Fish-scale tiles, interior courtyard add Moroccan touch to Tay Ninh home

By Minh Trang March 11, 2021 | 01:00 am PT

Apart from two verandas at the front and back, a house in Tay Ninh has two other indoor verandas, surrounded by fish-scale tiles re-used from an old house.

The two-floor house is located on a 175-meter-square plot. Covered by fish-scaled tiles, the house has a distinctive look in its neighborhood in southern Tay Ninh Provice.The tiles are kept by the family from their old dismantled house.

The two-storey, fish-scale tiled house stands on a 175-meter-square plot in southern Tay Ninh Province.

The homeowners share passion for nature and rustic things. They have two daughters who are very afraid of ghosts and always want to be close to their parents, so architects opt to design a house with open spaces connecting the family members.

The homeowners share a passion for nature and rustic living. Their two daughters, afraid of ghosts, prompted architects to design an open, connected living space for them to always be near their parents.

The house takes up less than half of the land area. The rest of the land is used for gardening and childrens play ground.

The house takes up less than half of the land area, which is also used for gardening and recreational activities.

The separation of the building blocks ensures ventilation, maximizing the use of natural light. The two-verandas space inside the house is a common place for the family members to see each others and talk.This is a place where the family dine together, where the kids study, dad lies in the hammock, mom relaxes, reads books or cooks, the architects said.

"This is a place where the family dines together, where the kids study, dad lies in the hammock, mom relaxes, reads books or cooks," the architects described the airy and bright open plan interior.

The skylight allows natural light to enter the house.

The skylight allows natural light to cascade down into the belly of the house.

The house was built mainly by red common bricks and old fish scale tiles, which are close to nature, bring a distinctive feel and suitable with the rusty spirit of the building.

Its color and material palette afford the structure an earthy, functional feel.

The two awnings at the front and back of the house boosts ventilation, and reminds homeowners of their childhood memory, as they used to sit at their houses awnings to wait for their mothers to come home.

The two awnings at the front and back of the house recall the homeowners' memories of waiting for their mothers to return to their former childhood homes.

Raw brick and fish-scaled tiles make a perfect combination, creating a cozy vibe.

Raw bricks and fish-scale tiles create a vibrant, warm contrast in texture.

Photos by Hiroyuki Oki