this 'cuckoo house' by tropical space is a dwelling perched atop a café

the mixed-use cuckoo house

As part of a larger urban renewal project in central Vietnam‘s Da Nang, the architects at Tropical Space design this mixed-use Cuckoo House. The project sees a café along its ground floor and a private residence within the floors above, all housed within a cluster of large brick volumes. The public space on the street level takes shape as a simple rectangular block that opens outward onto a open-air courtyard while the private, single-family dwelling is organized between three large blocks perched on top.

images © Oki Hiroyuki

illuminating the house with brickwork

The architects at Tropical Space (see more here) make use of the Cuckoo House’s brick materiality to open up its interiors to natural light and to its surroundings. Windows take shape as brick arches, especially along the ground floor which is defined by its sweeping arcade. Actually this café is built as a glass box nested within the arcaded brick shell. Meanwhile, the upper levels integrate perforated brickwork to introduce natural filtered sunlight which further creates patterned shadowing.

garden patios by tropical space

The interstitial space between the Cuckoo House’s three upper volumes creates a private courtyard where the children might play outdoors while remaining separated from the café below. The architects comment: ‘The garden spaces are the kids’ favourite areas, and alternate with other functional spaces such as the dining room, the bedroom, and the living room. Functional areas were created both inside and outside of the house in order to intertwine with each other.

The team at Tropical Space continues, describing the spirit of the Cuckoo House: ‘The more we interact and feel nature directly, the greater the opportunities for fostering the ability to share and respect nature. The indoor courtyard and the outside garden on the ground floor are separated and shaped by shadows cast by the walls. Awakening each morning to the smell of roasted coffee in the air, complemented by a peaceful choice of music, presents an interesting start to the day.’