June House

Nguyenxkhuong

• Architects

June House is situated on a plot of 144m², which was combined from two 4.5m x 16m subdivided lots.

Initially, the homeowner, a family of three generations, planned to build two adjacent tube houses: one for the grandparents and the other for the young couple and their children. The architectural team from S.LA Architecture proposed a more interesting solution: organizing two apartments stacked on top of each other, dividing functions horizontally rather than vertically.

photo_credit Nguyenxkhuong — Nguyenxkhuong

The ground floor is the grandparents' apartment, which includes the living room, kitchen, grandparents' bedroom, and an altar room. The altar room is centrally located on the ground floor, allowing the grandparents to conduct their worship activities conveniently.

The first floor is the young family's apartment, which includes a kitchen, master bedroom, and child's bedroom. The lobby, courtyard, and atrium on the first floor are connected, serving as a green core that provides ventilation and natural light to the rooms. This is the most interesting space in the house, serving as a play area for the children, a relaxation spot for the parents, and a reception area when needed. Each floor functions as an independent apartment with its own kitchen, yet they are still connected through the common lobby, atrium, and front yard.

In comparison with the plan of two adjacent tube houses, stacking the two apartments optimizes the hallway area. The floor area saved allows June House to have a spacious front yard - an invaluable setback in an urban area where all the adjacent tube houses are built with 100% density.

Unlike the surrounding tube houses, all spaces in this house are filled with natural light and air. The green vegetable garden on the rooftop not only brings joy to the grandparents in their old age but also serves as a green roof that insulates and significantly cools the first floor.

Although only common materials are used, such as bricks, steel, and corrugated iron roofing, June House still manages to surprise the entire neighborhood and visiting guests!