ODDO Architects describe Hanoi as a city dense with people, traffic, and air pollution. They say it lacks parks and public spaces, but it’s strong in Vietnamese culture and tradition. In 2019, they designed the CH House for a family of six spanning three generations, drawing on tradition to create a tranquil refuge in the middle of the bustling city.

The project started with “a typical plot for long and narrow local tube houses,” says the firm. The site allotted them enough space for a home measuring just under 14 feet wide and 114 feet deep. In order to admit enough light and air flow into such a long and narrow footprint, the firm drew inspiration from traditional Hanoi houses with interior courtyards.

To create that same courtyard effect across the elongated, five-level plan, the firm formed empty voids by stepping the various floor plates. The volumes are capped with sections of clear roofing (notably where stairs are located) that allows light to cascade deep into the center of the home. “This design makes the space properly open, and provides an unexpected spacious feeling, despite the limited width of the house,” says the firm.

On the exterior, a perforated cement block screen overlays an internal framework of steel and glass. Opening the glass panels allows air to flow throughout the entire house. Exterior terraces (one is located at the rooftop) offer even more access to the outdoors.

Inside, integrated planters are interspersed at every level of the home. Filled with trees, trailing vines, and clusters of tropical houseplants, the planters offer a lush green contrast to the spare material palette, and the plants cast a tranquil effect.

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“Nature is an important element that provides a positive effect on people’s mental health,” notes the firm. “However, the rapid development of large cities has resulted in a lack of green spaces for people to relax. That is why planting trees and plants inside the house is necessary—and it helps create a peaceful living space to release stress.”

The constrained material palette—from the cast concrete stairs and minimal metal railing, to the simple wood accents—further instills a sense of tranquility.

The five-level floor plan is divided into two zones, with a commercial business occupying the lower two levels. The staggered floor and ceiling heights create intimacy in the private quarters and a sense of openness in the main living spaces.

“The common spaces of the family area (such as the living room, library, dining room, and kitchen) are positioned at different levels with varying ceiling heights in order to compose an open, continuous space that facilitates ease of communication among the family members,” explains the firm.

After all, the firm’s ultimate goal was to create an urban refuge where the family could slow down, rest, and more easily connect with one another. “In the world of modern technology, with smart phones and televisions, family ties are weakened,” says the firm. “The space design emphasizes connections among the family members, especially in the context of today’s hurried lifestyle.”

Related Reading:

Indoor Gardens Bring Light and Air Into This Brick Home in Vietnam

A Vietnamese Abode Draws In Light With a Glass Atrium

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: ODDO Architects

Construction: B-Up Construction

Structural Engineer: Ngo Anh Tuan

Civil Engineer: ODDO Architects

Landscape Design: ODDO Architects

Interior Design: ODDO Architects