NGŌ alley house: a passive oasis within a rapidly developing hanoi

d.o.g studio occupies an alley in hanoi

In Hanoi, Vietnam, the NGÕ ‘Alley House’ stands out as an innovative solution by D.O.G Studio to the challenges of rapid urban development and climate change. The concept of an alley as a community hub is deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture, connecting households and generations in a big family. The NGÕ takes this traditional archetype and blends it with modern design to create a passive-cooling house that maximizes green space from the entrance, courtyard, and roof garden.

images © Cao Xuan Hoa | video © Divodira

the passive garden house

The architects at D.O.G note that in a bustling city like Hanoi, creating living spaces close to nature is crucial for achieving balance and relaxation — the NGÕ Alley House accomplishes this by maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature using air traps from the garden alley and courtyard to circulate cool breezes throughout the house. Meanwhile, a hidden garden creates space to grow spices and herbs with essential oils to repel insects and ‘relax the spirit.’ The use of local materials and a modified olive soil formula also maximizes cooling and dehumidification.

inside the ngō alley house

Inside the NGÕ Alley House, D.O.G Studio curates a minimalist style with native colors, incorporating natural stone, gravel, natural wood, and indigenous brocade fabric. Indoor lighting is optimized by combining natural light and reflectors to create subtle shadows for the passage, common space, and private rooms. The color of the wall and curved lines of the screen help to camouflage and remove the angular boundaries of the land shape.

Functionally, the NGÕ creates living space for three generations of families, with each family occupying a room around the middle courtyard. The courtyard serves as a place to communicate between family members as well as a living garden, providing an alternative to the living room space. Other common areas include a kitchen space, dining room, sauna, worship room, and rooftop, where children can enjoy urban play in a limited playground.

What sets the NGÕ apart is its use of locally-sourced, highly adaptable materials by D.O.G Studio. The finishing material, olive soil, is a mixture of materials modified according to the traditional method of Northern Vietnam to help cool in the summer and keep warm in the winter. The project uses green infrastructure to overwhelm the surrounding urban concrete area and introduce a calming place within the bustling city. As the architects say, ‘The NGŌ is the synthesis of the trend toward environmental protection while maintaining both tangible and intangible cultures.’

Thus, the NGÕ Alley House stands as a testament by D.O.G Studio to the power of blending tradition and modernity in innovative ways. By employing native materials and passive cooling techniques, the dwelling stands as a sustainable solution to the challenges of rapid urban development and climate change in Hanoi. Its emphasis on green spaces and natural therapy highlights the importance of connecting people with nature, even in the midst of a bustling city.