Kooihuis / ROOM+ Design & Construction
+ 21
- Area :
160 m² -
Year :
2022
-
Manufacturers : Enscape† SketchUp† AutoCAD† E-Egger† Galaxy Curtains† INAX Bathroom equipment† LG air conditioners† MPE lighting† Star Blinds† Toto Bathroom Equipment† Vietceramics† Xingfa
Text description provided by the architects. According to an official statistic in 2020, urban mansions accounted for more than 88% of Ho Chi Minh City’s total of 1.92 million homes. However, many outdated and dilapidated mansions no longer meet the modern lifestyle and higher standard of living of the next generation. Understandably, renovating old mansions to properly meet today’s living needs has become a very challenging yet inspiring type of work for many local architects.
A 15 year old typical small town house located in a small alley in a very high density neighborhood has been recently renovated to meet the new housing needs while most of the main structure has been carefully preserved due to the tight budget. The old house was musty and degraded with a bulky concrete staircase in the middle; a dark and poorly ventilated kitchen and bedroom at the rear; as well as a dusty and deserted roof terrace. In addition, the 3 meter wide alley is often filled with busy and noisy traffic, as it is a shorter route connecting two main roads.
The design brief called for a contemporary and artistic renovation that would hopefully improve comfort, provide ample daylight and natural ventilation, reduce the impact of traffic noise and also improve the privacy and security of the interior space. The architectural and interior design concept was based on a dual approach: rearranging and renovating all internal spaces on all levels and attaching a unique cage-like structure with integrated gardens to the exterior facade.
First, the central concrete staircase was replaced with a lightweight one made of custom iron frame and wooden steps under a glass void; another small void was carved in the rear corner to provide natural light to the kitchen and dining areas at the rear of ground level, while the front space is devoted to a spacious living room combined with the main lobby and landscaped courtyard. The master bedroom and bathroom have been moved to the front part of the second floor and finished with large glazing, laminated wood flooring and black tiles. A study/home library is positioned at the rear and is well lit with soft daylight via the air well. The third floor has a 2 meter back exit yet is spacious enough to neatly accommodate the second bedroom, a shared bathroom and a cozy prayer room.
Second, the entire old and obsolete facade was carefully “cut out and cut” piece by piece and then structurally secured with a two-level stepping iron “cage”, which consists of fairly thin iron bars placed at arbitrary distances in combination with two wire mesh trellis above. Directly behind the metal facade are two large terraces with many leafy plants and lively flowers. These landscape areas have effectively reduced the noise from the heavy traffic below and greatly improved the privacy and security of the interior spaces. In addition, they are also considered important green buffer zones that bring the young owners closer to refreshing nature every day while making a positive contribution to the urban streetscape.
