Architect’s Firm: i.House Architecture and Construction
Contact e-mail: ihouse.jsc@gmail.com
Project Location: Tran Dai Nghia street, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi, Vietnam
Completion Year: 2018
Gross Built Area (square meters or square foot): 485m2
Lead Architects: Chu Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Huy Cuong
Other Participants: Nguyen Dinh Tiep, Le Manh Trung, Hoang Anh Tuan, Pham Thanh Tung, Nguyen Thi Thai, Dang Huy Cuong
Photo Credits: Hoang Le
Situated on Tran Dai Nghia Street, Hanoi, the house lies in a lovely and tranquil alley. 5.4 meters in width and 20.3 meters in length, the house, with two open views at the front and back, overlooks a tree-filled university campus. Such an area, in the urban district, is ideal for creating a living space for a whole family.
With large panels of glass and rough, hollow brick, the panorama in front of the house with perennial trees of nearly 20m is optimized to achieve a great harmony of colors from leaves (green) and concrete (grey). In addition, a contrast can be clearly seen as the brick wall is vertically built to balance with the horizontally recessed loggia and the courtyard. Interlaced among the vertical and horizontal lines is a big tub of a plant at the corner of the loggia on the second floor, which brings balance and sets the facade of the house apart.
Therefore, the appeal of the house comes from a perfect blend of inner-outer spaces and the solidity and void in its architecture.
Adopted a nature-friendly design approach, every room in the house is filled with natural light and air: the skylight is built at the center of the house, next to the one-sided staircase and the corridor bridge connecting the functional rooms, which helps to create various openings reserved for airflow convection throughout the house. Green trees provide an excellent harmony between the man-made constructions and the natural landscape, offsetting the roughness of brick, steel, and concrete.
Trees are not only important in regulating and refreshing internal air but also crucial in refilling the house with plenty of oxygen as a “green” lung.
Moreover, traditional materials are given priority and thoroughly considered in the construction process so that the simplicity, plainness, and lyrical contents are most clearly depicted. The entire wall along one side of the house is surfaced with Bat Trang traditional ceramics, with different arrangements and layout, thereby creating a visual attraction throughout the house. What’s more, the decorative wood wall at the end of the house presents an ancient flavor with bright red colors, laced with balusters and delicately-carved sculptures, a nostalgic reminder of the typical culture of Northern Vietnam.
With this project, we not only focus on taking advantage of the natural elements such as wind, light, and trees but also the traditional features of Vietnamese architecture. As a result, the living space seems cozier and closer to nature for each family member residing in this pretty house.
