Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

A Slim Green Home in Vietnam Rises Like a Tendril Out of Concrete

A Slim Green Home in Vietnam Rises Like a Tendril Out of Concrete

Green and blue finishes inspired by nature fill a 13-foot-wide building in Ho Chi Minh City shared by a family and its tenants.

Situated on a 366-square-foot plot that’s only about 13 feet wide, the slender home that Khuôn Studio and Phan Khắc Tùng designed for a young family in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, looks like something out of the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz: Glossy green tiles clad the exterior, and cascading plants hang from the balconies above a green metal gate.



3T2 House in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, designed by Khuôn Studio and Phan Khắc Tùng, occupies a narrow alley that’s only about 13 feet wide.

"The neighborhood is disordered yet soulful, so we created a playful vibe and used colors found in nature to give the inhabitants a sense of ease," says architect Huỳnh Anh Tuấn of Khuôn Studio. "When you’re in this house, it’s as if Saigon, the biggest city in Vietnam, vanishes."

Though 3T2 House provides respite from urban life, it also pays tribute to the larger context of the city. "We’re a bunch of nostalgic architects who are in love with the architecture of Saigon before 1975," Tùng explains. "Those buildings are filled with terrazzo and cement tile that just get better with time. We wanted to honor the architecture that holds weight in our hearts."



A large, green metal gate opens to a covered entrance courtyard, where a staircase leads to the two upper levels that the young family rents to tenants.

The architects demolished the house that had stood previously. "It was deteriorating and did not have enough space to accommodate the growing family," Tuấn says. "With only one floor and a mezzanine, the family members had to share a bed, and the furniture layout was not well planned. This created a lot of stress in their daily life."

The clients-a hardware engineer, a college lecturer, and their three daughters, ages nine, seven, and 18 months-had lived in Ho Chi Minh City for nearly two decades and loved the location. "Our neighborhood is near the city center, and all amenities are within walking distance," says the wife. "We love the tranquility here."



Glossy green tiles cover one of the walls in the entrance courtyard. The staircase that accesses the two upper levels is crafted with bright, bluish-green terrazzo. The tenants and the family only cross paths here.

"The clients gave us total freedom in terms of aesthetics, but when it came to practicality, they asked that the top two floors be totally private, so they could rent them," Tùng says.

The new four-story home maintains separation between the two lower floors that make up the family’s 645-square-foot residence and the upper levels, each of which measures 322 square feet.



The deep green tone of the front facade and entrance courtyard gives way to blue and green cement tiles on the interior. The palette references hues found in nature, creating a sense of calm.

Inside, a blue-and-green color scheme sweeps over cement tile, terrazzo, cabinetry, staircases, and built-in furniture. On the ground floor, a small staircase with vertical metal railing and green wooden treads leads from the kitchen, dining, and living rooms to the second-level bedrooms.



The open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area is located on the first level. A narrow staircase leads to the second-level bedrooms. Its full-height balustrades with tight spacing are not only kid-friendly, but support a TV screen.

"We didn’t want the staircases to take up too much space as the area for living is already relatively limited," Tuấn says. "Both staircases were built with thin steel frames and wood panels. We spent a lot of time stripping down the design."



The two second-level bedrooms are separated by a sliding wood door that separates the children's room from the parents' room. A small glass staircase in the parents' room ascends to a balcony and helps flood the space with natural light.

In the daughters’ room, a smaller wood-and-metal staircase accesses the bunk beds, and a small staircase that accesses the balcony is made of glass.

"The balconies on each level are a few steps up from the rooms, which helps to maintain privacy," Tùng says. "This also prevents direct sunlight from penetrating the rooms, thus keeping the spaces cool and well lit."



When the sliding wood door is pulled shut, the children's and the parents' bedrooms on the second level maintain complete privacy.

"Privacy, daylight, and greenery are of the utmost importance in a heavily urbanized and seemingly overpopulated city like Saigon," says Tuấn, who, with Tùng, gave his clients exactly that-and then some-in only 645 square feet of living space.



A separate outdoor staircase accesses the two upper levels, where the architects arranged studio-like residences that the young family rents for additional income.



The architects finished the upper-level residences with blue and green tones that connect to the palette of the family home, which is located on the first two levels.



In the evening, the bright green front facade of the micro home glows, bringing to mind nature and a sense of fantasy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×