Blog : green space

Rose Apple Residences: A Tranquil Country Villa Reconnects with Nature
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Rose Apple Residences: A Tranquil Country Villa Reconnects with Nature

/ Siem Reap, Cambodia /

/ Story: Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Cruise Media Production – Antony Holvoet /

A vast landscape covered in lush greenery is the breathtaking beauty that draws holidaymakers to Siem Reap, an ancient city in northwestern Cambodia. Built into nature, a country villa named “Rose Apple Residences” provides tranquil spaces for those looking for quiet and comfort away from the hustle and bustle, the noise and crowded places.

An outdoor swimming pool, lush greenery and a wall of earth that’s part of the hilltop landscape all blend together beautifully.

The calm white villa is nestled amid lush landscapes that are part and parcel of the Cambodian rainforest. Walk in the door, and you find the spacious interior abounding in fresh air thanks to passive cooling design that optimizes materials, wall openings and building orientation for environmental comfort. “Rose Apple Residences” is the brainchild of Asma Architects, a homegrown architectural practice based in Siem Reap. Their job: create a country house that connects with the natural surroundings as a means to improve well-being, physically and mentally.

The entrance and retaining wall fences adorned with hanging vines are built of vertical wood slats with spaces in between to allow air to pass through.
A corridor decorated with fishponds leads to the stairs providing access to the reception area the second floor.

The modern countryside house is built on a slope. To enhance space, visual perspectives and accessibility, the architects incorporate the existing landscape in the overall design that starts from the hilltop and gradually descends to meet a swimming pool located in an area of low ground. In the meantime, a bank of earth that remains intact now doubles as a privacy screen providing peace of mind for guests staying at the villa. From the swimming pool, the building for the accommodation of guests is accessible via a set of steps built into the hillside. This, in turn, ensures a smooth flow of air, resulting in indoor-outdoor connections that keep the house cool all year round.

A view from above reveals the white country villa beautifully ensconced in lush, leafy greenery.

Viewed in its essential qualities, the villa has two stories, the first of which comprising five bedrooms, namely, the main or largest bedroom, and four other slightly smaller ones. By making effective use of materials and large openings in the walls, the design team is able to create the light and airy interior for guest accommodations. Meanwhile, every precaution is taken to protect privacy and improve thermal comfort in the building.

Among others, the gardens growing along the north-facing wall provide outdoor spaces in which to relax and unwind. Plus, they promote natural light and good ventilation, ultimately saving on energy usage and reducing energy bills. At the same time, concrete flooring and wood provide good thermal buffers keeping the building cool in summer.

Venetian window blinds control the amount of light streaming into the room. They prove a perfect complement to all wood furniture that’s friendly to the environment.
Shades of white and all wood fittings combine to make the bathroom feel warm and welcoming.

The second floor contains areas for common use, including a reception room near the entrance and a sitting room at the center of the house plan. By design, it’s a pleasant, airy space offering the invitation to an enjoyable experience. Set at the same level as the hilltop, the second floor has plenty of ample space for a dining room with a view of the surrounding landscape. The swimming pool and nearby lush gardens can be seen in full view from here.

Double height ceilings create a more spacious, well-lit environment in the second floor reception room.
The balcony projecting from the reception room overlooks a garden filled with exotics.
A flight of stairs provides access to the second floor reception area with a dining room at the far end.

Everything considered, building on a gently rolling hill has its advantages, such as better views of the surroundings, good ventilation and plenty of sunshine to grow a beautiful garden. All of these qualities are integrated in the design of “Rose Apple Residences”. The result is a flexible living space, a private and secluded place in which to relax and reconnect with nature.

Architects: Asma Architects

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The Park: A Grass-Roof Community Center Shimmers in the Night
livingasean

The Park: A Grass-Roof Community Center Shimmers in the Night

/ Nghe An, Vietnam /

/ Story: Ektida N. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Trieu Chien /

Like the green roofs in times past, a quintet of community center buildings stands sentinel over the rice fields in Vinh, a small farming town in Vietnam’s Nghe An Province. Officially named “The Park” it looks out over a calm and peaceful lake and, beyond, long lines of mountains and hillsides can be seen from miles around.

the park

No doubt, the heavenly morning mist and respect for nature combine to give a team of architects the inspiration they need going forward. The Park is the brainchild of the MIA Design Studio, an architectural firm based in Ho Chi Minh City. And the end result is a delightful a group of public space buildings that blends perfectly into the natural environment.

the park

the park

Technically speaking, it’s a design that takes into account the circumstances that form the setting of the area. And that’s exactly the quality that puts the small town’s community center in a class of its own. The five-building civic center is a great addition to the neighborhood. Among other things, it attracts townspeople, provides community services, and promote community fitness.

A three-stage diagrammatic representation shows a quintet of civic center buildings placed along different imaginary lines to take in different views of surrounding landscapes. / Courtesy of MIA Design Studio
A diagrammatic representation illustrates the location of the civic center quintet in relation to the waterfront. / Courtesy of MIA Design Studio

Their waterfront facades afford a view of the lake surrounded by lush green paddies and mountain ranges to the far side. The exterior walls are built of engineered wood textured and stained to look like real timber set at intervals to allow natural light and fresh outdoor air into the interior.

Designed to merge into surrounding landscapes, the principal facades overlooking the road in front lie hidden under grass roofs set at an angle of 45 degrees gently rising from the ground up to culminate at the apexes.

the park

The five buildings are symmetrical solids set on different axes to take in different views of the calm and peaceful countryside. They are connected with each other by a system of corridors, which in tern leads to a jetty at which boats come to dock and be moored. In a way that’s uncomplicated and easy to understand, each building serves its specific functions providing public services to people in the community.

the park
Openings in the external envelope allow light and fresh outdoor air into the interior, strategies that prevent it from becoming a stuffy, overcrowded space.
Like historic roofing making a comeback, the five buildings are roofed over with lush green lawns resembling grassy knolls overlooking the road in front. Shed roofs covered with earth and vegetation create a superior thermal mass that absorbs and transfer less heat from the sun into the interior.

On approaching the civic center, you only see what looks like a few grassy knolls gently rising to the summits that are the focal points of the design. It’s visual experience that excites the imagination and creates a good first impression on people passing by. For a warm and friendly atmosphere, the main entry area is flanked by a welcome building and a restaurant building linked by a hallway.  The other three buildings that lie a little further away contain a sauna, fitness center, and changing rooms plus other amenities, respectively, for privacy.

the park

With nature as the first priority, the architects chose only simple building materials for interior decorating. It falls into a line of thought that the beautiful view outside takes precedence over any other consideration. At the same time, it is built strong and capable of carrying and transferring loads down onto the foundations. The facades overlooking the lake are covered in frameworks of wooden bars with awnings built of composite wood to keep the sun and rain off the building faces.

the park
A fascinating array of lattices built of engineered wood is set at different angles to provide shade and create an aesthetic appeal to the over design.

Step inside, and you find the ceilings covered in engineered wood paneling. This material is chosen for its beautiful, authentic look that connects with the outdoors. The interior walls are covered in indoor tiles for a neat appearance, while the external envelope is adorned with faux wood lattices for a relaxing outdoor ambience.

the park
Because it’s a public green space, natural features take precedence here. They’re considered more important than other things. In essence, it’s designed to reap the full benefits of nature, be it lighting or ventilation. Plus, well-thought-out design reduces the need for electromechanical air condition, which saves big on electricity costs.
the park
Seen from the water, each building has its lakefront façade facing a different direction to take in a different angle of view of the waterscape. The principal face of the building is covered in frameworks of wooden bars with awnings to keep the sun and rain out.

Designed as a landmark easily seen from a distance, the quintet of civic center buildings is all aglow in the nighttime, thanks to an orchestra of electric lights shining through hundreds upon hundreds of small openings in wooden latticework. Like a chandelier shimmering in the dark of night, they create stunning reflections on water and an indelible impression on people going past this area.

Architect: MIA Design Studio (miadesignstudio.com)

Principal Architect: Nguyen Hoang Manh

Concept Design: Nguyen Hong Quan

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