Located right on a riverbank in Hội An, an ancient town in Vietnam, sits an architecturally striking family home conceived by VRA Design that at the same time blends naturally into the surrounding landscape.
Compared to other cities in Vietnam, Hội An boasts a comparatively old heritage with hundreds of year of history; despite its development, it boasts some of Vietnam's most well-preserved flora and fauna, including plants and rivers around many areas of the town.
It is the town's abundant natural beauty that inspired the design team, who established a clear design direction early on that is anchored around promoting the Vietnamese local culture and values.
Specifically, the exterior of the villa is designed to resemble the unique contours of local plants, while the interiors retain spatial design of a traditional Vietnamese house. The team also spent a lot of time on details such as material selection, in a way giving new life to this ancient town.
In addition to the tropical local culture and climate being considered, the habits of the homeowners also took priority when designing an oasis where they can enjoy their lifestyles. Because the homeowners have many friends and love to entertain, it was a point to elevate the visual vibrancy of the home, adding an avant-garde feel to impress guests.
Inspired by the leaves and trunks of the surrounding coconut plantation and lush Nipa palm trees, which serve as an important symbol of the town, the designers sought to translate this feature onto the building, leading to the interesting slanted cylindrical silhouette that stands out among the area's typical style of houses.
A small garden divides the expansive home into three subtle sections, while also serving the purpose of facilitating natural light and ventilation. Rough concrete is set against towering brick walls, which have not been plastered or painted on, thus the material's original textural and organic rawness have been retained.
Drawing from ancient wisdom while catering to modern needs, the team at VRA created a beautifully lush sanctuary that marries the old and new.
Photography by Ha Phong Dang
