The Inner Court House

Two generations share a corner house in Phan Rang, Vietnam, where strong coastal winds accompany intense sunlight and high temperatures. Plus Idea Studio completed The Inner Court House in 2025, turning the main living spaces towards a central courtyard. With streets along two sides, the house uses a largely solid outer wall to give the family privacy.

The courtyard brings daylight into the interior and places greenery beside the rooms. Windows towards the street are limited and carefully positioned, while larger glazed openings face inward. Openings at the middle and rear of the house provide a route for coastal breezes to move through the shared spaces and central void, helping carry warm air out of the building.

The ground floor accommodates the living room and kitchen as a continuous area for family activities. An open staircase rises beside the living room, and the void maintains views between the two levels. Three bedrooms occupy the upper floor, where timber floors and fitted cabinetry distinguish the private rooms from the shared spaces below. Glazed doors bring the bedrooms into direct visual contact with the courtyard.

An exposed-aggregate finish covers the street-facing walls. Joints divide the large surfaces to accommodate movement and limit cracking, continuing across the facade alongside windows and ventilation openings. Deep recesses shelter the upper outdoor spaces, while the sloping roof gives the corner a clear profile. The rough exterior surface contrasts with the timber and pale walls around the inner court.