Saigon House

On a narrow 3 by 15 metre plot in Ho Chi Minh City, a21studĩo completed Saigon House in 2015 for a family with seven children. The house recalls the city’s alleys and the story of Van Duong Palace, associated with collector Vuong Hong Sen.

Small, brightly coloured volumes hold private rooms around a shared core. Their compact scale allows individual activities, while sounds and views from outside draw the children into the common space.

At the centre, the shared area works like an alley, giving family members a place to meet and play. Openings bring changing daylight and seasonal conditions into the house.

An open steel frame supports plants around the common area. Concrete surfaces and objects reclaimed from demolished Saigon houses connect the new rooms with older buildings in the city.

Furniture and household objects collected by the owner and architect are used in daily life. Many were salvaged from demolished homes, and their histories give adults stories to share with the children about caring for their house.