A Slim Green Home in Vietnam Rises Like a Tendril Out of Concrete

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.

"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."

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."