai Economic Council Meeting (19 September 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ej7L4hWfP/
7. World Town Planning Day 2025 (7 November 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CATXA5SHx/
8. Flood-Damaged Building Inspection, Hat Yai (12 December 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ETQ33aykF/
9. Make Walking Safe: Safer School Routes (16 May 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1De5AgArWy/
10. Design for Change Road Safety (30 January 2025)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A73ArHfm2/