kientruc o designs its office in vietnam with an airy, light-filled atmosphere

kientruc o designs its breezy, light-filled office space, encircled by continuous open air courtyards integrated with lush plant life. the vietnam-based architecture studio divides the office into two main areas — the void and the work space — which are freely connected to the exterior with little separation, and which are surrounded by smaller scale ‘buffer zones.’ this element of wide openness contrasted with smaller zones yields a diverse spatial quality that fluctuates along the spectrum. the organization further polarizes the character of space quickly from movement to stillness.

image © oki hiroyuki

vietnamese studio kientruc o curates its office space in ho chi minh city as a composition of ‘floating walls’ and interstitial zones. the studio space seems to transform as it receives natural sunlight and gives way to shadow, its depth shifting with the floating walls, successively generating intimate spaces and introducing an atmosphere of silence and serenity. sited within a context defined by its tropical weather conditions, the team makes careful use of three methods of passive cooling — heat preventing, heat modulation, and heat dissipation. while the design seeks to protect the indoor microclimate from sunlight with an efficient building orientation, vegetation helps to reduce the impact of the sun on the facade.

image © oki hiroyuki

the kientruc o office makes use of a ventilation strategy which is entirely natural and sustainable. this serves as a counter-approach to the scheme most commonly found in contemporary tropical buildings, which are not ventilated with entirely passive systems. the entrance of breezes and natural sunlight is controlled and contributes to comfortable indoor environment while a multi-layered roof system helps to move air while protecting the main workspace from being overheated. the design team makes use of a palette of greys so to highlight the natural elements of the space. the primary material, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) block, has a low thermal conductivity and is nonabsorbent in nature, contributing significantly to heat modulation.

image © oki hiroyuki