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Located on a compact corner plot at the intersection of two lanes in Vung Tau, Vietnam, Semi-Solid House is a home we designed for a family who wanted to maintain a strong connection with the outdoor air and surrounding neighbourhood. The site faces lanes on both sides, creating conditions for the residence to introduce sufficient natural lighting and ventilation, but it also brings double challenges to the owners: the long west-facing facade is subject to strong afternoon sun, and the large opening of the house to the lane may affect the privacy of the family’s daily life. The project therefore revolved from the outset around the question of how to balance the owner’s desire for openness with the need for shade, comfort and privacy.
Located on a compact corner plot at the intersection of two alleys in Vung Tau, Vietnam, we designed Half Solid House for a family seeking a close connection with open air and the surrounding neighborhood. The site’s two exposed edges offered opportunities to bring abundant daylight and natural ventilation into the home. At the same time, this condition presented our clients with a dual challenge. The long west-facing façades receive intense afternoon sun, while opening the house extensively toward the alleys could compromise the privacy of everyday family life. The project therefore began with the question of how to reconcile the clients’ desire for openness with their need for shade, comfort, and privacy.
▼The house on its corner plot, The house on its corner plot ©Anh Chuong
▼White louvers and cascading greenery, White louvers and cascading greenery ©Anh Chuong
To this end, we left half of the house as a semi-open, flexible shared area, and enclosed it with continuous white vertical louvers. We see this outer cladding as a filter that regulates climate and privacy: it protects the interior from the western sun and blocks views from the surrounding laneway to the daily activities of the family.
▼Design analysis diagram, Design diagram ©Túi Studio
In response, we dedicated half of the house to semi-open flexible shared spaces and enclosed them with a continuous layer of white vertical louvres. We conceived this secondary envelope as both a climatic and privacy filter. It protects the interior from the western sun while screening the family’s daily activities from the surrounding alleys.
▼Louvred façade and solid wall ©Anh Chuong
▼Looking up from the alley ©Anh Chuong
▼Semi-open space behind the louvers, Semi-open space behind the louvers ©Anh Chuong
▼An open edge facing the greenery ©Anh Chuong
Together, these spaces form a gradual transition from shared to private, from open to closed, and from flexible use to fixed functions. Rather than viewing openness and privacy as opposing conditions, we explore the possibility of their coexistence in the house. By opening or closing the sliding doors, families can adjust the privacy of the flexible shared space. Private areas are organized according to specific functions such as sleeping, transportation, laundry, storage and bathroom.
Together, these spaces create gradual transitions from shared to private, open to enclosed, and flexible to fixed functions. Rather than treating openness and privacy as opposing conditions, we explored how they could coexist within the house. The degree of privacy in flexible shared space can be adjusted by opening or closing the sliding doors. The private areas are organized according to specific functions, including sleeping, circulation, laundry, storage, and rest rooms.
▼Shared living space on the ground floor ©Anh Chuong
▼Dining and kitchen area ©Anh Chuong
▼The passage/stairs connecting the indoor space with natural light,
Passage connecting the interior spaces / Staircase and daylight ©Anh Chuong
▼Living space beside the windows ©Anh Chuong
▼Living space and timber furniture, Living space and timber furniture ©Anh Chuong
▼Timber surfaces and storage in the bedroom ©Anh Chuong
▼Shelving and desk in the bedroom ©Anh Chuong
▼Bedroom and window-side resting area, Bedroom and window-side resting area ©Anh Chuong
▼Bedroom with a long window-side desk ©Anh Chuong
▼Study space arranged along the windows ©Anh Chuong
▼Bedroom and storage cabinets ©Anh Chuong
▼Desk and storage details, Desk and storage details ©Anh Chuong
▼A resting corner beside greenery ©Anh Chuong
As the project progressed, and in conversations with the owners, we learned that the family loved growing and caring for plants. Therefore, we set up a planting area on the first floor and added a metal platform between the louver enclosure and the windows on the upper floor to provide more space for family members to place and maintain potted plants.
As the project developed, conversations with our clients revealed that the family enjoyed growing and caring for plants. This discovery led us to introduce planting areas on the ground floor and metal platforms on the upper floors, positioned between the louvred envelope and the windows. These platforms provide extra spaces where the family can arrange and maintain planter pots.
▼Planting space between louvers and windows ©Anh Chuong
The building envelope then becomes the result of a simple architectural design combined with the family’s continued care of the plants. Over time, plants soften the façade, filter views, provide additional shade, and allow the home’s appearance to evolve with daily use and care.
As a result, the building envelope reflects a collaboration between the simplicity of the architectural design and the family’s ongoing care for vegetation. Over time, the plants soften the façade, filter views, provide additional shade, and allow the appearance of the house to evolve through everyday use and care.
▼The louvred façade softened by greenery ©Anh Chuong
With semi-real houses, we hope to respond to a common challenge in Vietnamese cities. Openness is a fundamental principle of tropical architecture, but concerns about privacy, air pollution, heat and noise make completely open homes increasingly difficult to maintain. Rather than choosing between openness and closure, we explore the transitional space between the two states. This project raises the question of how contemporary urban housing can preserve the privacy of family life while still maintaining a connection to nature, climate and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Through Half Solid House, we sought to respond to a common challenge in Viet Nam cities. Openness is a fundamental principle of tropical architecture, yet concerns about privacy, air pollution, heat, and noise make fully open houses increasingly difficult to sustain. Instead of choosing between openness and enclosure, we explored the intermediate spaces between these two conditions. Through this project, we ask how a contemporary urban house can remain connected to nature, climate, and its neighborhood while safeguarding the privacy of family life.
▼The house at dusk ©Anh Chuong
▼Evening views ©Anh Chuong
▼Location map, Site plan ©Túi Studio
▼First floor plan ©Túi Studio
▼Mezzanine floor plan ©Túi Studio
▼Second floor plan ©Túi Studio
▼Third floor plan ©Túi Studio
▼Roof plan, Roof plan ©Túi Studio
▼1—1 Sectional view, Section 1–1 ©Túi Studio
▼2—2 Sectional view, Section 2–2 ©Túi Studio
Architectural design: Túi Studio
Lead architect: Nhung Pham
Interior design: Nhung Pham, Cat Nguyen
Technical Design: Ngoc Vi, Thanh Nguyen
Photography: Anh Chuong
Construction: Local construction team
Structural Engineer: The Anh
Land area: 100 square meters
Total construction area: 175 square meters
Project location: Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Vung Tau District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Project status: Completed
Project start: 2024
Project completion: 2025
Architects: Túi Studio
Lead architect: Nhung Pham
Interior design: Nhung Pham, Cat Nguyen
Technical design: Ngoc Vi, Thanh Nguyen
Photographer: Anh Chuong
Constructor: Local builders
Structural Engineer: The Anh
Site area: 100 m2
Gross floor area: 175m2
Location: Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Vung Tau Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Status: Completed
Project start: 2024
Project completion: 2025
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