Two years ago, Truyen built this 150 square meter storm shelter in his hometown in Duc Pho district, Quang Ngai province.
Truyen said he witnessed many severe storms in his hometown that swept away many properties and even caused houses to collapse. This motivated him to build a safe and solid storm shelter for his mother, relatives and neighbors.
The entire structure is built with 200 millimeter thick walls, and double-layer reinforced concrete floors as a thermal insulation layer. The design of the shelter is simple, contrasting with the traditional architecture of the temple next door. It simulates a sturdy ship's deck.
The simple shape and white color serves to highlight the features of the temple. Part of the shelter’s facade is hidden by the hundred-year-old temple, which means that it is less affected by strong winds when the rainy season comes.
The 3 meter wide porch goes around the core space of the shelter. The functional rooms are located in the middle, surrounded by a buffer space, keeping the shelter always warm in winter, cool in summer and less affected by the weather outside.
The large veranda allows the shelter to host more people if it is gets too crowded inside.
The west side of the house overlooks a large field, facing intense sunlight in the afternoon. Therefore, on this side, a small circular window not only allows people inside to see the field outside, but also avoids exposure to extreme sunlight.
Outside the west-facing window, an additional layer of stairs, combined with the 200 millimeter thick walls, also help functional rooms avoid the intense sunlight, especially in the hot summer that central Vietnam experiences.
According to the architect's calculation, the house can withstand category 13 storms with wind speed of 134-149 km/h and accommodate up to 100 people for many days.
The architect has carefully considered unfavorable sunshine and main wind directions to mitigate impacts of extreme weather on the house.
Truyen said that storm winds in central Vietnam often blow from the north to the south, so all windows in the North are designed with sliding doors, limiting collisions with surrounding walls and objects.
However, the disadvantage of sliding doors is that they hiss when strong winds blow through tiny gaps. The architect has used rubber gaskets to seal these gaps.
The blue color of the curved doors in the house is an indicator of the architect's ship deck inspiration.
The bedroom is modeled like a ship’s cabin, optimizing space with 8 bunk beds with enough space for 16 people at one time.
Several trees around the house help soften summer temperatures in the living space and reduce wind pressure on the house.
The restroom is divided into an indoor and an outdoor area to accommodate the needs of many people staying in the shelter at the same time. The outside area has 4 toilets.
The roof of the toilet is made of solid polycarbonate sheets that capture light effectively. The material is light, durable and resistant to extreme weather.
The terrace floor is made of two layers of waterproofing mortar.
Truyen said that in the two years since the house was built, there is clear evidence that the building has suffered no damage. The living space inside is always cool and temperate, not much affected by the outside temperature.
