Saigon house cuts corners to fit into a tiny alley

By Thai Binh    April 1, 2019 | 07:14 pm PT
​A house creates more space for itself in a cramped alley with seven corners and airy interiors.
Saigon house cuts corners to fit into a tiny alley

Located in a crowded residential area in HCMC’s District 10, the house stands on a 177 square meter plot of land. The alley leading to the house, however, is only one meter wide, and is surrounded by tall houses. The plot of land is also unique, with 17 sides.

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Architects have designed a three-storey house with a total floor area of 452 square meters, with two gardens, one in the front and another at the rear. Several mini gardens on balconies and the rooftop add green comfort to the house. 

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The gardens give the house an airy space despite its location in the narrow alley. The greenery also gives the owner’s elderly mother an experience of the city that she can relate to, when it was not so crowded.

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To maximize sunlight inside the house and avoid the heat, the architects have cut some corners in the house according to the movement of the sun, giving it seven sides. The sunlight can reach the triangular balcony, lighting up the room inside.

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The house is also brighter and more airy thanks to large open spaces that the architects call the "void" between the first and second floor and between the second and third floor. These voids, which are not parallel to each other, also connect the family’s shared spaces like the kitchen and the dining area.

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On the first floor is the kitchen and the dining table. 

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The living room is arranged on the second floor, located on the vertical axis of the house.

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The house has a total of 5 bedrooms, two on the first floor, one on the second floor and two more on the third floor. The bedrooms are placed on top of each other in zigzag pattern.

A toilet can receive natural light thanks to the way the architecture forms the corner inside the house and design the void between the floors. 

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In order to create the connection between the interior and the outer space, the interior and exterior walls are unpainted and covered with a layer of the waterproof oil. The ceiling is made of rough concrete with pallet wood pattern, which blends well with the wall color. 

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The blueprint of the house. 

Photos by Hiroyuki Oki and SDA

 
 
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