Live Like a Designer in this Ho Chi Minh City Apartment Ho Chi Minh City has become a hotspot for architectural innovation in recent years. And Vietnamese firm Khuôn Studio is one such innovator in the design field. Their latest design Hòa House is a perfect composite of natural light, ventilation and greenery. Bold white façades are broken by large segmented windows. Exposed staircase underbellies jet across rustic concrete. Space is maximised to allow three additional tenants to live in Hòa House alongside its owner. The architects – Huynh Anh Tuan, Nguyen An Hoa, Nguyen Do Hoang Nam, Nguyen Xuan Truong – worked tirelessly to find the optimal layout. The owner contributed a great deal to the interior design. We had coffee with the project’s lead architect, Huynh Anh Tuan. THE PLUS: What was the most difficult aspect of this project? Huynh Anh Tuan: Firstly, the site is surrounded by six neighbour houses. So we had to solve the issue of privacy while trying to ensure natural lighting at the same time. Secondly, the brief requires the integration of three rooms for rent, which need to be easily managed by the owner yet having separated access. TP: Where did you source the furniture? HAT: The furniture was designed by Khuôn Studio. Some items were created by the owner. He is also a graphic designer, so he has a good taste to design by himself. Especially, the large timber couch in the living room – that was made by his late father. TP: It’s nice to have so much greenery – whose idea was that? HAT: Greenery space is one of our important targets. My client also has the same thought. TP: We love the raw grey floor and light-toned wood. How did you approach the colour theme? HAT: The palette consists of the original colours of rustic materials like concrete, natural wood, pottery, terracotta tiles etc. I think they match well for the whole interior picture. TP: Which three words would you use to describe being inside Hoa House? HAT: Greenery, natural light and locality. TP: What’s your design philosophy, in three words? HAT: Same again: Greenery, natural light and locality. TP: What’s the design scene like in Ho Chi Minh City? Do you like it? HAT: In Ho Chi Minh City, architecture practice is growing. Outside of the few planned residential zones with typical houses, young architects have many opportunities to develop unique ideas. The city with a high density also gives us many opportunities and challenges in the design process. TP: Are you happy with the result? HAT: With this house, once again I have reaffirmed the design ideal that I have been following, so I am really happy with it. Photo by: Thiet Vu
