Status Quo: Tropical Chalet & The Terrace Mansion

It is already common for the single-house residential prototype to be sensitive to local climate and site in their designs, deploying suitably eco-friendly strategies that make sense to do so. For instance, the Tropical Chalet in Da Nang, Vietnam, is defined by its porous design—in form, massing and use of local bricks—that brings in the natural surroundings visually and elementally by daylighting and cross ventilation.

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PROJECT DATA

Project Name
Tropical Chalet

Location
Da Nang, Vietnam

Completion Date
2020

Site Area
2,050 square metres

Gross Floor Area
385 square metres

Number of Rooms
4 bedrooms

Building Height
9 metres

Architecture Firm
G8A Architecture & Urban Planning Co., Ltd.

Principal Architect
Manuel Der Hagopian

Main Contractor
Meico

Images/Photos
G8A Architecture & Urban Planning Co., Ltd.; Hiroyuki Oki

Another house in Vietnam, set in a rural area near Can Tho City, is a multigenerational home that aims to create a way of living that is in harmony with the indigenous nature of the land. The Terrace Mansion takes into account local factors (sun direction, main wind direction, the existing ecosystems, geological survey, the location of the trees and their species) by site analysis and studies, which contributed to adopting optimal solutions that prioritise climate-sensitive, environmentally friendly approaches and materials.

All trees were left intact on-site; the floor is raised to avoid seasonal flooding typical to the region; fully operable doors and windows to enable natural ventilation throughout the day, so no air-conditioning will be needed. Solar panels will also be installed, covering 10 per cent of the south-facing roof, to leverage the sunny weather to generate enough renewable energy to serve the basic operational needs of the house.

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PROJECT DATA

Project Name
The Terrace Mansion

Location
Can Tho City, Vietnam

Expected Completion
April 2023

Site Area
2,000 square metres

Gross Floor Area
700 square metres

Number of Rooms
7

Building Height
8 metres

Client/Owner
Vo Thanh Tung

Architecture Firm
717 Architects

Principal Architect
Nguyen Ngo Ngoc Ha

Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Tran Minh Thang

Civil & Structural Engineer
Nguyen Duc Hoai

Images/Photos
717 Architects

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