Featured in urban density. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect
30/06/2024.
[Hanoi] Vietnam
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
Vietnamese architecture practice Nghia-Architect, led by Tuan-Nghia Nguyen, was commissioned to design a house for the two grown children of a longstanding Hanoi family. The home called Maison KN is an individual house, that stands as a singular dwelling nestled within the historic core of Vietnam's capital.
The plot is located in the middle of an area characterized by extreme urban compactness, boasting one of the highest building densities in the city. This location bears the scars of some of the most intense bombardments by the US military during the Vietnam War.
The urban fabric underwent rapid post-war reconstruction without urban planning intervention, resulting in tightly clustered alleyways and narrow passages, often lacking adequate natural light and ventilation.
The plot is located in the middle of an area characterized by extreme urban compactness, boasting one of the highest building densities in the city. This location bears the scars of some of the most intense bombardments by the US military during the Vietnam War.
The urban fabric underwent rapid post-war reconstruction without urban planning intervention, resulting in tightly clustered alleyways and narrow passages, often lacking adequate natural light and ventilation.
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen
Site analysis plan. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
Urban fabric bird view. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
Diagram. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
Urban concept. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
Floor plans. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
Section. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
Section. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
Sustainability diagram. Maison KN by Nghia-Architect.
The design brief to Nghia-Architect mandated the creation of a self-contained, solution to the constraints of their chaotic neighbourhood, a centrally located yet semi-autonomous living proposal. The housing building answered the demands of remote work, a contemporary way of life, with a residential program inward-focused, that ensured both openness and comfort.
Nghia-Architect designed an outdoor garden to maximise the space, cultivating greens, and developing the concept of sustainable living. Maison KN's concept pays attention to the surrounding urban area where chaos is created by the non-linear contours of the surrounding rooftops, conceptually reflected on the facade of the building creating different visual frames from inside on each floor.
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
Nghia-Architect designed an outdoor garden to maximise the space, cultivating greens, and developing the concept of sustainable living. Maison KN's concept pays attention to the surrounding urban area where chaos is created by the non-linear contours of the surrounding rooftops, conceptually reflected on the facade of the building creating different visual frames from inside on each floor.
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
Project description by Nghia-Architect
Maison KN is an individual house - that stands as a distinctive dwelling nestled within the historic core of Hanoi, amidst an area characterized by dense urban construction, boasting one of the highest building densities in the city. This location bears the scars of some of the most intense bombardments by the US military during the Vietnam War. As a result, the area underwent rapid post-war reconstruction with minimal urban planning intervention, resulting in tightly clustered alleyways and narrow passages, often lacking adequate natural light and ventilation.
Commissioned for the two grown children of a longstanding Hanoi family, Maison KN emerged from the necessity to readjust to a living space that mitigated the constraints of their former neighbourhood. Additionally, the demands of remote work necessitated a centrally located yet semi-autonomous living arrangement, close to family ties but not entirely cohabited, ensuring a degree of privacy. Thus, the house was conceptualized as a future-proof dwelling for two potential small families of siblings.
The design brief mandated the creation of a self-contained, inward-focused residence that ensured both openness and comfort. Here, every aspect of living, working, and leisure was thoughtfully integrated. Furthermore, the outdoor garden space was maximized to function as an ecological sanctuary capable of cultivating various greens within its unique microclimate - sustainable living - a lavish aspiration given the urban context of the site. Maison KN has a very clear identity from the outside of the facade. The idea was formed from identifying the surrounding area when viewed from above. Where chaos is created by the non-linear contours of the surrounding rooftops, this randomness is "reflected" by random solid and empty patches on the facade of the building. From the inside, this façade creates different visual frames according to the elevations of each floor.
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
Maison KN by Nghia-Architect. Photogrpah by Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
The special highlight of the interior space is located in the garden on the 3rd floor, which is the space connecting the inside with the outside and is also a buffer space that ensures ventilation but still privacy from the houses directly opposite. In this sense, the concept aims to create a floating walkway within the space, connecting the two levels of the house. Using steel framework but shaping it with soft, fluid lines, resembling a thin strip of silk. Perforated steel and mesh were chosen to create transparency, making everything feel much lighter.
This design brings a unique experience in the interior space, where the circulation path simultaneously brings in as much natural light as possible to the garden and penetrates deeply below, where natural light is difficult to access from the narrow front facade of the house. The house is also a green and sustainable housing unit when the use of natural light and ventilation is optimized, rainwater is collected and used for the natural development of the gardens. The flora is grown and developed based on a circulatory biosystem. Plants are irrigated with a stored rainwater system, and organic fertilizers are used entirely from existing dead vegetation, creating a mini-ecosystem of circulating plants in the house.
More information
Architects
Nghia-Architect. Lead architect.- Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
Collaborators
Interior Designers.- Ha Lam Interiors.
Lighting Consultants.- Alis Lighting.
Lighting Consultants.- Alis Lighting.
Builder
B-up construction.
Area
69 m².
Dates
2023.
Location
Hanoi, Vietnam.
Manufacturers
BoConcept.
Photography
Viet-Tien Nguyen, Tuan-Nghia Nguyen.
Tuan-Nghia Nguyen. Nghia-Architect
Nghia-Architect architecture practice was founded by Tuan-Nghia Nguyen, in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2015. They are a young and creative architectural firm with sustainable architectural target practice.
Tuan-Nghia Nguyen worked in France at VEI Architects and Art'ur Architects (2007-2010). Graduated Master / DPEA. “Architecture design” National School Of Architecture in Grenoble, France (2008). Graduated Master Pro / DESS. “Environment and comfort for Architecture and Urban planning” National School of Architecture and Landscape of Bordeaux, France (2007). Architect at AVANT Architecture, Ha Noi - Vietnam (2004-2005). Graduated Architect from National University of Civil Engineering - Faculty of Architecture, Vietnam (2004).
Tuan-Nghia Nguyen worked in France at VEI Architects and Art'ur Architects (2007-2010). Graduated Master / DPEA. “Architecture design” National School Of Architecture in Grenoble, France (2008). Graduated Master Pro / DESS. “Environment and comfort for Architecture and Urban planning” National School of Architecture and Landscape of Bordeaux, France (2007). Architect at AVANT Architecture, Ha Noi - Vietnam (2004-2005). Graduated Architect from National University of Civil Engineering - Faculty of Architecture, Vietnam (2004).
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