Binh Dong House / Atelier K59
+33
- space:
234 square meters
general:
2020
Manufacturers: GB Construction
Text description provided by the architects. Thuan An town is a border area between South Binh Duong and North Ho Chi Minh City. T. Being such a peripheral area, its construction density is low with many trees and gardens. In recent years, with rapid urbanization, many residential areas with a variety of types of “city architecture” have emerged. Gardens and orchards are constantly being erased and replaced by roads and residential plots that would normally become home developments.
Binh Duong House is an interesting project when we had to change the land plan and design (row house) when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out. Due to the economic problem, the client had to sell the plot of land near the main road and chose to build a house within the garden of his own restaurant. Through the survey we decided to choose the site at the end of the land to ensure privacy and tranquility for the owner, as well as revive the forgotten site. (a place to store trash and leftovers from the restaurant).
On site, we were impressed with the eleven trees that are and the open views. Through a process of surveying, measuring and drawing to record the position and size of the tree canopy, we have found that Indian laurel trees have a vigorous vigor with complex underground roots and branch roots spread over the ground. The design team should pay attention to the foundation’s infrastructure and tree root that can damage each other. Based on observations about the characteristics of each member of the family: activities, personality, needs … Together with the surrounding context, we begin to imagine the spaces hidden under the canopy of trees, looming behind the massive walls at the end of the road; So that when entering there – between the opening of two walls, the other cold spaces reopened again.
There are 5 criteria for design and thinking:
- Dialogue between home and restaurant. Reviving a forgotten area
- Preservation of eleven existing green trees
- A traditional space in modern life
- The use of long-lasting materials.
- Door and window as a connecting element from inside and outside
The most remarkable thing about this project is that there are eleven trees in the land – there are three star fruit trees and nine Indian laurel trees that the owner planted 20 years ago. It is currently 11 meters high and has a large canopy that covers the entire ground. We believe that trees are like humans, they have their souls, their community and their voices, so we decided to keep all the trees available for a long time on Earth. By surveying, measuring, drawing and recording the position and size of the canopy, we found that Indian laurel trees are plants with strong vitality, complex root system and spread at ground level.
The design team should pay special attention to the foundation infrastructure (choosing the option of pressing piling piles rather than creating raft foundations) to avoid scaling the foundation volume, it will harm the life of the tree as well as the root system spreading below. We also take into account the adverse effect of the tree root on the foundation of the building in the near future. Keeping trees for construction is a tough battle when we have to directly supervise the day-to-day compaction of the anchor piles to minimize damage to the root and main branches of the tree.
We are particularly impressed with the creativity and dedication to detail of Vietnamese artisans. At Binh Duong House, we employ local workers with traditional building techniques and handcrafted doors. We always think of their craftsmanship, especially in the steel door industry, they are very good at creating different types of doors that adapt to different locations in the home and a variety of uses (folding door, sliding door, revolving door, flip-door). From time immemorial, the provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai were famous for their brick and tile industry. We often call this region “the capital of bricks and tiles.” From floor tiles and wall bricks to ceiling tiles, the traditional craft here provides enough building materials for the entire southern region. Clay is a traditional material and blends in with the image of the people here. We wanted to reuse and transform with a diverse and flexible architectural design.
Respecting the nature of the Earth, preserving the local culture and respecting the surrounding climate and landscape, we always want to protect existing trees and species, as well as existing ecosystems that we have known and observed for a long time. Rapid urbanization is transforming rural areas into suburban or semi-urban areas. After the city’s expansion, the “city style architecture” quickly spread and was built in existing cottages or gardens. The perennial tree system was cut down, canals filled, and replaced by urban roads and homes. Disadvantages of this development: The orchard’s groundwater source is polluted due to the casting process, construction waste, and a destroyed tree system.
Binh Duong House has two sides abutting canals that lead to water throughout the northern and eastern orchard garden. The first thing we thought of was protecting the stream from pollution and the existing green space system. The infrastructure uses two different types of underground tanks to purify the dark water, one located near the toilet to contain the gray water and the other tank purifying it before it flows into the canal. We are also interested in rainwater for irrigation. These large robots are arranged in a water harvesting pipe to collect rainwater when irrigation is necessary. The outside trees are maintained and brought into the inner courtyards, and we use the position of the tree to define the house rather than doing the opposite.
The thought of respecting and preserving trees as well as thinking of the underground filtration system was generally invisible, but plays a very important role in shaping our architecture system: sustainability in architecture is not only from the work above but also from the hidden part of architecture (the underground part ): basic infrastructure, water supply, drainage system, soil layers, ground water, and the tree root system is intricately and actively intertwined beneath it.
We always believe that: “Architectural work is a response from the current state of the land, we will read local factors through the language of design and architecture, topography, soil layers, trees, local people… the people who belong to this place will gradually shape their lifestyle habits and typical architecture. We have always respected that and want to preserve it in today’s age of urbanization and modernization.Binh Duong House is our talk of new things and old values.The house seems to have no limits: the whole house blends with tall trees, daily activities connect people with people and people who have animals and birds.In Indeed, it feels calm and serene every time we have the opportunity to visit again”
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