Rapid urbanization in Vietnam’s major cities has led to a severe shortage of green space, accompanied by urban issues such as air pollution and the urban heat island effect. At the project site itself, urbanization has transformed the appearance and way of life of a neighborhood once characterized by tranquil gardens and a strong agricultural tradition.
Located in Thanh Tam Parish, Ho Chi Minh City, the house is a peaceful sanctuary for a family of four, inspired by the owners’ passion for cultivation. It evokes the traditional three-bay houses of the region, a familiar architectural typology that was once deeply rooted in the local way of life.
The house accommodates a communal living area and kitchen on the ground floor, with three bedrooms on the upper floor. Rooftop vegetable gardens further reflect the homeowners’ love of gardening.
On the ground floor, a spacious communal living area with a high ceiling recalls the architecture of traditional three-bay houses. This entire space opens directly onto the fruit garden at the front, welcoming cooling breezes from the southeast. Fully open front and rear façades, oriented to capture the prevailing breezes and combined with passive design strategies, facilitate natural cross-ventilation, allowing air to circulate freely and cool every space in the home.
The kitchen, resting area, and bathroom facilities at the rear of the ground floor open entirely onto the back garden, where low walls provide the necessary privacy. All ground-floor spaces share the same floor level and remain free of doors, allowing the residents, sunlight, and breezes to move freely throughout the house.
A large central skylight provides ample natural daylight for every space. This light draws people together to interact in the area beneath the skylight, where a statue of the Virgin Mary occupies a place of reverence at the heart of the home.
Concrete louvers on the façade provide a sense of privacy and security for the upstairs bedrooms, reflecting the homeowners’ requirements. When commissioning the project, the owners jokingly expressed their desire for a truly secure home, one that could protect their family through any adversity, even war or a pandemic. The louver system also considerably reduces solar heat gain while allowing the upper-floor spaces to capture cooling breezes from the southeast.
Rooftop vegetable gardens, positioned directly above the bedrooms, provide effective thermal insulation. Inspired by the traditional vegetable trellises commonly found in Vietnamese homes, particularly those used for growing gourds and squash, the rooftop trellis creates a naturally cool and refreshing environment in the spaces below, allowing family members to enjoy restful sleep. As a result, the homeowners barely need air conditioning throughout the year.
The bedrooms are divided by lightweight partitions made from materials that can be recycled or relocated. This flexible arrangement allows the layout and number of bedrooms to be easily adjusted to accommodate the family’s changing needs in the future.
The house is designed to optimize energy efficiency. The rooftop vegetable trellis, together with passive design strategies adapted to the tropical climate, creates naturally cool and healthy living spaces. Combined with solar panels, these solutions allow the house to operate almost without reliance on the national electricity grid.
The rooftop vegetable trellis is a simple and easily replicable design solution. Through this project, the architects hope to inspire similar approaches in other homes, encouraging the creation of more rooftop vegetable gardens and bringing more greenery and nature into the urban landscape.
Team:
Architect: Cong Sinh Architects
Photography: Hiroyuki Oki
Lead Architect: Vo Quang Thi
