After a makeover, a once-precarious home in Chau Doc has been transformed into a contemporary home without looking out of place in a traditional riverside neighborhood.
The project was undertaken by Saigon-based Nishizawa Architects, who sought to take elements of the local community such as corrugated metal sheets and wood tones and integrate them into the makeover.
The house is located on a 340-square-meter plot facing the river in Chau Doc, a town in An Giang Province. Despite the province’s building restrictions, the team “tried to satisfy not only the regional spirits but also the rich lifestyle in which is fulfilled by sunlight, greenery and natural ventilation, as it were, living in a half-outdoor gardens [sic].”
According to the architects, reports ArchDaily, residents in the community used to be subjected to frequent flooding before the nearby embankments were strengthened with concrete. However, most houses in the area still bear characteristics of these bouts of inundation: their first floors only house chicken coops and pig pens.
This could pose health risks as the ceilings are low and don't have insulation from the heat above. Moreover, ventilation is also not sufficient, as these homes have small windows. During the renovation project, the team solved this problem with a row of rotating metal windows that allow for maximum natural light and breeze.
The extensive use of warm wood tones and concrete evokes an industrial feel while the inclusion of many potted plants and even fully grown trees blurs the line between the inside and outside of the house.
Have a look at Chau Doc’s dreamy riverside home below:
[Photos via ArchDaily]
