interior fish pond surrounds the living area of 23o5 studio's serene house in vietnam

23o5studio completes ‘the longcave 2’ in vietnam

located in ho chi minh city’s củ chi district, ‘the longcave 2’ by 23o5 studio is a serene family house that blurs the boundary between inside and outside. the local architecture office has developed the residence as a private oasis, complete with an interior fish pond that surrounds the main living space. similar to the first ‘longcave’, this project’s design is also inspired by the cross-section of hang son doong, one of the world’s largest natural caves located in the UNESCO-listed phong nha-ke bang national park in vietnam.

all images by hiroyuki oki

A HOUSE DESIGNED AS A combination of voids

occupying an area of 10 x 50 meters, ‘the longcave 2’ is designed to allow its residents to leave the outside world, their anxiety and fears behind, and find peace and calmness. drawing from the atmosphere and architectural logic of a cave, 23o5 studio developed the house as a combination of voids, light and shadows. when one steps through the main entrance, they encounter an interior without walls, where different zones are defined by the strategic positioning of skylights and double-height spaces. ‘the different sectional shape for the same equivalent area creates different feelings for each space,’ explains the vietnamese studio. ‘the boundary between inside and outside is blurred away.’ this notion if further enhanced by the dark body of water that occupies part of the main living area, where residents can spend their free time relaxing by looking at the koi fish.