Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects) has recently completed this residence for a three-generation family located in an emerging residential area, 15-minutes drive from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Ha House forms part of a densely populated neighborhood. In addition to the usual requirements, the client asked that the property include a large green garden, a big swimming pool, and a parking lot — a significant challenge considering the narrow site’s 7×20 meter (23x66ft) dimensions.
In order to meet the client’s demands, VTN proposed to divide the idea of the “large green garden” into smaller connected gardens. Specifically, as the volume of the building is climbed from the ground floor, it is gradually set back while twisting. On the top floor, the house is configured to protrude a two meter cantilever to the main road. The stepped gardens of the house are placed interwinely with the terrace as they are connected and continuous to the top floor.
Depending on the type of trees, they create an umbrage that filters the harsh sunlight and cool down the air for the house. In addition, each tree pots also functions as a blindfold from the main road. On the other hand, the terraces are arranged on each floors with variety of size according to function. At some place, it is designed as a private garden that the residents can access directly from their bedroom. While in other space, the terrace becomes the public garden which everyone can gather. All of these gardens are individual spaces that are also “one continuous garden” where the residents and kids can go through by the steel staircase outside.
In the interior space, the ground floor and the first floor are connected by a huge central void. It attaches all of the main funtional spaces such as the living room, the dining with kitchen, the library and the kids’ bedroom to become one space in which the residents can interact with each other. At the same time, through the big openings with different scales and proportions inside the house, the residents can also connect with the greenery outside the house.
The gaps that are created by the shifted volumes allows the natural sunlight and cool wind to pass through. As the direct sunlight is reduced by the greenery on the facade of the house, the residents’ future electricity usage of air condition will also be decreased. Locally sourced bricks have been used to minimize both construction expense and the project’s carbon footprint. Ha House is the latest property in VTN’s ‘House For Trees’ project, which sees the life of residents and nature closely intertwined.
