A Slim Green Home in Vietnam Rises Like a Tendril Out of Concrete
Green and blue finishes inspired by nature fill a 13-foot-wide building in Ho Chi Minh City shared by a family and its tenants.
Green and blue finishes inspired by nature fill a 13-foot-wide building in Ho Chi Minh City shared by a family and its tenants.
Situated on a 366-square-foot plot that’s only about 13 feet wide, the slender home that Khuôn Studio and Phan Khắc Tùng designed for a young family in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, looks like something out of the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz: Glossy green tiles clad the exterior, and cascading plants hang from the balconies above a green metal gate.
3T2 House in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, designed by Khuôn Studio and Phan Khắc Tùng, occupies a narrow alley that’s only about 13 feet wide.
Thiet Vu
"The neighborhood is disordered yet soulful, so we created a playful vibe and used colors found in nature to give the inhabitants a sense of ease," says architect Huỳnh Anh Tuấn of Khuôn Studio. "When you’re in this house, it’s as if Saigon, the biggest city in Vietnam, vanishes."
Though 3T2 House provides respite from urban life, it also pays tribute to the larger context of the city. "We’re a bunch of nostalgic architects who are in love with the architecture of Saigon before 1975," Tùng explains. "Those buildings are filled with terrazzo and cement tile that just get better with time. We wanted to honor the architecture that holds weight in our hearts."
A large, green metal gate opens to a covered entrance courtyard, where a staircase leads to the two upper levels that the young family rents to tenants.
Thiet Vu
The architects demolished the house that had stood previously. "It was deteriorating and did not have enough space to accommodate the growing family," Tuấn says. "With only one floor and a mezzanine, the family members had to share a bed, and the furniture layout was not well planned. This created a lot of stress in their daily life."
The clients—a hardware engineer, a college lecturer, and their three daughters, ages nine, seven, and 18 months—had lived in Ho Chi Minh City for nearly two decades and loved the location. "Our neighborhood is near the city center, and all amenities are within walking distance," says the wife. "We love the tranquility here."
Glossy green tiles cover one of the walls in the entrance courtyard. The staircase that accesses the two upper levels is crafted with bright, bluish-green terrazzo. The tenants and the family only cross paths here.
Thiet Vu
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Slim Green Home in Vietnam Rises Like a Tendril Out of Concrete
