Located in Hue City, Vietnam, this 65-year-old terraced house has undergone three renovations throughout the homeowners’ lives, each responding to their evolving needs and financial circumstances. Designed by Cong Sinh Architects, the latest renovation embraces sustainability, reducing environmental impact compared to rebuilding the house and saving considerable energy and financial resources, while creating a comfortable home for a family of three: an elderly couple and their daughter. Despite its narrow and elongated footprint, the house still optimizes its strong connection with nature.
The parents’ bedroom occupies the rear of the ground floor, ensuring privacy, tranquility, and ease of access for the elderly couple. Adjacent to it, the kitchen and dining area serve as a gathering place for the family and double as a welcoming space for familiar guests. Located at the heart of the house, beneath a skylight, this communal space is bathed in natural daylight. It allows the elderly couple to see and hear the household’s daily activities and enjoy visits from relatives, helping to ease feelings of loneliness.
The daughter’s private spaces occupy the upper floors, including a private living room, a study, and a bedroom. Notably, her bedroom is positioned directly above her parents’, with a vertical distance of just 2.2 meters between the two floor levels. This proximity allows her to hear any unusual signs in her parents’ health conditions and respond promptly when they need care, which holds immense value to her.
Taking advantage of the site's orientation, the house opens its southeast-facing rear façade, where cooling breezes prevail, as much as possible to maximize natural airflow. The living spaces are designed to be open and interconnected, allowing these cooling breezes to reach every corner of the house.
Concrete louvers on the façade provide privacy, significantly reduce solar heat gain, and admit maximum breeze while sheltering against driving rain. Locally sourced natural stone walls and a thick roof offer effective thermal insulation, further enhancing indoor comfort. Three skylights distributed along the length of the house bring abundant natural daylight and ventilation into every living space. Together, these passive design strategies create a healthy and comfortable living environment.
Like a protective cave, the house offers a sense of tranquility and security through many stormy seasons. Plants and small fishponds integrated into the façade’s louver system introduce greenery and cooling elements, while tending to them adds delight to the homeowners’ daily lives.
Team:
Architect: Cong Sinh Architects
Photography: Hiroyuki Oki
Principal Architect: Võ Quang Thi
Contractor: Cong Sinh Homes
