New options for sustainable architecture: brick lattices
- Tropical Space
- Photography: Trieu Chien
The Vietnamese studio Tropical Space, based in Ho Chi Minh City, has been developing very attractive architectural projects with brick as the protagonist. Based on its in-depth knowledge of the country’s culture and climatic peculiarities, this Asian firm has set itself the goal of creating pleasant and functional homes for middle-class families.
This is a growing population group, as the rapid growth of Vietnam’s economy in the service sector is leading to significant urbanization in the cities. However, not all of these buildings are of sufficient quality, condemning some of the residents to live in precarious conditions, as indicated in a recent World Bank report.
What Tropical Space proposes is affordable construction that accommodates these lifestyle changes. For example, their LT House, located in Long Thanh City, was conceived for a newlywed couple from a rural background. Here the architects took advantage of a small lot by using a very simple external geometry and capitalizing on the interior layout.
The entrance patio -with a tree included- and the rear patio also act as thermal regulators, providing pleasant shaded areas.
The hard appearance of the brick block facade is lightened by abundant lattices along the contour. In addition to their decorative effect, they allow natural ventilation of the house and mitigate the high temperatures.
Programmed on two levels, the entire first floor was designed as a large meeting space for friends, which will eventually house a small cafeteria open to the public. Its light forged revolving door invites you to enter and breaks the austerity of the clay. Inside, the exposed concrete bar and a long wooden table define spaces, while the separate storage area serves as private access to the upper level.
On this second floor, presided over by a large kitchen and living room, there is also enough space for two bedrooms and a bathroom. Its natural lighting is enhanced by several skylights in the concrete ceilings.
To reduce costs, very simple furniture was designed, with wooden shelves that take advantage of the gaps left by the bricks and concrete, and the owners themselves were in charge of both purchasing the materials and assembling them. These initiatives, together with the careful initial approach, meant that the final cost of the 108 m2 of built area did not exceed $20,000.
A few months ago we were already able to contemplate the versatility of the Vietnamese studio’s brick work. On that occasion, the main function of Terra Cotta Studio was the one that conditioned the whole work.