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Project Details:
Location: Thuan An City, Vietnam
From the Architect: “Our client is a family of four who wished to transform an old tube house in Binh Duong into a personalized living space. The family also wished for a home connected to nature, filled with sunlight, breezes, and greenery to enhance their quality of life and spark creative inspiration daily.
“The house is in a quiet alley in Lái Thiêu, Binh Duong Province, an area renowned for its Lái Thiêu ceramics, which originated in the 18th century and features a transmutation glaze that reflects Southern Vietnam’s culture; they were once carried by river merchants and deeply rooted in the everyday life of the Mekong Delta. Lái Thiêu ceramics are the soul of Earthenware House, integrated throughout so that each touch of a doorknob or step on the ground evokes the exuberance and authenticity of the land to which the house belongs.
“We approached the project as if shaping a clay pot: respecting the existing framework, yet refining each corner, softening curved walls, and removing interior partitions to create a new, airy space. The house is divided into three volumes in a sequence, like three terra-cotta pots conjoining one another in a harmonious whole. The first ‘pot’ serves as an open veranda, creating a transitional buffer before entering the main living areas. We extended part of the roof to create a terrace where the homeowner can gather with friends and enjoy meals under the open sky. Key spaces like the living room, bedrooms, and kitchen are pushed further back into the second and third pots.
“To evoke an earthenware sensibility, we chose materials like terra-cotta bricks, reclaimed wood, raw steel, and clay-mixed cement. All were kept in their natural, unfinished state to show their warm, earthy tones. Initially, we considered using pure clay to finish the walls, but Southern Vietnam’s harsh climate, characterized by intense sun and prolonged rains, would have damaged it. So we experimented by mixing in cement, additives, and pigments for better durability, then applied a transparent waterproof coating, much like how artisans glaze ceramics at their final stage. This process led us to create a new hybrid material: it carries the tactile warmth and feel of clay but stands up to local weather conditions.
“Ceramic animal-shaped doorknobs, like fish, turtles, frogs, birds, serve as decorative touches and subtle storytelling devices about the rivers, fields, and the landscape. The window grills mimic the shape of bamboo groves, offering both protection and light, gently bringing the imagery of old village’s bamboo rows into the living space. The owner personally crafted several interior elements: a textured wall art piece, a tea table with playfully arranged ceramic tiles, a sculpted kitchen pendant light, and dining table legs made from split sewer pipes. Each object is in dialogue with material and space, reflecting a steady-living mindset that cherishes every moment, infused with the home owner’s spirit of boldness and playfulness in creativity.
“The biggest constraints were limited budget and the reuse of existing structural framework. This is a low-cost renovated house, so we couldn’t make major original structural changes. Instead, we approached the idea of adaptation. But, those challenges bore opportunities for regeneration: we used reclaimed materials, collaborated with the owner to handcraft furniture, and transformed the old into something new.”