Mệ Loan’s House

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le

Mệ LOAN’S HOUSE

H-H Studio

ARCHITECTS
H-H Studio

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Huynh Tuan Huy, Huynh Thuy Vu

MANUFACTURERS
American Standard, Hafele, Xingfa

DESIGN TEAM
Tran Van Tuan, Le Trung Cuong, Hoang Trong Đao, Le Phuoc Chin, Duong Cong Ly

PHOTOGRAPHS
Hoang Le

AREA
200 m²

YEAR
2019

 LOCATION
Hòa Thuận Đông, Vietnam

CATEGORIES
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

The lot dimension is 7.5 x 14.3 meters, surrounded by adjacent constructions and accessed by an alleyway of 1.2 meters wide by 16.4 meters long.

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le

Getting inspiration from traditional courtyard house, in this project, the spaces and volumes are reconfigured to stacked vertically in three blocks and then offset horizontally to introduce the voids of open-spaces in between the solids of the enclosed-spaces.

As a result, it creates “courtyards” that revolve around living spaces, which is in reverse to the traditional courtyard house, where the courtyard is encircled by living spaces.

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le

So within the lot area of 7,5 m x 14.3 m, by having more of open, green spaces, our project has tackled these challenges that a small townhome are facing in a hot climate and dense town:

  • Reducing the lot coverage to less than 50%.
  • Creating cross ventilation for cooling and humidity control.
  • Utilizing natural daylight.
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
  • Enable connection between human to human, and human to nature .
  • Accommodating individual’s need for private space.
  • Screening away noise and dust from surrounding.

Being confined by walls from the adjacent buildings without any setback space, the main floor layout keeps open as possible for natural ventilation.

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le

The main floor’s open-space can become adaptive uses for family and friends gathering, afternoon nap, summer night sleep, patio dining, gardening, occasional group activities or meeting etc.

To bring nature closer to living, the main floor and second floor are connected by an exterior stairway fully open to the sky above.

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le

On second floor, near center of the house, an altar is set up where a two-story height wall in white that shows a sunk-relief of Buddha in Bhūmisparśa Mudra posture with light casting down on the wall through a skylight above.

Building materials are to remain minimal and from local sources to reduce pollution from transportation and labor, omitting any unnecessity from decorative elements.

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le

The planting spaces are covered with soil for seasonal gardening purposes.

Without using flooring polishing, concrete floor is grinded to remain a grey tone look from natural concrete.

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le

Wall joints at wet locations are sealed with cement grout. Every interior and exterior walls are plastered using coarse sand, with heavy broom finish in a vertical brush texture.

Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le


Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le


Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le
Mệ Loan’s House
© Hoang Le


Mệ Loan’s House
First Floor Plan
Mệ Loan’s House
Second Floor Plan
Mệ Loan’s House
Third Floor Plan
Mệ Loan’s House
Rooftop Plan
Mệ Loan’s House
Site Plan


Mệ Loan’s House
Section
Mệ Loan’s House
Sketches