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A Modern Breeze Blocks Home in Ho Chi Minh City

A Modern Breeze Blocks Home in Ho Chi Minh City

      / Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Peter Montalbano /

/ Photographs: Tanakitt Khum-on /

The architecture of this Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City is perfectly suited to the hot, humid climate, with an imaginative counterpoint of plants, greenery, and airy openings keeping it shady and pleasant inside and out.

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City

Shunri Nishizawa, architect and owner of this 5-story row house, designed the Nishizawa Architects office into the basement. Floors 1-3 are rented to a Vietnamese family with a bedroom and dining room on the first floor, living room on the second, and more bedrooms on the third. The Nishizawa family itself has its living room on the fourth floor and bedrooms on the fifth.

Levels from the basement up to the fifth floor alternate between open and closed design, according to their use. Catching sunshine and natural breezes, the second- and fourth-story balconies are edged with small gardens.

This makes the tall building less constricted while allowing for easy air circulation from the front through to the back. Alternating levels extend out from the building’s frame, with the floors above shading the ones below.

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City
Sun diversion screens: the design comes from the hollow brick concept, but uses larger units, so the breeze enters more deeply and freely while keeping intense sun and rain from indoor areas.
Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City
A spiral staircase provides access to the second floor.
Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City
A comfortable work environment at the office of Nishizawa Architects.

The small gardens not only make residents feel relaxed, but also filter out intense light and cool the breezes blowing through. The second and fourth floors feature concrete ceilings sculpted with curves rather than the harsh lines found inside most buildings. This makes the light more diffuse in the interior, creating the relaxing perception of being in a natural stone cave.

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City

Shunri says, “This house shows a true combination of ‘tropical’ and ‘modern’ architectural design coming from understanding traditional living patterns in this hot, humid Vietnamese climate as well as how to set things up perfectly for contemporary life.

“It’s safe and secure living with modern comforts such as air conditioning, yet still answers our need to be close to nature, with sunlight, breezes, and open spaces connecting to garden and plants right here in the house.”

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City

The overall design can be adapted to many different functions. Shunri draws on his experience growing up with multipurpose spaces common in Japanese homes. Areas such as the living room are strategically partitioned to block direct light and view, simultaneously giving privacy and an open feeling.

Hollow blocks, a popular Vietnamese building material, inspired the design. They provide shade, aid circulation and effectively protect against sun and rainstorm.

More than just comfortable living, this house offers a charming blend of nature and architecture ensconced in an oasis of calm right in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City.

This breeze blocks Tropical house is actually much better described as a “house and garden” than simply a “building.”

Modern Breeze Blocks home in Ho Chi Minh City

 


Architect: Nishizawa Architects


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Rainy Season Forest Garden for Tropical Areas

Rainy Season Forest Garden for Tropical Areas

Rainforest ecology is the design concept here, the verdant lushness associated with tropical jungle. Use high-tolerance plants that adapt themselves to the natural environment and don’t require a lot of long-term care.

/// Thailand ///
 Landscape Architect: Warawut Kaewsuk, Supong Haewpet  /// Photography: Tanakitt Khum-on

– Image of Garden and House –

Here emphasis is on the garden: the designer has removed the house from the diagram to focus on the surroundings, revising and reapportioning them to bring back the feeling of the rainforest that was once there; the house will be added later. The owner’s first concern is creating a waterfall, pond, and gazebo for relaxation; only then will the concept be enlarged to include a house in a supporting role for the garden, enabling the owner to fully enjoy this creation.

– Building a Forest-Like Atmosphere –

Garden design deals with three primary levels: low, medium, and high. A forest atmosphere is created visually through using the natural lines of the plants. Trees are the highest, rising up above, but freshwater mango can be a slightly lower exception with curves leaning together, arbor-like and welcoming, above the house entryway. Plants of middle height running along the fence can add privacy. For ground cover use plants with wavy and sinuous lines set at natural-looking intervals, closer to the water source perhaps ferns, and further downstream plants requiring less moisture.

– Waterfall Format –

Think of the stages of a natural waterfall: first is seepage, small drops descending along crevices in the rock; these eventually join and flow into a larger falling stream. The waterfall should not be so high that it could get the house wet, and it should give off a soft, restful sound. Because of space limitations, trees should be put in before the waterfall framework is built, otherwise there won’t be space for any large roots. Ponds should be designed about 0.8 to 1 meter deep. Waterfalls are usually built using 2 types of stone: granite and porous volcanic rock.

– Creating an Ecosystem –

In general the garden should be based around medium-sized and small plants. Plan sections with plants that grow naturally by themselves: vegetable fern, various kinds of glochidon, forest lilies, roselle, Malay ginger, rhododendron, etc. Combine these with plants available in the general landscaping market: monkey grass, Siam tulip, turmeric, elephant ear, and so on. Use as few imported varieties as possible and organize them so they can adapt symbiotically, offering natural benefits to each other; this will make for easier maintenance.

– A Standout Point : Easy Maintenance –

This type of garden requires little maintenance and doesn’t use ordinary grass, although surrogates such as monkey grass can offer a similar atmosphere. Where it’s shady, pebbles or fine gravel can be used as ground cover: this gives the garden a tidy look, and can be used to create a walkway around the house, protecting against the entry of poisonous animals. Maintenance of a rainforest garden mostly involves only pruning, and with minimal exception, pesticides or poisonous substances aren’t needed.

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Room x Living ASEAN Design Talk

Room x Living ASEAN Design Talk

Under the heading “LIVING ASEAN: MODERN TROPICAL (re)DESIGN,” magazines Living ASEAN and room present world-class ASEAN architects in conversation as they share experiences and inspirations in contemporary tropical design work: July 29, 2:00 PM at the 2017 Baan Lae Suan Midyear Fair, Hall 100, BITEC Bang Na.

// ASEAN ///

Joining in this discussion will be famous ASEAN architects from four companies located in Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, each of whom has received numerous awards for outstanding design work expressing its own unique identity. So who, exactly, is on the program? Let’s look at the list …

Kannika Ratanapridakul “Modern tropical architecture: ‘design to fit the situation.’” This is the ruling concept of Spacetime Architects, under the direction of founding architect Kannika Ratanapridakul. She believes that using architecture and nature as starting points, greenery and agricultural space should be mixed and blended with urban residential formats. This will lead to an improved quality of life while also providing the basis of a modest food source for people of the future. Design that makes the deepest connection with the surrounding natural world results in architecture the most compatible with a hot, humid climate. This is the unique identifier of Spacetime’s tropical architectural design.

PTT’s Urban Forest program /Photo : Sitthisak Namkham
PTT’s Urban Forest program /Photo : Sitthisak Namkham

Link : https://www.facebook.com/spacetime.kalatesa/


Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Nguyen Hai Long – “Brick and natural sunlight are an enduring beauty.” These two Vietnamese founders of Tropical Space are recent recipients of an “Architizer A+” award in the area of “Architecture + Workspace” for their “Terra Cotta Studio.” Their designs reflect a profound understanding of Vietnamese culture and ways of life, at the same time providing intelligent and skillful solutions for living under hot, humid conditions. Their straightforward brick constructions are open, comfortable, well-ventilated, and bring natural sunlight directly into living spaces. These designs show the influence of Louis I. Khan, a legendary architect they both admire, who once wrote “I sense Light as the giver of all presences . . . .”

Link : http://khonggiannhietdoi.com/


Hotel Art Fair Bangkok 2017

Hotel Art Fair Bangkok 2017

30 leading galleries and artists from across Thailand and abroad have turned a Bangkok hotel into a vibrant art destination well worth a visit. The event, which is the fourth edition by Farmgroup, takes place on June 24-25 at the Volve Hotel on Sukhumvig 53, just off Thonglor BTS Station. Be there!

/// Thailand ///

 

Living ASEAN files this report on a glimpse into the art world. Here are 15 of the rooms that will capture your fascinated attention. Check this out.

The Barn Curated by Farmgroup

Room 202: The Barn Curated by Farmgroup

The room features a special project initiated by Farmgroup in collaboration with 11 Thai artists. Paying tribute to the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s musical talents and passion, each distinguished artist created a vinyl record jacket design based on his or her interpretation of His Majesty’s selected compositions.

 

Pomme Chan
Pomme Chan

Room 201: Pomme Chan

The room is rich in exhibits by internationally renowned artist Pomme Chan, but this time it’s not about paintings. Intriguing exhibits include ceramics, decorative objects, and carpets from Pomme Chan’s collections.

 

C.A.P Studio and Jojo Kobe
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Room 207: The C.A.P Studio and Jojo Kobe

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Gallery Seescape
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Room 301: The Gallery Seescape

The exhibit features a rich combination of works by seven artists from Gallery Seescape, including Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, Anon Pairot, Torlarp Larpjaroensook, Chol Janepraphaphan, Uten Mahamid, Silwataka Ramyananda, and Thepmetha Thepboonta. All of the works on show represent a new creative series.

 

Note Kritsada
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Here, artist Note Kritsada presents all of the portrait paintings he has done so far this year. They reflect issues of sexuality and conscience, as well as social networking and artistic temperaments.

 

Bangkok Citycity Gallery
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Room 307: The Bangkok Citycity Gallery

307 features interesting pieces of by three street artists in collaboration with the Bangkok Citycity Gallery. They include Alex Face, Beejoir & Lucas Price, and Tae Parvit. Their works in the realm of prints, paintings and installations are known for arousing curiosity and interest.

 

Dr.Apinan Poshyananda
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Room 403: Dr. Apinan Poshyananda

On display here are paintings that Dr. Apinan Poshyananda received from some famous artists. The show sets in motion the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 (BAB 2018), which is a new contemporary art festival. Dr. Apinan is the CEO and art director of the event, which will be held from November 2018 to February 2019 on various locations around the capital.

 

Serindia Gallery
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Room 404: The Serindia Gallery

The Serindia Gallery, in association with Art for Cancer, a charity project using art and creative ideas to raise funds to help underprivileged cancer patients in Thailand, is showcasing paintings and sculptures by its four female artists. The works selected for the show are much admired for their colors, patterns, and their reflections on women.

 

Atta Gallery

Room 406: The Atta Gallery, and Paw-Dee Lifestyle

The ATTA Gallery, in collaboration with Paw-Dee Lifestyle, a contemporary Thai crafts and lifestyle store, is featuring an intriguing array of works in contemporary jewelry by Japanese artists. Meanwhile, Paw-Dee Lifestyle also makes a prominent exhibition of decorative objects by Thai artists.

 

H gallery
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Room 407: The H Gallery

The H Gallery features a new series of paintings by five local and regional artists, including Soomboon Hormtientong, Manit Sriwanichpoom, Mit Jai Inn, Jakkai Siributr, and Sopheap Pich. All of the paintings on show are abstract art and being presented through oil, acrylic, and canvas printings.

 

9 Best Ideas for Gorgeous Internal Courtyards

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/// ASEAN ///

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Most Inexpensive Michelin-starred Restaurant Opens Thailand Branch

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In a new challenge for the celebrated “hero of street food,” today Singapore’s Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, the cheapest restaurant in the world to achieve a starred Michelin rating, is opening a Thailand branch in the Asoke area of Bangkok.

/// Thailand / Singapore ///
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Liao Fan Hon Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle in Chinatown Food Complex

From the outside, Singapore’s Chinatown Food Complex doesn’t look like anything special; but in 2016 its own “Hawker Chan,” a food stall specializing in Singapore-style chicken rice, brought a lot of buzz to the gourmet world by receiving a Michelin star, immediately becoming the cheapest  Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. Already popular, the shop experienced such an increase in customer volume that chef/owner Chan Hon Meng decided to expand into a second branch. This is now tucked away on Smith Street, an alley across from the food center, under the name “Liao Fan Hon Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle.” Branch number three quickly followed in the form of an air-conditioned restaurant on Teng Street, just outside the Chinatown Food Complex. Meals there are a bit more expensive: instead of 2 Singapore dollars per plate, chicken rice is priced at 3.8 dollars.

Liao Fan Hon Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle on Smith street
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  After a lifetime of hard and conscientious work, chef/owner Chan Hong Meng himself is now known as “the hero of street food” in Singapore. His shop’s popularity has grown so much that customers have to wait in a long line that snakes all around the food center.

Hawker Chan in Bangkok / Photo: Samutcha Viraporn
Hawker Chan in Bangkok / Photo: Samutcha Viraporn

The added branches helped to accommodate customer volume, but it wasn’t long at all before the Hawker Chan name went international. Now the Terminal 21 trade center in Thailand hosts the latest branch, an eatery with the slogan “World’s First Michelin-starred Street Food Stall” still featuring the same basic menu as the Singapore shops: chicken with rice or egg noodles, chicken with char siu, crispy pork, and pork ribs.


 

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7 Enchanting Brick Houses

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Brick has existed as a building product for thousands of years. Genuine clay brick is durable, affordable, and easy to maintain. Why choose brick? Find the answer in these enchanting brick houses.

/// ASEAN ///

 

 

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A Snug Steel Home Built between Old Houses

A Snug Steel Home Built between Old Houses

 / Phrae, Thailand /

/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Tanakitt Khum-on /

This newly built snug steel home comes with “tai thun,” the lower open space, that allows cool air to pass through. Woodwork and a contemporary steel frame add remarkable touches to what now includes a coffee shop, clothing store, and family homestay.

Steel Home
The steel house is built between the two aged wooden homes.

Originally there were two old homes on the property before the new steel structure was built in the in-between space: one belonged to the grandmother, the other to her son, Kriangkrai Phithayapreechakul. It was a small house built on a raised foundation in 1986.

The plan was to connect the old homes to the new steel structure that contains a coffee shop, a clothing store, and a homestay.

Steel Home
The homestay lobby.

“We had already moved out, and were living in the central business district of Phrae,” said Kriangkrai.

“At that time,” added his wife Sasithon Chai-uphatham, “we were planning to live and do business there. But Mom (the grandmother) got sick, so we decided to come back.

“Our daughter, Kik or Kansiri Phithayapreechakul, was about to graduate, so we figured we could do our batik work right here at home. And we would be happier living together.”

Steel Home
[Left] The existing home on one side is the grandmother’s house with “tai thun” space. It has since become the guesthouse’s living room. / [Right] The lobby-cum-dining room of the homestay.
Steel Home

A shade tree in the yard keeps the front porch cool during the daytime hours.

Sasithon’s batik brand, “Thai Thaw”, is akin to “Roketsuzome”, a traditional Japanese wax-resist textile dyeing technique. Coming back to set up the family business is one reason her daughter Kik decided to go study fabric design. That’s the reason for building this intimate steel home in the middle.

“We started the building five years ago,” said Kik. “It took a year to finish it, and then we added a coffee shop and clothing store fronting the street, connecting into the old houses.”

Steel Home
[Left] A loft-style kitchen shows original flooring surfaces. / [Right] The kitchen steel-framed siding is glazed using clear glass designed to save space.
Steel Home

With a clothing store on one side, they created a homestay on the other. The homeowners also adapted downstairs space for use as family room.

“At first we didn’t plan on opening a homestay. But we had some friends coming over to visit a lot, and they liked being around this area,” added Kik.

“Later, when we decided to give lessons in batik making, the house became a guesthouse to accommodate workshop participants.”

The living room of the homestay is on the ground floor.

The new building features a mix of concrete, steel structure and reclaimed timber. Upstairs, the floor is made of recycled tongue-in-groove hardwood boards. It reaches all the way to connect with the grandmother’s house.

The “tai thun” or lower open space inside Grandma’s house now serves a new purpose as the homestay living room. The homeowners kept the space as it was because they wanted to preserve the character of the old house and, at the same time, made certain that it blended with the new steel home.

Steel Home
The homestay’s guestroom ambiance.

Outside, a large mango tree was preserved for shade, relating to the space left between the three structures for good airflow. Décors are mostly from family collections.

“We worked slowly, concentrating on details, for beauty and best use of space,” said Kriangkrai.

“I let the builders work in the ways they were best at, and they brought out the charm of the original materials, blending them into a whole. In some places the steel was allowed to rust, complementing marks on the old wood as well as bare concrete and brick surfaces.”

The imprints of time work indeed with the new design making this steel home something really chic and special.


Owner/Designer: Kriangkrai Pitayapreechakul


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Minimal-style Boxlike House

Box-shaped, minimalist, skillfully utilitarian, the interior is open and spacious:  everywhere is visible from everywhere else.

/// Thailand ///
Story: Patsiri Chotpongsun /// Photography: Tanakitt Khum-on /// Design: Mr.Somphon Sangkerd

This very cool-looking cubic house design really stands out in this more than thirty-year-old subdivision. Quiet, simple lines, authentic surfaces. Minimal decoration, just the few furniture pieces necessary.

“Since Mom is in the house more than anyone else, things are designed mainly for her walking around, in and out of the kitchen, dining room, and bedroom – which is on the ground floor for her convenience. Maintenance is easy: no cracks and crevices, simpler for an older person to work with,” Suphot Saengkeut, her youngest son, tells us.

To make the concept a reality, the Saengkeut family demolished and completely did away with the old house to build something entirely new on the 300-square-meter property. They made the kitchen spacious and, Thai-style, open to natural light and air flow, with primarily tile surfaces. In the front are storage cabinets with easy-to-clean surfaces of frosted glass, and vertically set boxes for electrical and water systems, accessible from the outside for maintenance and repair.

“Here, form follows function: whatever use the space lends itself to, that’s how it’s used,” says Somphon, the middle son. The architect adds, “Starting from the car park area out front and lining up the ground floor rooms with the upstairs bedrooms, the necessary simplicity of the form became obvious, with no functional need to change. The rectangular shape opens out towards the entrance, for people to better enjoy the natural world outside.”

The house faces east, with a latticework metal fence and a carport, keeping the sun from reaching into the indoor living space. The kitchen is separated off by an opaque wall. The dining room opens out with a glass wall set in a metal lattice frame, and outside is a fence of synthetic wood that blocks the sun and adds privacy. To the north is an open courtyard in the center of the house with tree jasmine, a place to relax or exercise, and a spiral stair which leads up to the bedroom of Somphop, the oldest son, without going back into the house.

Somphon installed solar slab panels with a gap between them and the concrete roof for good ventilation, also helped by air channels with metal caps  releasing hot air from within. The panels shade the roof, which also has foam heat insulation beneath it.

Suphot leaves us with some final thoughts: “The house is really well set up for individual privacy. The living room is used the least, but a lot of mornings, evenings, and holidays we hang out together in the dining room. And if I’m upstairs working, there’s an open wall, and I can keep an eye on Mom downstairs. It’s a good feeling to know she’s safe, and we’re right there for her.”

 

 

 

10 Patio Designs for Tropical Climates

10 Patio Designs for Tropical Climates

Whether it’s a porch, pool or patio, you can turn your outdoor space into a relaxing tropical retreat. There are passive cooling techniques you can use to create thermal comfort. They include skills in building orientation, shading, and choice of materials that don’t store much heat but dissipate heat quickly. Here are some useful design ideas compiled by Living ASEAN.

/// ASEAN ///

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