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'A House in Quang Nam' reinvents the Vietnamese tube house

Le Quang Architects lends continuity to the World Heritage precinct of Hội An with eco-friendly solutions for familial living in the historic Quang Nam Province.

by Dhwani ShanghviPublished on : May 21, 2024

A House in Quang Nam is a variation of the traditional Vietnamese tube house, occupied by four generations of a family in the city of Hội An in Vietnam’s Quang Nam Province. The city is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts a historic port district recognised as a well-preserved instance of a Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th-19th century. Arising in the late 19th century as a response to limited building space, the tube house is a narrow, multi-storied building sandwiched between two others, reflecting the communal and industrial past of the city.

A House in Quang Nam is set apart from the distinct streetscape owing to its historic and material influences | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
A House in Quang Nam is set apart from the distinct streetscape owing to its historic and material influences Image: Hoang Le

Lining the narrow streets of the ancient town, the houses showcase a stylistically eclectic tapestry of colonial and contemporary architecture, along with influences from Chinese architecture. Effectuated by a taxation policy, which assesses only the width of the first floor, the tube house is an instance of residential architecture that affords a spatial organisation conducive to accommodating multi-generational families.

  • Tube Houses lining the streets, showcase an eclectic mix of architectural influences | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    Tube Houses lining the streets, showcase an eclectic mix of architectural influences Image: Hoang Le
  • Site Plan, A House in Quang Nam | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    Site Plan, A House in Quang Nam Image: Courtesy of Le Quang Architects

Built on a piece of ancestral land, the house is shared by three households—the grandmother and the aunt, the parents and the two sons with their respective families. Instead of dividing the site to accommodate three tube houses, Le Quang Architects developed the plan around a central courtyard, with the public spaces spilling off its edges and the private spaces tucked away to the deep end of the house.

  • The entrance of the house is set back to keep out the noise from the busy street | A House in Quang Nam | Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    The entrance of the house is set back to keep out the noise from the busy street Image: Hoang Le
  • The setback yields a sizeable front yard that doubles up as communal space for the house’s inhabitants | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    The setback yields a sizeable front yard that doubles up as communal space for the house’s inhabitants Image: Courtesy of Le Quang Architects

The street-facing entrance of the private residence recedes from the busy edge condition, shielded by an intermediary yard and front garden. Beyond this first courtyard, the house advances along its depth and has the largest footprint on the ground floor.

  • The house’s public spaces are enveloped around the central courtyard | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    The house’s public spaces are enveloped around the central courtyard Image: Hoang Le
  • The interiors are replete with historical and cultural influences | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    The interiors are replete with historical and cultural influences Image: Hoang Le
  • The courtyard, while forming the spatial nucleus of the house, adds to the quality of interior spaces | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    The courtyard, while forming the spatial nucleus of the house, adds to the quality of interior spaces Image: Hoang Le

Community spaces, shared by the three households and a bedroom are enveloped around the central courtyard with two adjacent kitchens along the length to the west, the laundry, storage and toilet to the east and a living room to the north. The intimate, inward-looking spatial arrangement not only unites the public spaces of the house but also acts as a light well to bring in natural light to the interior spaces in a restrained site condition. The courtyard itself also affords a space for interactions, both within the families as well as with neighbours and guests.

The staircase provides a clear demarcation between the public and private spaces | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
The staircase provides a clear demarcation between the public and private spaces Image: Hoang Le

Beyond the living room, a straight flight of steps leads to the mezzanine floor above simultaneously separating the public areas from the bedrooms behind. The mezzanine, where the footprint is withdrawn, accommodates an altar for ancestral worship and other events, a restroom and a library around the punctured central courtyard, and bedrooms above its counterparts on the ground floor. A smaller and more private third courtyard than the first two adds a ventilated gap between the site and the house behind it. The house, thus, gradually rises towards the north, along its longitudinal axis, a section which works in favour of allowing natural light into the deeper end of the house as well.

  • Axonometric profile of the house’s spatial composition and structural layers | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    Axonometric profile of the house’s spatial composition and structural layers Image: Courtesy of Le Quang Architects
  • The architects conceptually lay out how the typicality of the tube house laid the foundation for a slight reinvention of typology | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    The architects conceptually lay out how the typicality of the tube house laid the foundation for a slight reinvention of typology Image: Courtesy of Le Quang Architects

The courtyard house relies solely on ceramic bricks for construction, a material traditional to Quang Nam that ensures consistency with the area's heritage. The brick architecture not only promotes continuity but also aids in heat dispersion and keeping surfaces dry. Repurposing brick rubble from the original structure for landscaping not only reduces the cost of building but also reduces the carbon footprint. A sequence of two pitched roofs, which rise as the building rises, features Spanish barrel clay tiles that aid in channelling rainwater to the courtyard for harvesting. The building, thus, adapts passive solutions to tackle problems related to climate change.

  • Floor Plans, A House in Quang Nam | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    Floor Plans, A House in Quang Nam Image: Courtesy of Le Quang Architects
  • Longitudinal Section through the tube house | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld
    Longitudinal Section through the tube house Image: Courtesy of Le Quang Architects

A House in Quang Nam reinterprets the traditional vocabulary of Vietnamese architecture and tube houses, offering a spatial solution that can look to accommodate extended families within constricted urban conditions. While the organisation of the plan fosters familial bonds and community interactions, the staggering of the section optimises natural light and ventilation.

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STIR STIRworld Le Quang Architects build a communal rendition of the quintessential Vietnamese tube house around a courtyard in Quang Nam | A House in Quang Nam| Le Quang- Architects | STIRworld

'A House in Quang Nam' reinvents the Vietnamese tube house

Le Quang Architects lends continuity to the World Heritage precinct of Hội An with eco-friendly solutions for familial living in the historic Quang Nam Province.

by Dhwani Shanghvi | Published on : May 21, 2024