We adopted the concept of multilayered spaces, a classical principle of traditional Vietnamese architecture, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. The design interweaves architecture and nature, enclosure and openness, light and shadow.
Project Name: V8 House
Studio Name: TNT Architecture
Location: Vinh, Vietnam
Year: 2020
Area: 550 m²
Photographs: Trieu Chien
The recessed entrance combined with a low canopy creates a gentle shade. Every architectural detail – from flooring and wooden doors to handles and landscaping – has been carefully crafted to evoke a sense of tranquility. For both residents and visitors, the approach to the house is designed as a sequence of delicate sensory experiences, reflecting our belief that architecture should be perceived through all senses.
A timber bridge runs across the central garden, loosely dividing it into two zones: one that offers privacy for the bedrooms, and another that serves as a flexible communal space. It also creates an engaging transition between the entrance and the heart of the home. Its narrow form encourages a slower pace, inviting occupants to pause and appreciate the beauty of the garden and the house.
The garden itself is composed of trees of varying scales, strategically arranged to frame perspectives and create depth. This composition allows the architectural masses to dissolve into nature, establishing a soft and fluid connection between the house and its surrounding context, where the boundary between man-made architecture and landscape begins to blur.
The veranda – a highly effective space in traditional Vietnamese architecture yet often neglected today – has been reintroduced here in a contemporary form. It becomes a meeting ground and a threshold where boundaries are dissolved: between people and nature, between nature and architecture, between tradition and modernity, between function and aesthetics, between movement and stillness.
Beyond the veranda lie the core living spaces – the living room, kitchen and dining – which extend further inward to reveal another garden. This secondary garden regulates the indoor climate, shields the house from the harsh western sun, and provides privacy. Altogether, the ground floor creates a seamless flow from front to back, inside to outside, producing a continuous spatial effect that maximises the perception of openness across the plot.
The second floor is contained within a cubic form, resting on two boundary walls with a modern hollow-slab system that spans large distances. This structural approach makes the entire ground level appear as a unified garden. With its raw materials – exposed concrete and brick – the ground floor contrasts with the rationally composed volume of the upper floor.
In planning, transitional spaces such as verandas, planting beds, and corridors are emphasised. Their clear and minimalist configuration ensures optimal ventilation, daylighting, and privacy for individual functional blocks.
A system of timber louvers reduces solar radiation on the east–west-oriented façades. These movable screens allow dynamic adjustment of natural light while offering flexibility for daily activities.
The roof is conceived as a multilayered space integrated with greenery, mitigating the impact of the tropical climate while expanding the habitable zones of the house. It serves simultaneously as a place for gardening and as a contemplative retreat – a solitary sanctuary for nurturing the soul.
