In the burgeoning Thảo Điền ward of District 2, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, a new social dining space showcases low-impact transformation and climate-conscious design within a compact urban site. Designed by New York-based Studio KHOA VU, “Ts Veil” is the renovation of a 300-square-meter, three-storey villa. The design introduces a quiet yet radical shift in how a building breathes, finds shade, and stays open to its environment.
A sustainability-driven renovation
Thảo Điền is home to a mix of boutiques, coffee shops, eateries, and residential premises. While Ts Veil’s client initially intended to demolish and reconstruct the building, Studio KHOA VU advocated for retaining and adapting the existing structure. Retaining the building promotes environmental sustainability, while also preserving the memory of place. Built in the early 2000s, the project carefully maintains the original building’s core structural framework, including its concrete frame, staircase, floor plates, and roof — only non-structural walls were removed.
“At its core, Ts Veil is a sustainability-driven renovation rooted in the belief that preservation and strategic architectural layering are more impactful than demolition and rebuild,” says Khoa Vu, founder of Studio KHOA VU. “By retaining the building’s original structure and carefully adding new elements, the project minimises waste and carbon emissions, while offering a refreshed identity and spatial performance.”
A breathable outer skin
The project’s central design concept revolves around the idea of a veil. The building is draped in a porous veil of expanded metal mesh, a three-dimensional and breathable outer skin that mediates between the bustling street and the relaxed interior. A new precast concrete and steel framework provides the veil’s structural backbone. This framework forms a porous enclosure that encourages natural ventilation and filters light, shifting fluidly between opacity and transparency.
At the site’s sharp corner, the veil peels open and drapes outward, forming a gentle urban gesture: a shaded threshold that invites people in. “This gesture transforms the building into a soft urban inflection, offering a breathable, responsive corner in a dense and vibrant neighbourhood,” says Khoa Vu. The architecture encourages informal gathering, softening the edge between private programme and public life.
A dual-function environmental device
The veil acts as both a passive and active environmental device in the heart of a tropical city. The expanded metal mesh promotes cross-ventilation throughout the building, while a misting system integrated into the screen creates cooling microclimates during Saigon’s hottest months. The mesh and mist work in conjunction, acting as a climatic buffer that improves comfort and minimising the need for mechanical cooling.
A complementary inner skin
Ts Veil’s renovation introduces a complementary inner skin that strengthens the project's unfussy yet polished aesthetic. The use of glass block walls, exposed concrete, and unfinished steel, combined with minimal decoration, creates a quiet, tactile, and contemporary interior. The glass block further enhances the interplay of light and texture, softly refracting daylight while providing privacy and a warm glow. Studio KHOA VU’s carefully considered interior palette creates an open and adaptable space, balancing robustness and calm, informality and intention.
Reinterpreting building design in a tropical urban setting
The building’s veil and interior form a dual-layer strategy, blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors. This strategy reframes the relationship between street and space. More than just a renovation, Studio KHOA VU’s approach to Ts Veil reinterprets building design in a tropical urban setting. This project demonstrates how careful architectural interventions can help a building breathe, find shade, and remain open to its surroundings.
