Maison Piaggio / David Rockwood, Architect

Maison Piaggio is a two-story single-family rowhouse located near the southern edge of Da Nang, Viet Nam. The house is built on a typical 5m x 20m Da Nang lot and has an entry courtyard, living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a studio. Da Nang is hot and humid during much of the year, and maintaining interior thermal comfort is a challenge without the use of air conditioning. To mitigate energy use while maintaining a connection to the outside environment, various passive design strategies are used. Protection of openings is accomplished with horizontal and vertical shading devices. Cooling cross-ventilation breezes flow horizontally around and over the central core.