A House in Kim Long Located in the heart of Kim Long—a region renowned for its traditional garden houses in Huế—the project draws inspiration from a lifestyle deeply connected to nature and the arts. Designed to accommodate essential living functions such as a living room, dining area, kitchen, and bedroom, the house also prominently reflects the homeowner’s passion for art collecting and gardening. These personal interests occupy a significant portion of the interior, turning everyday spaces into an extension of their creative pursuits.

The central design concept revolves around the creation of a planted hill that gradually rises from the front yard to the second-floor lobby. This green slope serves multiple functions: it visually softens the massing of the building, conceals functional areas such as the art storage, mini bar, and ground-floor utilities, and helps regulate the microclimate of the indoor gallery space. The result is a volume that feels lighter and more integrated into its natural surroundings.

All shared living spaces are positioned on the second floor, facing the planted hill, to optimize natural light and ventilation—especially beneficial in Huế’s long rainy season. A traditional sloping roof with red tiles ensures efficient rainwater drainage while echoing the architectural language of Huế’s iconic garden houses. This gesture ties the building aesthetically and culturally to its context.

The name “The Late Art” speaks to the homeowner’s belated yet profound engagement with painting. It represents a quiet but enduring passion, a personal homage to the act of collecting and living with art later in life.