Does a house need walls?

That's not a rhetorical question. And the answer is no. This Saigon house, designed by CTA Creative Architects, lacks a single door frame, making use of elevation shifts and natural elements to separate rooms and signify disparate spaces.

Constructed as a second home next to the owner's main dwelling, it is situated in a typical city area which presents familiar problems of space, light and airflow. The architects responded to the challenges by rejecting urban topographies and elements, instead embracing free-flowing movement more frequently associated with the countryside. 

The home's most overt departure from norms is seen in its lack of doors, including one's absence at a front entrance. Instead, between the street front and the home's entry with garage rests a fish-filled body of water that could rightly be called a moat, were one keen on calling to mind a castle. No drawbridge exists; however, the stepping stones across the water are easily navigated. A fence in the front and a vegetable garden at the rear provide security and shield from noise and leering eyes, while the far-reaching roof slopes low over the front and back to provide shade. The bathroom doesn't even have a door, with the floor plan relying on hallways and angles to provide privacy.

In addition to the garden at the rear and row of vegetation between the front fence and pond, patches of plants occupy various points throughout the home. The greenery serves to separate the activities in the house: a quiet zone for working and relaxing in a jacuzzi in the rear and a more active front area consisting of the kitchen and living room. Sleeping quarters are tucked off to the side. 

The lack of front and back walls allows for ample airflow and natural light, which is enhanced thanks to a central skylight. Z-shaped louvers beneath the glass draw warm air up out of the home while allowing in fresh light for the plants and people below. Carefully constructed mesh casts captivating shadows throughout the interior. The sense of nature's intrusion on the domestic sphere is further established via the rustic building materials which include exposed stone, brick and wood and overall warm, muted tones.

Young people today fantasize about finally owning a set of keys to their own home, but perhaps really making it means owning a home that doesn't even have a door to unlock. 

Take a peek at more photos and the floor plan of this envy-worthy abode below:

Photos by Hiroyuki Oki via ArchDaily.