toob studio builds hạ long house in vietnam as sequence of interconnected spaces

toob studio has completed a house in ha long, vietnam, built as a sequence of interconnected open spaces to contrast the dense construction development of the city, which has been ‘narrowing people’s living environment’ in recent years. located about one km from the seashore, the residence is designed with a focus on open space to get as much fresh air from the sea as possible, while, besides the private areas, all other parts of the house are flawlessly connected to each other. all images by trieu chien

‘ha long is a diverse terrain city including mountains and hills, valleys and coast,’ explains toob studio. ‘because of that, it has advantages about tourism and economy, and it also has powerful urbanization. however, we found that ha long is focusing too much on new construction development, which is the main cause of quickly increasing building density and narrowing people’s living environment.’ in contrast to the surroundings, the vietnamese studio decided to develop the house as a sequence of well-ventilated, interconnected spaces that help keep the family close together as well.

the residence has been designed with a focus on open spaces, which help the interior receive as much of fresh air from the nearby sea as possible. apart from the private areas, every other function in the house is flawlessly connected, allowing for example the wife, who is cleaning at the front garden, to easily have a conversation with the husband gardening at the back yard. the interior is characterized by an open plan, where various glass partitions help divide it into the different zones. the glass partitions and other openings inside the house also allow for constant communication between the family members, so that, for example, children playing upstairs can have visual contact with their parents any time they want.

project info:

name: hạ long house

architect: toob studio

area: 200 sqm

location: hạ long, vietnam