Dual House is a small building located in a long and quiet alley near to Ho Chi Minh city center. The site area is approximately 60 square meter and the total built area is 250 square meter. The long and narrow site is almost the same as a typical tube-house in the city. However, the existing street frontage edge is strangely folded at two slightly different angles and that makes the site become unique in terms of geometry. The design brief asked for a dual functionality: a cozy home for the owner couple and their little daughter; and at least two rental spaces which would ensure some monthly income for the owner. The design concept is based on the client’s requests as well as the characteristics of the site.
Firstly, the basic functional program of Dual House is strategically divided into two parts: a three-bedroom family home in the first three levels; and three 20-25 square-meter rental studios on the top two floors. Besides, some common spaces are also inserted into the program, including a court yard cum bike parking on the ground level and a share large rooftop terrace on the third floor. A void is positioned at the back of the house in order to bring natural ventilation and daylighting to the owner’s kitchen and laundry spaces on the ground level as well as the rental rooms above.
Secondly, Dual House has two staircases rather than just a single one as normally seen in a typical tube-house. The tenants have access to the first staircase via the front courtyard then go straight to their spaces at the top two levels. The owner’s staircase is situated at the back and connects the living-dining-kitchen area with a study room and three bedrooms on the mezzanine and the first level. Finally, these two staircases are interconnected at the first level therefore via a secured corridor. This unique configuration enhances the privacy, security and safety of the owners and tenants. The owner’s access to both staircases also ensures the flexibility of use in case the owner would like to occupy the rental rooms in the future.
Furthermore, a series of triangular-shaped landscaped balconies, large windows and glazing is cleverly integrated onto the angled façade of the house to create a uniquely zigzagging built-form which is also sensitively responsive to the characteristics of the site. The full-height glazing also maximizes the pleasant view to a leafy garden just on the other side of the alleyway and blurs the boundary between inside and outside.
Finally, the interior and exterior spaces are designed and finished with carefully selected materials such as concrete, reused bricks, ceramic tiles, metal, glass and wooden joinery. Selected plantings are placed at courtyards and structurally-integrated planters as well as the triangular landscaped balconies and the shared rooftop garden, where the owners and tenants may meet and greet the others every day.
