X House - Phu Tho Province

Project location: Phu Tho province, Vietnam.

Site area: 1200 m2

Floor Area: 450 m2

Completion year: 2020

Design by NH VILLAGE ARCHITECTS – Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

House in rural area using sustainable local wood

The house located at rural area of Phu Tho province, in the north of Vietnam. This design aim to use Xoan – kind of  Vietnamese name wood, ( Scientific  name is Melia azedarach) a kind of local wood that is cheap and friendly to be used in many vernacular house in the region  as main material to create  ecological house in harmony with surrounding.

House with typical rural life style while serves as guess house.

The house is designed for a big family with an Altar space – an important worship space in Vietnamese house, living - dining room and 5 bedrooms of which 3 of them function as spare room for guess. As traditional culture, the house is expected to be a place where family annual events are organized. At 1F, Altar space and dining-living room link to each other and to the central yard in the front so that people can flexibly move around or extent activities. Utilities like kitchen, store and 2 bedrooms is plan at the back so that it can be use daily in convenience. Three Guess room is place at 2F where can view over to the rural landscape surrounds while connect to 1F through voids.                               

Using local material as innovative and sustainable approach

Xoan is kind of wood has characteristic of fast grown, easy to plant. It is soft wood but once it is treated in right way, it will be durable and last for long time. Depend on the purpose of element to be used; the age of tree to be cut should be 5-20 year olds. Structure part like column, beam or doors need 15-20 year old tree but  some the  small part need just only 5-7 year old tree . The design team worked closely with owner to buy and to treat this wood as traditional way from beginning. The structure part of the roof is made of high-bridge structure with concrete so that can create big space enough. The doors, furniture are all used the same Xoan wood material.

Recently, Wood material using in Vietnam is mostly  imported from oversea  due to the lack of wood from it owes forest. However, Xoan was once used to be material of many traditional vernacular houses in Vietnam. By using this way, we hope will encourage using local material for sustainable cycle.

Hi-bridge structure of wood and concrete help to make large common space. All furniture made by same wood

The house is also design with exposed brick and concrete, make space friendly and warmly

Yard-Garden-House in Zigzag compositionto maximize experience of enjoying landscape

 With the area of 1200m2, surrounding by rural landscape, the inside and outside space is planed zigzag so that people inside can feel connection with outside while walking inside.

Material of wall and yard are used red brick, kind of popular material but make the landscape warmly.  The tree planted also chose from local tree to make the atmosphere family.

Front yard plays an important role for traffic to access to the house. Altar room, Living- dining room can be access from the central yard. The door system is design flexibly so that it can be open all or just one part depends on the event. Furthermore, every door contains a small window include small open glass and sliding wooden window to control the air and light go to inside the house.

Door with small window inside could adjust light and wind flow in the house.

Aproach from utility entrance in to the house. It is convenience to access without go through main doors daily.  

2F is three bedroom links by a long corridor from where can over view surrounding and 1F through voids.

Enjoy view from 2F balcony, where can see surrounding rural landscape.

Concrete block wall that help to adjust sunlight go in to the house and securities.

The work has been introduced in prestigious international and Vietnamese magazines:

https://www.archdaily.com/952209/x-house-nh-village-architects
https://www.designboom.com/architecture/nh-village-local-xoan-wood-family-house-rural-vietnam-11-12-2020/
https://tienphong.vn/me-man-voi-nha-gach-go-xoan-nhieu-cua-o-phu-tho-post1358721.tpo
https://vnexpress.net/nha-zig-zag-tren-manh-dat-1-200-m2-4202022.html?gidzl=a-re8p2bS4gJ-c0bDRfuJ9t-RYOYlInCXAXl9IUuVaoEgcic9-rvJeEaQNOXxNmNrAfhUsEHSI5PCAnwIG