Located on a 102 m² plot in western Hue City, Vietnam, Lily Block addresses the spatial needs of a young family through the concept of programmatic compression. Rather than spreading out the built mass, the footprint is kept strictly compact to maximize space for landscape. This approach ensures core functional comfort while establishing an ecological buffer that actively adapts to the region's severe weather conditions, simultaneously expanding green coverage within a constrained urban setting.
In tropical architecture, internal voids such as skylights or lightwells frequently present drawbacks regarding solar heat gain and water leakage during heavy monsoon seasons. To mitigate these risks, the project shifts the vertical circulation core directly to the primary facade. This spatial maneuver yields two distinct microclimatic advantages: the under-stair area is reclaimed as a ground-level green pocket, while the upper structural enclosure projects outward to form an overhanging roof—a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional veranda that shades the building from direct solar radiation. Conceptually, exposing the staircase redefines the role of the facade: architecture ceases to be a static shell concealing the interior, instead displaying the kinetic rhythm of domestic movement. Concurrently, other openings are selectively restrained to frame views toward the surrounding historic monuments.
Furthermore, the vertical circulation core operates as a passive cooling engine. Natural ventilation functions through a layered convective sequence: cool intake air is pre-filtered by ground vegetation and concrete floating steps, blending with terrain-driven breezes from nearby hills before circulating through the living quarters. As indoor air warms, it rises and exhausts through a wide aperture at the rooftop penthouse. This continuous spatial configuration generates a pressure-differential funnel (stack effect), facilitating constant thermal exchange across the building volume.
Responding to the dense historical context, Lily Block rejects any attempt at superficial historicism or architectural pastiche. The residence steps back, serving as a quiet, minimalist backdrop that elevates the interplay of light and shadow. Instead, locality is subtly woven through native materials and endemic flora, including Binh Dien river stones, Melaleuca trees, and Alocasia plants. Throughout its realization, Lily Block embodies the core practice philosophy of 3fconcept: a human-centric approach that achieves a harmonious balance between comfort, safety, and spatial enjoyment.
