Blog : Vietnam

Maison T: A Tiny Home Perfectly in Tune with a Vibrant City Ambience

Maison T: A Tiny Home Perfectly in Tune with a Vibrant City Ambience

/ Hanoi, Vietnam /

/ Story: Kanamon Najaroen / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Tuan Nghia Nguyen /

Like a journey through time, a narrow side street in Hanoi is bustled with people talking and going about their business. The sounds of passing vehicles can be heard rising to a deafening crescendo, among others. Together they are the qualities distinctive to the character of this city neighborhood. Amid excited activity and movement stands a tiny house named Maison T. It’s a humble abode that’s home to a young couple who just returned to their birthplace from an extended stay overseas. It’s small, yet it provides a sense of belonging and a place to relax and unwind after a long day at work.

Maison T small house Vietnam

What a pleasant surprise! The little house on a crowded street is enjoyable, quiet and free from interruption. It’s thoughtfully devised to reach out and connect with others in the community.

Small space? Not a problem! The friendly and happy homeowners show care and concern for their next door neighbors. Even their pet dog is well-liked and gets along just fine with others, thanks in part to a small well-lighted front yard made for warm greetings and bringing joy to the family.

Maison T small house Vietnam
The front yard with a tree and verdant climbing vines adds a relaxing atmosphere to the nice little house in the big city

Needless to say the overall effect is impressive. The design team at Nghia-Architect has succeeded in transforming a house that felt stuffy sandwiched between taller buildings into a light and airy living space.

As the architects put it, being located in a prime urban neighborhood, every square inch counts and every square inch amounts to an ounze of gold, to put it mildly. Hence, it’s a good idea to make the most of it and, with innovative design, turn it into a refreshing haven.

In response to a difficult situation, they put in a front yard with climbing vines on both sides the wall. Upfront, a perforate brick fence wall separates the home from the street below. Notwithstanding the limited space, the area of ground surrounded by tall buildings becomes their pride and joy, thanks to the newly added lush greenery.

The brick fence wall in dark vintage brown looks like a house facade from a distance. It serves multiple purposes. Holes in the perforate shell allow air to pass through, provide a warm and inviting atmosphere and, at the same time, protect the privacy of the family living within.

A charcoal drawing on white gives a vivid representation of the tiny home in relation to other houses in the community. / Courtesy of Nghia Architect

 

A drawing illustrates a linear impression of depth and cross flow ventilation allowing fresh outdoor air to enter through the front of the home and out at the back. / Courtesy of Nghia Architect
A space utilization diagram of the ground floor shows the living room with a double height ceiling upfront. Further in lies a kitchen and bathroom at the rear that opens to a side yard. / Courtesy of Nghia Architect
A space utilization diagram of the mezzanine holding a bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet. / Courtesy of Nghia Architect
In cross section, a side-elevation drawing illustrates space utilization on both levels of the house plan. / Courtesy of Nghia Architect

Walk in the door, and you find two levels of usable space; the ground floor with a double height ceiling, and a mezzanine holding the bedroom. Each level measures just 40 square meters.

Maison T small house Vietnam

As the design team intended, the tiny house perfectly balances space and maneuverability. Thanks to open-concept design, all the rooms and service areas are easily accessed.

There are no solid dividers separating the interior into different rooms, a clever hack to get rid of stale air in stuffy rooms. Plus, the double height ceiling makes the interior feel easy on the eyes, and it gives a sense of space.

A stepladder rising up to a small mezzanine on the front facade adds some fun to home decor.

Downstairs, the living room under a high ceiling is separated from the kitchen by an L-shaped concrete countertop at waist height. The kitchen space serves a dual purpose; as food preparation area, and as washing and laundry room.

The counter itself is slanted slightly inward to create extra space along the wall for a side yard illuminated by rooftop skylights. This in turn makes the home feel bright without the help of light shining in through the front facade, a nice strategy to banish stale air in stuffy rooms.

Maison T small house Vietnam
An L-shaped countertop with a distinct curvature in the middle separates the living room from the kitchen.
The ground-floor bathroom has a view of the side yard illuminated by a skylight.

Maison T small house Vietnam

To the left side, a set of stairs made of steel provides access to the mezzanine holding the bedroom under a high pitched gable roof. There are no solid dividers separating the interior into different rooms. Instead, to control the amount of light shining in, the bedroom is hung with a privacy curtain suspended from a curved railing system.

The architects chose brickwork and naked concrete finishes for the walls for an appearance that’s easy to care for and pleasant to look at.

Maison T small house Vietnam
There are no solid walls separating the interior into different rooms. Rather, the bedroom on the mezzanine is hung with a curtain to control the amount of light shining in through a rooftop skylight.
No home is too small to incorporate a natural feature in the design. Here, a cavity in the concrete slab roof provides space for a skylight illuminating the interior.
Maison T small house Vietnam
The second-floor bathroom has a treetop view of the side yard that acts as a flow acceleration channel designed to improve ventilation.
A cavity between soft and hard walls provides space for a side yard illuminated by rooftop skylights.

In a tourist destination full of people doing things and moving about like Hanoi, using every available space effectively is the key to living a happy and fulfilling life. Amid all the excitement, noises and traffic passing by, a tiny house named Maison T rises above the challenges.

For the young couple who lives here, it is warm, cozy and comfortable. Although small, it is a calm and peaceful place to rest the eye, relax and escape from the fast pace of city life. Plus, it is good to add greenery to the neighborhood.

Maison T small house Vietnam


Architect: Nghia-Architect


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Tan Phu House: From a Stuffy, Narrow Shophouse to a Multi-Floor Home with Rooftop Garden

Tan Phu House: From a Stuffy, Narrow Shophouse to a Multi-Floor Home with Rooftop Garden

/ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam /

/ Story: ND24 / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Courtesy of k59 ateliers /

Row houses sharing common sidewalls are a familiar sight across Vietnam. Here’s the story of a complete home transformation. A narrow shophouse lacking fresh air and ventilation in Ho Chi Minh City is tastefully renovated as a four-story home with ample space for gardening on the rooftop. Named Tan Phu House, it’s light, airy and looking really good in cool-toned whites.

Tan Phu House
Upfront, the parking garage is bright and breezy, thanks to the upper covering that opens on one side to let sunlight shine in, thereby improving air quality through greater ventilation.

There are pros and cons of living in the big city. And Ho Chi Minh City is no stranger to air and noise pollution plus overcrowding in the downtown area. Fully aware of all that, a design team at k59 atelier, a homegrown architectural practice, succeeded in breathing new life into the once stuffy old house, turning it into a modern living space with sunny personality and charms.

A diagrammatic representation shows the house location in a city neighborhood characterized by long and narrow row houses, a familiar sight seen everywhere across the country. / Courtesy of k59 Atelier
A diagrammatic representation shows space utilization and functionality on all four levels of the house. / Courtesy of k59 Atelier
A perspective side-elevation drawing illustrates in cross section the connectivity between living spaces, service areas and greenery on all four levels. / Courtesy of k59 Atelier

First things first, they started by observing the behavioral health of the three generations that live here – grandparents, mom and dad, and the children. Then, they looked at the state of the surroundings to see if natural features such as shade trees, air quality and sunshine can be incorporated in the new design.

It’s all about creating a health giving environment. Here, though, it’s accomplished by incorporating shade trees in front of the house in the new design. Together they provide a buffer protecting the front façade against too much sun, noise and air pollution.

As simple as that! The trees and the remodeled principal face of the building now work alongside each other sheltering the interior living spaces from the elements.

Tan Phu House

And it’s achieved without blocking the air flow and natural light streaming into the home. The architects did it by creating flow acceleration channels in the building design that act as engine driving natural air circulation into and out of the home.

The result is a refreshing change on all four levels of the home. At the same time, all the living spaces and service areas are arranged in a neat, required order.

Tan Phu House
Double-skin design. The greenery-filled front façade provides a buffer protecting the inner house wall against sun heat. Meantime, louvre windows offer protection from the elements.

Take a look inside. The ground floor holds a parking garage and entry area leading to interior living spaces, which include a sitting room where Grandma babysits little children during the daytime. It lies exposed to sunlight in the morning that proves beneficial for physical and mental health, among others.

Tan Phu House
On the ground floor, a kitchen and dining space next to the welcome area provides a refreshing change.
Tan Phu House
The ground floor holds a sitting room for relaxation at the rear of the house plan.

The second floor has a living room and study room with quiet reading nooks to kids. They are connected to children’s bedrooms located further inside.

The third floor that’s quiet and more secluded contains the principal bedroom with bathroom en suite and a laundry room at the far end.

The fourth floor has a Buddha room with the altar for the traditional veneration of family ancestry and a vegetable garden overlooking the street below.

Tan Phu House Ho Chi Minh City
A well-lit family living room lies in the forward area of the second floor.
A well-lit and airy staircase connects to the second floor holding a living room and study with quiet reading nooks for children’s schoolwork.

Tan Phu House Ho Chi Minh City

Tan Phu House Ho Chi Minh City
Double height space design turns a stuffy, narrow shophouse into a well-lighted place.

The architect explained: “In the new design, air flow acceleration channels are of the utmost importance. They are the game changer that improves the existing situation in a significant way, resulting in a relaxing atmosphere in the home.

“In the meantime, all the rooms and functions are conveniently linked while the floor plan is easy to understand and suitable for Asian culture and traditions.”

Tan Phu House Ho Chi Minh City

All told, it’s practical design that comes from paying attention to detail. Tan Phu House is completely renovated as residential community living model, one that’s tailored to suit specific family lifestyle needs.

Wood colors add feelings of peace and calm to the master bedroom on the third floor.
Tan Phu House Ho Chi Minh City
Double height space design makes the laundry area lit by skylights feel spacious and airy.
The third-floor bathroom at the rear of the house is well lit by skylights providing protection against humidity damage.
The top floor has an altar room for the traditional veneration of family ancestry in accordance with Asian culture.

In the end it boils down to, as the architect put it, “a design that provides all the desirable elements perfect for good living in this day and age, a living space that’s complete and integrated in one coherent whole from our perspectives.”

Tan Phu House Ho Chi Minh City
The rooftop sundeck on the fourth floor has ample space for vegetable gardening.

Owner: Le Ngoc Hoang, Bui Thu Thuy

Architect: k59 atelier (k59atelier.com)

Design Team: Phan Lam Nhat Nam, Tran Cam Linh

Structural Engineer: Phạm Dong Tâm


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Ngói Space: A Community Center in Vibrant Orange Graces a Suburb of Hanoi

Ngói Space: A Community Center in Vibrant Orange Graces a Suburb of Hanoi

/ Hanoi, Vietnam /

/ Story: Phattaraphon / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Le Minh Hoang /

A good-sized community center is making its presence felt on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. The building stands enclosed in authentic Vietnamese fireclay roof tiles. The external envelope in exuberant shades of orange rises above a street corner surrounded by modern structures. It begs the question. Is this some kind of experiment being undertaken to test a point that has never been dealt with? “Your guess is right.”

Ngói Space Hanoi

Named “Ngói Space,” the community center building sends a strong message that exciting new architecture can be created using indigenous building materials. In this particular project, more than 20,000 thin rectangular slabs of baked clay are used to make the building facades. They are the same ubiquitous building materials as those used for covering roofs.

Ngói Space Hanoi

Ngói Space Hanoi
The immediate empty space between the perforate shell and the building wall offers semi-outdoor room for relaxation.

Ngói Space performs a dual role as recreation center promoting community wellbeing and reception area for both normal and important occasions. It’s open to everyone in the community who needs a place and time to unwind, not to mention empowering the people and strengthening the neighborhood.

Among others, it has coffee shops, multiple purpose rooms, conference venues and exhibition halls plus a rooftop garden for relaxation.

The interior space is light and airy, a peaceful place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

The unique outer surface of the building got its inspiration from trees thriving vigorously in the wild, while the interiors conjure up mental images of the atmosphere inside a prehistoric cave dwelling. The design thinking process started with interior planning. Once that’s done, the team at H&P Architects then proceeded to work on the building’s exteriors.

A pencil sketch illustrates steps in the thinking process culminating in the final design of the community center building named “Ngoi Space” / Courtesy of H&P Architects
A diagrammatic representation shows the coming together of support structures and building facades crafted of fireclay roof tiles. / Courtesy of H&P Architects
The floor plans in cross section / Courtesy of H&P Architects

To arouse people’s curiosity and interest, the facades are covered in roof tiles fired the old-fashioned way, an indigenous building material that the Vietnamese were most familiar with. In a way, it’s a design that takes people back in time by reintroducing traditional materials and techniques and putting them to good use in modern day applications.

A trio of images shows how the thin rectangular slabs of baked clay are put together creating the face of the building that houses the community center. / Courtesy of H&P Architects)

There is one incentive for doing so. As the country continues to advance, more and more old homes are torn down to make room for new ones. So now is the time to start thinking about the need to reuse and recycle as a means of preserving natural resources.

For this reason, the facades are built of fireclay roof tiles recycled from much older homes. In this way, nothing goes to waste plus it’s a creative and cost-effective way to build in this day and age.

Ngói Space Hanoi
Split level design makes for a pleasant and airy interior.

Ngói Space Hanoi

Here, the old roof tiles are put together diagonally to create one triangle after the other that in turn forms the perforate outer shell of the building. Together they go to work protecting the walls and windows behind them from severe weather.

Besides providing shade and more insulation for the interiors, the immediate cavity in between the two layers provides room for exhibitions and nooks along the walls to sit sipping coffee. That’s not all. There’s also a rooftop garden offering a wonderful panorama of the cityscape. Or just chill out and enjoy the view through wall openings anywhere in the building.

Ngói Space Hanoi

Ngói Space Hanoi
A custom loft net system offers visual continuity between upper and lower floors.
Ngói Space Hanoi
A multi-use space lies between the fireclay tile façade and the building wall fitted with panes of clear glass.
A meeting room set in theater style is illuminated by natural daylight.

Ngói Space Hanoi
Fireclay roof tiles fixed in position with abrupt alternate left and right turns add balance and harmony to interior design.

From the design perspective, “Ngói Space” takes pride of place in this part of suburban Hanoi, having occupied a prominent position among modern buildings in the area. What makes it stand out is the perforate shell made of old roof tiles in shades of orange, an intriguing combination that gives it character and the power of storytelling about the city’s past and present.

Ngói Space Hanoi
The rooftop garden affords a beautiful panorama of the city landscape.
Ngói Space Hanoi
A façade of fireclay tiles is beautifully handcrafted with wide openings for a better view of the great outdoors.
Ngói Space Hanoi
A simple opening in the building facade allows access to the building. The exterior wall covered in orange roof tiles fired the old-fashioned way provides a window into the community’s long-standing traditions.

All told, it’s a beautiful piece of modern architecture made possible by putting together little things to create a bigger thing. That being said, it takes courage and the ability to see things from a different perspective. Only then can one appreciate the value hidden inside little things and successfully turn them into a product that pleases the senses and the mind, much like an artist adeptly turning “objets trouves” into art.

Ngói Space Hanoi
The orange of the fireclay tile façade stands out from mostly white buildings in a suburban neighborhood of Hanoi.

Architect: H&P Architects (hpa.vn/en)


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The Red Roof: A Suburban Home Enlivened by Rooftop Terraced Gardens and Old Ways of Life

The Red Roof: A Suburban Home Enlivened by Rooftop Terraced Gardens and Old Ways of Life

/ Quang Ngai, Vietnam /

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

/ Photographs: Courtesy of TAA Design /

Named “The Red Roof” for its external envelope and roof deck covered with tiles in a goldish-red tone, a row house-style suburban home acts as a focal point for life on a suburban housing development in Quang Ngai, the capital and namesake of a central Vietnam province.

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam
The house façade under a rooftop terraced garden shows a modest appearance that blends with nearby homes in the neighborhood.

As might be expected, urbanization and land use change has brought a new, refreshing experience to suburban architecture and its surroundings. Quang Ngai is no exception. Over the past several years, modern homes and new lifestyles have expanded into the outskirts of the city.

Inevitably some details are already impacting the old way of life in a profound way. Among others, the once familiar sight of locals growing vegetables in the fields is gradually diminishing.

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam

Content in the existing circumstances, a couple in their mid-50s are resolved not to change, preferring to live life the old-fashioned way. They were born and raised here, after all. And that’s exactly where a capable team of architects at TAA Design came in to produce desired outcome.

The result is a suburban home that’s neither too big nor too small offering 190 square meters of usable space, one with the power of storytelling about their youthful exuberance having grown up in the area.

A charcoal sketch shows the house’s location in the context of surrounding suburbia. / Courtesy of TAA Design
In cross section, a perspective drawing shows the layout of the rooftop terraced garden in relation to the center courtyard and other areas of the house plan. / Courtesy of TAA Design

 

 

Seen from a distance, the house façade rises flanked by neighboring homes that are part of a continuous row in a uniform way.

There’s a narrow street on one side typical of a village in the countryside, which gives the home a favorable position in terms of design. This allows generous openings in the side wall to admit light and fresh outdoor air into the home, resulting in a comfortable indoor environment.

A drawing shows different areas and functions in the house plan. / Courtesy of TAA Design
The drawing shows the mezzanine floor area. / Courtesy of TAA Design
A side elevation drawing shows different areas and functions of the house plan, starting from the water tank at the top to the lowest point abutting on the street in front, a natural way to keep the terraced garden well supplied using water flowing from high to low. / Courtesy of TAA Design

Step inside, and you find multipurpose double space rooms scattered at three different locations. Together they add a sense of space and interaction in the interior, providing physical ease and relaxation all the way to the second floor.

The first room holds sitting areas with a bicycle workshop situated at the front, while the second contains a place for boiling water and cooking meat over an open fire like old times. The third room is an open area located at the rear bordering on the bedroom that opens to reap the full health benefits of a backyard landscape.

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam
The interior appears light and airy thanks to rooftop skylights and generous openings in the exterior walls.

At the front, the bicycle workshop is protected by a folding gate system with wire mesh infills. There are sitting areas located further inside, connected to a kitchen in the middle of the house plan that serves as the center of everyday life in the family. For privacy, the bedroom is situated in a quiet and secluded area at the back.

Overall, the interior emphasizes simple design with floating furniture arrangement intended for easy updates. The floors are paved with tiles in light shades of gray that blend with the color and texture of unfinished concrete walls. To avoid looking too plain, window trims are done in black, which in a way adds a distinctive visual emphasis to the interior.

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam

The second floor holds more bedrooms thoughtfully devised to connect with the outdoors. It performs a dual role, providing skylights that illuminate the living rooms directly below and, at the same time, giving access to rooftop terraces where herb and vegetable gardens are grown.

Terracing is a long-established farming practice that turns sloped ground into farmlands by building raised bands across a surface to contain water for agriculture. In this particular case, the same idea and knowledge of soil and water resource management is applied to the rooftop instead of the usual mountainside.

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam

Despite its simple appearance, the suburban home with a rooftop terraced garden is designed and built by a team of experts, each specialized in a particular branch of science using meticulous calculation to produce the kind of load-bearing structure and foundation that’s right for the purpose. Plus, attention to detail is given to prevent water leaking from containers and pipes in the system.

For the look that’s pleasing to the eye, the same kind of ceramic tiles in earthy red tones of uniform shape and size are used to build both the exterior walls and the rooftop terraces.

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam
Growing herb and vegetable gardens on rooftop terraces provide practical solutions where space is limited, plus it’s a clever adaptation of traditional knowledge to modern lifestyle needs.
the red roof Suburban Home vietnam
An aerial view of the house shows an unroofed center courtyard on the first floor in relation to other areas on the second floor and a terraced garden on the rooftop.

In a nutshell, it’s a beautiful suburban home where second-floor living spaces and third-floor terraced gardens merge seamlessly into one gentle slope descending from the apex of the roof to its lowest point abutting on the street in front. It’s a show of humility and friendly attitude to blend with others in the community. In the end, it’s a blessing to have a good neighbor.

the red roof Suburban Home vietnam


Architect: TAA Design (taadesign.com)

Principal Architects: Nguyen Van Thien, Nguyen Huu Hau


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The Ben Tre Hotel: A Brick Hotel amid Lush Orchards, Fresh Air and Sunshine

The Ben Tre Hotel: A Brick Hotel amid Lush Orchards, Fresh Air and Sunshine

/ Ben Tre, Vietnam /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki /

A brick hotel in warm, earthy orange hues rises above the lush orchards and bountiful farms of Ben Tre, a charming coastal city on the Mekong Delta two hours’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Once a sleepy little town surrounded by rice fields and coconut groves, Ben Tre is emerging as a destination for eco-tourism. New hotel openings tell the story of travel trends in the region where fresh water and shorelines merge with the ocean, astonishingly beautiful by any standards.

brick hotel Ben Tre Hotel

The Ben Tre Hotel is located on an oblong piece of ground measuring 28 by 128 meters, with the narrow frontage abutting on a major thoroughfare. As might be expected, the unusually long hotel building extends almost entirely over the rectangle-shaped land and still leaves plenty of room for lush lawns, side gardens, ample parking garages and service areas.

brick hotel Ben Tre Hotel
The restaurant also has semi-outdoor room for guests who prefer dining al fresco.

The hotel lobby lies upfront on the ground floor, while a restaurant is located at the midpoint of the elongated floor plan. To avoid a monotonous regularity in the design, the team of architects came up with zigzag design, featuring abrupt alternate left and right turns all the way to the end.

brick hotel Ben Tre Hotel
Semi-outdoor stairs afford an expansive panorama of lush landscapes, making every day a breath of fresh air.

There’s a refreshing change every step of the way. For relaxation, an array of cozy nooks adds visual interest to the corridor designed to soak up the view of dense green orchard landscapes.

brick hotel Ben Tre Hotel

A square opening in the perforate shell affords a vista of lush landscapes clearly visible from within the room.

The long passage along the outside of the building, aka the “single-load corridor”, means that hotel guests can enjoy the utmost privacy since there’s no unit situated directly across. It’s a thoughtfully devised building access arrangement, whereby all the rooms are placed only on one side. The same applies to the stairs that are semi-outdoors for better ventilation and lighting.

brick hotel Ben Tre Hotel

To add a rustic appeal, the hotel’s external envelope is built of handmade bricks sourced from within the locality. Bricklaying with openings in the walls, aka the perforate façades, offers many benefits. It allows for the expansion and contraction of the bricks when temperature changes.

A conceptual illustration portrays the layout of the building arranged in a zig-zag pattern across the site, harmonizing with the natural landscape by aligning itself with pre-existing trees and gardens. / Courtesy of Sanuki Daisuke Architects
The ground floor plan presents the usable public area of the building. / Courtesy of Saniki Daisuke Architects
The upper floor plans present the typology of guestrooms. / Courtesy of Sanuki Daisuke Architects

Plus, the perforate shell adds an aesthetic appeal to exterior walls and reduces the impact of outside noise, resulting in a more pleasant indoor environment.

brick hotel Ben Tre Hotel
An aerial view shows the hotel location amidst nature’s pristine environment on the Mekong Delta.

Architect: Sanuki Daisuke Architects (www.sanukiar.com)


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Dien Khanh House: Where Modern Lifestyle and the Rural Way Intermix

/ Khanh Hoa, Vietnam /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki /

A small white house overlooking river views merges into the countryside vernacular of Dien Khanh, a district of Khanh Hoa Province on the southeast coast of Vietnam. Built on an elongated rectangle, it has a narrow frontage to the street like other houses in the neighborhood. Yet, it’s different from the others for its ultramodern appearance. It all started with the architect trying to create a home that’s up to date and, at the same time, capable of blending into the surroundings. Ideally, it should agree with the historical and cultural setting of the place. And it has to be comfortable to live in.

Dien Khanh House

The result is a two-story home with public spaces in the downstairs layout. The front of the house plan holds the sitting room and dining room. High ceilings make the overall interior space feel light, airy and cool.

Dien Khanh House
Small green spaces on both sides of the front yard pathway add a natural touch to the main entry area.
Dien Khanh House
The living room is light, airy and cool thanks to a double-height ceiling that brings an element surprise to the interior. It’s strikingly different from the entry area where the ceiling is lower.
Dien Khanh House
A triangular rooftop skylight adds an element of playfulness to design. It illuminates a part of the interior during daylight hours.

Half way into the house plan, a spiral staircase that’s the focal point of design winds up to the second floor. Further inside, a more personal room contains small kitchen space that’s clearly separated from the bedroom for aging Mom and Dad located at the rear.

Climb a flight of stairs, and you come to two more bedrooms with an ancestral hall at the far end.

Dien Khanh House
The spiral staircase acts as a focal point for creativity in interior design.

A drawing shows the house location in the riverside neighborhood. / Courtesy of 6717 Studio
A diagram shows spatial relationships between Floors 1 and 2, plus the roof. / Courtesy of 6717 Studio
The side elevation illustrates spatial relationships between functional spaces in the home. / Courtesy of 6717 Studio

Despite it being long and narrow, the architect had no difficulty finding ways to make the interior room well-lit and well ventilated. The problem of confined spaces is resolved simply by growing a small garden in the main entry area, a natural way to create passive cooling effects in the home.

At the rear, a small backyard serves as engine that drives natural air circulation. That’s not all. At the center of the house plan, a small square courtyard adds a little bit of greenery to the interior. Together, these little green spaces go to work bringing fresh outdoor air into the home all day long.

Dien Khanh House
A corridor connects the living room in the middle to a quiet, more private living spaces at the rear.
Dien Khanh House
A square courtyard opens to admit light and fresh outdoor air into the interior.
The downstairs bedroom opens to the interior courtyard.
Dien Khanh House
The kitchen opens to the courtyard to admit light and get rid of cooking smells in the interior.

Taken as a whole, these are the key attributes that give the new home character. Plus, the roof with a high pitch is designed to perform in severe storms. It’s painted a bright shade of orange to add a new feature to the community landscape.

Combine that with simple clean lines and white walls, and it conjures up the image of a small cozy home that blends perfectly with the charm of rustic rural life.

Dien Khanh House

For privacy, the two upstairs bedrooms are separated by the center courtyard.

Dien Khanh House


Architect: 6717 Studio (6717studio.com)

Lead Architect: Le Viet Hoi


This house appears in the Special Bilingual Edition (English and Thai) of Baan Lae Suan and Living Asean, titled “Tropical Suburban and Country Homes”. It focuses on designs for cozy living in harmony with nature.

We have handpicked ten houses for this special edition that serve as the perfect example of design innovations in sync with the natural world. Front and center, it’s about the pursuit of ways to live more sustainably and create a better future for all. Looking for inspiration? Perhaps a glimpse into nature-inspired “Tropical Suburban and Country Homes” is a good place to start.

Delve into the new book today. It’s hitting Thailand shelves now. For more details, visit https://www.naiin.com/product/detail/592504

For bulk ordering, contact livingasean.bkk@gmail.com


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/ Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Hoang Le /

The Flying Block is a hotel project in a class of itself. The low-rise, six-story tower in a beach-inspired sandy brown is located in the heart of Phu My, a town in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province bordering on Ho Chi Minh City. Only recently the coastal province has grown to become one of Vietnam’s economic powerhouses with busy sea ports, factories and industrial estates. Also known as the Cay Vang Hotel, it’s festooned with lush green foliage on balconies that provides effective window treatments and reduces summer heat gain, keeping the interior cool and comfortable.

The Flying Block

But why Phu My? The answer lies in location, location, location. Ba Ria-Vung Tau is also renowned for its rich ecosystems with lots of sunshine and great views plus tourist destinations attracting travelers from across the globe. So it’s all about being in the right place at the right time.

Children’s drawings illustrate the multiple-use concept of box-shaped balcony design. / Courtesy of TAA Design
A diagrammatic representation shows the welcome lobby and hotel rooms on Floor 1 [above], and more hotel rooms in relation to greenery-filled balconies on Floors 2 to 4 [below]. / Courtesy of TAA Design
A diagram of hotel rooms on Floors 3 to 5 [above], and the penthouse on the top floor [below] / Courtesy of TAA Design
An axonometric projection illustrates the three stages of design development, from a bare building outline, to the addition of rooms with balconies, to the final image of tree-filled facades. / Courtesy of TAA Design

The main idea is that, with an increase in industrial activity, more housing demand and land becoming pricy, the only way to build now is upwards. At the same time, the natural environment must be preserved so as to enhance the quality of life, housing and lodging accommodations for locals as well as visitors.

The Flying Block

The result is a tree-covered vertical living model aptly called the “Flying Greenery Blocks”. In essence, it’s the coming together of box-shaped balconies with trees secured firmly in ultra-deep planters. The rectangular platforms on the outside of the building vary in size from 2 to 3.5 meters wide.

The Flying Block

The Flying Block

The extra-large balconies among them even have a trough for growing decorative plants at the edges. Together they serve multiple purposes, as a charming garden space for green thumbs, a place for physical fitness exercises and a landmark clearly visible from a distance.

The Flying Block
A spacious balcony serves multiple purposes, as a quiet reading nook with a view and room for gardening as a pastime.

The Flying Block

The Flying Block

Take a look inside, and you find a spacious hallway that’s a breath of fresh air. Uncluttered and arranged in an orderly way, it leaves a very good first impression.

Plus, the entryway feels light and airy, thanks to the stack ventilation effect that allows hot air to rise while low pressure draws fresh outdoor air into the interior. In a few words, there’s no lack of air circulation and hence no need for air conditioning.

The Flying Block

On the whole, it’s about integrating urban green spaces in modern design to create indoor thermal comfort all year round. Psychologically, it provides an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city undergoing fast economic development. The bottom line. Every greenery-filled space matters when it comes to improving the quality of life in an urban area.

The Flying Block
The Flying Block in a lovely light sand tone stands silhouetted against the emergence of new industries in Phu My town, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Vietnam

Architect: TAA Design (taadesign.com)

Lead Architect: Nguyen Van Thien

Design Team: Nguyen Van Thien, Tran Anh Huy, Ngo Thi Bao Nhi

Constrution: Doricons


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CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee: A Coffee Shop in Earth-Toned Green Where the Classic Meets the Modern

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee: A Coffee Shop in Earth-Toned Green Where the Classic Meets the Modern

/ Ninh Thuan, Vietnam /

/ Story: Phattaraphon / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Nguyen Duy Hoach /

Fresh brewed coffee smells like heaven, or so they say. And if you have a chance to swing by the beautiful central coast of Vietnam, get yourself a good strong cuppa at CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee located at Phan Rang-Thap Cham in Ninh Thuan Province. Find pleasure in the timeless atmosphere where the classic meets the modern. Here, lush green color paired with earth-toned brown turns a cute coffeehouse into a Shangri-La making every day a perfect day.

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee
Seen from across the street, the coffeehouse façade features a beautiful mix of classic and modern architectural styles.

From architectural perspectives, it’s about creating a design that embraces the beauty of works of art that have become classics and, at the same time, make use of modern materials that are right for prevailing weather conditions on the ocean front.

The front façade is built of glass bricks, a classic material designed to admit light, turning the coffeehouse into a well-lighted place.

The Tropics is warm all year as we know it, and the city of Phan Rang-Thap Cham is no stranger to intense sunlight and strong winds. For this reason, the storefront has to be made impervious to storm water.

Plus, it must be capable of keeping the heat out and, at the same time, letting natural light in. Rising to the challenge, the architects at PT Arch Studio chose glass bricks for the façade, and it works perfectly.

Aa axonometric projection shows interior space arrangements with a rooftop layout in relation to two glass dome skylights over the stairwell and seating areas. / Courtesy of PT Arch Studio

 

 

Downstairs floor plan with the terrace storefront. / Courtesy of PT Arch Studio
Upstairs floor plan. / Courtesy of PT Arch Studio

 

In cross section, a diagrammatic representation shows the side elevation and space arrangements in relation to the glass dome skylight at the midpoint. / Courtesy of PT Arch Studio

The coffeehouse features large lounges typical of classic restaurant interior design. To make customers feel comfortable, the seating areas and coffee nooks are arranged in neat, attractive order.

Both downstairs and upstairs rooms are well-lit and well-ventilated, thanks to a stack ventilation system that uses temperature differences to move air. The rooftop has two glass dome skylights that allow natural light streaming inside and double as engine driving cross ventilation forcing warm and stale air to exit through the rooftop.

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee
A set of stairs enclosed by glass brick walls gives access to the second floor. Along the outer circumference, round benches with coffee trays come in handy when the house is full and no seats available. Good thinking!
CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee
Lit up by a rooftop skylight, the spiral stairs enclosed by glass brick walls provide access to seating areas on the second floor.

As is the case with business buildings across Vietnam, CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee is situated on an elongated rectangle with a narrow frontage abutting on the street. Originally, it was a design lacking fresh air and ventilation, an unpleasant situation that had to be dealt with from the start.

The team of architects at PT Arch Studio solved the problem by integrating natural elements into the plan as much as possible. And glass bricks came in handy to avoid the interior becoming a stuffy, overcrowded space. Overhead, a pair of rooftop skylights let natural light shine into both downstairs and upstairs.

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee
An open concept floor plan makes the interior space feel spacious, airy and comfortable.

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee

A tree thrives under the glass dome skylight illuminating the interior in muted green hues and earth-toned brown.

Precisely, it’s a layout that effectively harnesses the feel-good benefits of nature to make the business space feel comfortable, warm and welcoming. Where necessary, glass mirrors are added to give the impression of ample space in the interior.

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee

A glass dome skylight illuminates the stairwell connecting the first and second floors.

In terms of building performance, walk in the door and you find a beautiful, large coffee bar illuminated by natural light streaming in from above. At the midpoint, a spiral staircase enclosed by glass brick walls provides access to seating areas on the second floor.

Small bench seats with coffee trays along the outside of the circular wall add visual interest to interior design. They serve a useful purpose as extra seating when the house is full and no seats available. Every step of the way, signature interior furnishings in cool-toned earthy green and brown promote positive thinking and peace of mind.

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee
A glass brick enclosure holds the spiral staircase illuminated by a rooftop skylight. Nearby, a large mirror on the wall creates a sense of space.
CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee
Upstairs seating arrangements showcase the signature cool green hues mixed with earth-toned brown.

Two glass dome skylights illuminate the stairwell and seating areas in cool green and earth-toned brown.

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee

CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee

Taken as a whole, the interior is spacious and neatly arranged. The stuffiness of the unusually long and narrow space is nicely compensated for by well-thought-out design, building strategies and creative use of modern materials.

And the result of all this? CoCo Cha Taiwan Tea & Coffee capable of fulfilling a role for which it is intended – a place that’s convenient, neat and clean plus coffee smells like fresh brewed heaven. And, the price is right, too. Looking for a good strong cuppa? Well, you get the idea.


Architect: PT Arch Studio (www.ptarchstudio.com)

Lead Architects: Nguyen Van, Phuoc Thinh


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Floating House in Thu Duc: A Home under the Canopy That Fits Right in Nature

Floating House in Thu Duc: A Home under the Canopy That Fits Right in Nature

/ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam /

/ Story: Kor Lordkam / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki /

Here’s a midsize three-story house in Thu Duc, a neighborhood on the northeast side of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s nestled in a riverside community that’s no stranger to seasonal flooding. Houses on stilts can be found almost everywhere. This new concrete home is no exception. It’s raised on pilings about a meter above uneven ground to keep it safe from rising floodwaters. More importantly, it’s open-concept design that adds character to the home. Precisely, over 70 percent of the house plan is open to fresh air and natural daylight, a well-design outdoor living space that brings joy to the home.

Floating House in Thu Duc
The light and airy flat-roof home is ensconced in the lush greenery of a riverside community.

On the whole, the concrete-framed house plan appears light and airy. It shows how component parts are pieced together using straightforward building techniques.

Functional areas are scattered over three concrete slab floors that vary from one to the other depending on needs. The ground floor at plinth height holds a quiet, secluded space consisting of the master bedroom and lovely veranda overlooking the backyard garden. It’s positioned to be invisible from the carport and main entrance areas.

Bypassing the first-floor private space, a flight of stairs at the rear of the building leads to the upstairs living room. With traffic flow arranged in this way, the master bedroom lies hidden from view — out of sight, out of mind.

Floating House in Thu Duc

The carport lies under the concrete slab that makes the second floor. The bedroom is separated from the entry area by service spaces such as bathroom and laundry room.

Floating House in Thu Duc

Floating House in Thu Duc

Floating House in Thu Duc
The terrace along the outside of the house is an open-air space with double height ceilings on the outer edge.
Floating House in Thu Duc
Thoughtful design opens the master bedroom to natural light.

The second-floor living space contains a sitting room, dining room and kitchen. It’s made attractive by good-sized balconies that wrap around all four sides of the house plan.

The entire building envelop that encloses the sitting room is glazed using clear glass that stands tall from floor to ceiling. It’s a natural way to create a visual connection between the interior and exterior spaces on the balcony and beyond.

Floating House in Thu Duc
The stairwell at the rear of the building connects the first floor to the upstairs living room.
Floating House in Thu Duc
The living room is glazed using glass paneling that opens to take in fresh air and views of the surroundings.
Floating House in Thu Duc
The enclosed kitchen opens to a nearby hall. Large windows make it equally well ventilated.

Floating House in Thu Duc

Floating House in Thu Duc
The veranda offers ample space that merges with nearby sitting room.

The third-floor deck offers a panorama of surrounding communities. It’s accessible from the second floor via an outdoor staircase that’s built into the front façade. There’s a bar counter with outdoor grill table for the perfect barbecue. A cool place to be, it lies under the canopy of overhanging trees with luxuriant foliage reaching into the sky.

Floating House in Thu Duc
An aerial perspective shows plenty of calm and relaxing family rooms.

It is, in brief, a design where nature is front and center, a home that’s comfortable without being strikingly noticeable. It reflects the line of thought that a simple, beautiful home can be built using ordinary materials and techniques; such as concrete masonry, timber, terra cotta tiles and white walls.

A drawing shows the house’s location within the community. / Courtesy of Sda. – Sanuki Daisuke Architects
Downstairs house plan / Courtesy of Sda. – Sanuki Daisuke Architects
Upstairs house plan / Courtesy of Sda. – Sanuki Daisuke Architects
Rooftop deck plan / Courtesy of Sda. – Sanuki Daisuke Architects
A front-elevation drawing shows structural relationships between concrete slab floors and functional spaces. / Courtesy of Sda. – Sanuki Daisuke Architects

In this particular case, the concrete-framed house is built on a budget using the usual commonplace materials. There’s practically no limit, and it’s up to the person to pick and choose to beautify his home. Take for example the outdoor staircase built into the front façade. In terms of the general impression, it’s an interesting architectural feature that performs its intended function.

Floating House in Thu Duc


Architect: Sda. – Sanuki Daisuke Architects (www.sanukiar.com)

Lead Architect: Sanuki Daisuke, Nguyen Huynh Bao Ngoc

Structure Engineer: Thanh Cong Construction Design Co., Ltd

ME Engineer: Hung Viet Tst Corp

Contractor: Coppha Builders Construction Co., Ltd


This house appears in the Special Bilingual Edition (English and Thai) of Baan Lae Suan and Living Asean, titled “Tropical Suburban and Country Homes”. It focuses on designs for cozy living in harmony with nature.

We have handpicked ten houses for this special edition that serve as the perfect example of design innovations in sync with the natural world. Front and center, it’s about the pursuit of ways to live more sustainably and create a better future for all. Looking for inspiration? Perhaps a glimpse into nature-inspired “Tropical Suburban and Country Homes” is a good place to start.

Delve into the new book today. It’s hitting Thailand shelves now. For more details, visit https://www.naiin.com/product/detail/592504

For bulk ordering, contact livingasean.bkk@gmail.com


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My Montessori Garden: A Green School Advocating an Interest in Nature and the Environment

My Montessori Garden: A Green School Advocating an Interest in Nature and the Environment

/ Quang Ninh, Vietnam /

/ Story: Phattaraphon / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Duc Nguyen /

A green school that creates a healthy learning environment and advocates an interest in nature is making good progress in Vietnam. Here, a desire to connect with the natural world, hands-on experience growing up in the outdoors and nurturing a relationship with Mother Earth are of the utmost importance. It’s named My Montessori Garden in honor of Maria Montessori (1870-1952), an Italian educator who advocated a child-centered approach to education.

green school

The green school is located at Ha Long, a coastal city that’s part of Quang Ninh Province about an hour’s drive from Hanoi. It embraces the Montessori Method of teaching and learning that has become popular in this region of Vietnam in recent years.

In essence, it’s about answering individual children’s learning needs and getting outside into nature, thereby developing a sense of responsible stewardship of the environment as they grow. And it’s a good idea to start early with kindergarten children, who are curious to learn and inquire about everything around them.

Needless to say spending time in nature offers lasting psychological benefits. It’s a way to build a good inner foundation for life in the process of growing up into responsible adulthood. More so than anything else, there is no forced learning taking place. It’s a curriculum by which no child is left behind, and no one is forced to learn anything regardless of his or her own wishes.

green school

The schoolhouse design is a creation by a team of architects at HGAA, a Hanoi architectural practice, who successfully translated the ideas about alternative approaches to education into a reality. It’s a work of architecture founded upon an understanding of child behavior and nature of human learning. The result is a healthy environment conducive to learning, one that’s tailored to the specific needs of individual children.

green school

green school

green school
Although small in size, My Montessori Garden makes the most effective use of space, with easy traffic patterns designed with the little children in mind.

green school

How did they do it? To begin with, a design that’s plain and simple takes precedence here. The schoolhouse is built of steel structural framing. Dry construction was cost effective and took less time to build without causing negative impacts on the environment or inconveniences to community

In future, when the land lease expires and cannot be renewed, the whole project can simply be taken apart and moved to a new location.

A diagrammatic representation shows the built environment in relation to the school yard filled with green foliage and a corridor system between buildings. / Courtesy of HGAA
A diagrammatic drawing illustrates traffic patterns on the ground floor. / Courtesy of HGAA
A diagrammatic representation illustrates traffic patterns on the footbridge system. / Courtesy of HGAA
A side elevation drawing shows the trees, the footbridge system with mesh wire railing and, beyond, winged roofs with the center gutters for carrying off rainwater, a thoughtful design that prevents storm water from splashing onto neighboring homes. / Courtesy of HGAA
A cross section drawing shows winged roof ideas with the center channels for conveying rainwater away from the building. / Courtesy of HGAA
A simplified drawing illustrates the angle at which sunlight strikes, and the direction from which the wind enters and exits, creating indoor thermal comfort. / Courtesy of HGAA

My Montessori Garden sits on a small area of ground, only 600 square meters in all. For child safety, the overhead footbridge among the trees has wire mesh railing infills designed to protect against slip and fall accidents.

green school
Surrounded by trees and shrubbery, a footbridge system has wire mesh railing infills that protect against slip and fall accidents. It’s also an extra outdoor room for children to play in.

green school

Although small in size, natural elements are generously integrated into the plan in a way that pleases the senses and the mind.

There are two kinds of green space on the premises. On the ground, the school yard provides ample room with raised beds for growing vegetables, in-ground plants and shade trees. Above the ground, climbing vines and edible vegetation thrive on trellises and walls producing colorful flowers that give off good vibes.

green school
Children chat with friends as they tend leafy vegetables in raised beds and climbing vines producing flowers and edible fruits.

For the architects, it’s about designing an environment conducive to learning and, at the same time, promoting positive thinking, interactions with nature and socialization processes among kids. And it’s happening all day and every day, indoors and outdoors.

green school
Nature is the best classroom. To protect the little children from the elements, the entire wall of the building is glazed using clear glass with sliding doors that separate indoors from outdoors.

 

In a few words, well-thought-out design matters. For My Montessori Garden, it’s a design that fulfills the purpose for which it’s intended, one that’s easily to understand and presenting no difficulty. In the end, it boils down to one thing — nature is the best classroom.

green school


Architect: HGAA (https://hgaa.vn)


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