Long Xuyen House
Insert the light core into a rowhouse
The facade of Long Xuyên House is not too different from the other houses in the same neighborhood. However, the interior space is dynamic from every angle. This naturally stems from the trapezoidal shape of the land and its corner position within the neighborhood.
Additionally, the homeowner's specific functional requirements have led to the living room and kitchen being located on the rooftop, with the ground floor designated for business purposes.
Site location
CONCEPT
The design capitalizes on these unique elements by incorporating two interconnected volumes into the existing house: a staircase leading up to the rooftop living room and kitchen. This idea is emphasized not only through spatial solutions but also through the contrast in materials: steel structures integrated within the existing concrete framework.
DESIGN IDEA
1. The original space and shape of the house.
2. Re-locate the staircase to the diagonal position of the land to create a skylight and courtyard filled with sunlight and trees.
3. The plate iron staircase combined with the glass elevator allows the most light to penetrate into the rooms.
4. The rooftop includes the living room and kitchen combined with the stairs and elevator, creating two approaches with two different emotions.
5. The rooftop has expansive views of the surrounding landscape and roof garden.
6. As a result, the renovation plan provides a core of light located inside the townhouse. Each floor is a different experience space.
TWO WAYS TO EXPERIENCE THE HOUSE THROUGH TWO DIRECTIONS OF MOVING:
With the arrangement of two main circulation routes—an elevator and stairs—the house offers two distinct experiences. If you take the stairs, each floor transitions gently from active to calm spaces and vice versa. The ground floor features a cafe business area, while the first floor is reserved for the family’s bedrooms. The design makes use of the distinctive central void at the oblique corner, varying the solid and void spaces across the floors, providing diverse viewpoints. Moving up the stairs to the next level, the common living area and the altar room are designed with an open layout, highlighted by a luminous glass brick wall. The connection between these two spaces creates a gallery-like area for displaying artworks and collectibles
The emotional shift is more sudden and intense when using the elevator. Bathed in white light, the elevator takes you to the top floor, revealing layers of space. First is the kitchen area, characterized by a bold gray-black color scheme and an impressive wooden louvered ceiling extending out to a lush green garden, facing the expansive skies over the West of Hau River.
This intentional spatial journey not only enhances the experience of changing environments but also accentuates the important family spaces.
Coffee shop on the ground floor
Privater entrance and courtyard
THE LIGHT CORE
Beneath the impressive central void, which is hollowed out and carved differently at each floor, a robust gray-black steel structure rises strongly within the light-filled core, drawing energy upwards. This creates a sense of internal tension, as if trying to break free, reaching upwards into the light.
This intrinsic contrast and slight sense of conflict have become a source of inspiration us when we began researching the Long Xuyên House project, where many of the facades initially appear similar.
Kitchen and rooftop garden
| Location | Long Xuyen, Vietnam |
| Building type | Town house |
| Area | 150m2 |
| Design | Km Architecture Office |
| Photos | Hiroyuki Oki |
| Year | 2023 |