A D-shaped atrium featuring tropical planting fills with natural light the core of this narrow house in Ho Chi Minh City that is just 3.5 metres wide. In the House 304, local firm Kientruc O want to provoke an honest living experience for a young family in a typical urban Vietnamese townhouse.
Only 3.5x12m in size, single facade facing an open street, the design context poses challenges to create a casual, well ventilated, and well lit space within a constrained building footage. Vertical expansion of the light well helps to maximize the desired spatial quality and conditions, while provoking a sense of openness and connectedness to nature as it open up to the sky.
House 304 is a combination of simple spatial functionality, contemporary materials, structure and construction methodology. Finishes with everyday material, white wall and timber, the focal point of the house is the interplay between light and nature. Airy, open provides uninterrupted view both inside out, and outside in, the residence still possess a sense of private and secure when needed.
all images © Hiroyuki Oki