Vietnam home to three of world’s 50 best houses

The U.S-based site made its selection from 1,000 different projects published on its website so far this year, based on four criteria - architectural design, material and construction innovation, challenging topography, and readers’ favorites.

The first of three Vietnamese houses on the list is the 911-Villa in District 2’s Thao Dien Ward, home to the largest expat community in Saigon. It was designed by the Vaco Design Company in 2018 on an area of 1,083 square meters.

The facade of 911-Villa in Thao Dien Ward in District 2. Photo courtesy of Vaco Design Company.

According to the architects, the construction was inspired by a modernist villa in France, Villa Savoye, and the openness of vernacular architecture.

"The design is an answer to a minimal contemporary lifestyle of a young professional, who possesses an extensive collection of cars in the tropical climate of Ho Chi Minh City," the Vaco Design Company said.

The second Vietnam house in the top 50 list is the ANHS House, designed by G+ Architects. It has a modest area of 43 square meters and accommodates an extended family of three generations.

The house, located in a newly developed residential area in Nha Be District, is surrounded by weeds and canals.

The ANHS House is designed for an extended family of three generations. Photo by VnExpress/Quang Tran.

"Our concept presents an open space for both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the house to take advantage of natural light and wind, essential in a green and airy environment," the architects said.

Thirdly, the Ha House, designd by famous Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia, was just built this year.

The Ha House has a swimming pool inside the living room. Photo by Hiroyuki Oki.

Also a private house for a three-generation family, the house is located in an emerging residential area, a 15-minute drive from downtown Saigon, according to ArchDaily.

The special house is a three-level brick building built on a narrow 7x20 meter piece of land. Two things that make this house stand out are: a continuous garden that runs up to the terrace; and a swimming pool inside the living room.

Many other houses featured in ArchDaily’s top 50 are from Asian countries like Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

A house in Chau Doc, a town in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, designed by Nishizawa architects, made it into the top 100, globally.

ArchDaily, an architecture platform showcasing good and up-to-date examples of projects and architectural products, claimed to the "world's most visited architecture website." It said it delivers inspiration, tools and knowledge to 13.6 million architects who visit it each month.