conventional vietnamese dwelling is transformed into beach house-like restaurant

studio anettai transformed a conventional vietnamese house into an open, semi-outdoor restaurant dubbed ‘burger bros da nang’. located in da nang city — which has become one of the most famous resorts in asia — within a walking distance from the coast, the project takes shape as a beach house-like structure where visitors can enjoy the sea breeze.all images courtesy of hiroyuki oki
exterior view, night

considering the limited budget and unstable situation caused by the pandemic, studio anettai focused on demolishing and peeling off techniques of existing elements instead of adding new ones. the studio pulled down almost all the pre-existing partition walls and these ones on the facade creating a visual connection among the front street, ground floor, mezzanine, and upper level, surrounding the units around a void. furthermore, the architects maintained the complex floor levels of the original building to create a variety of spaces with different heights: open seats at ground level with extremely high ceiling, cave-like alcove with a low ceiling, and lounge seats looking down the void.
interior view, night – original wall light, huge neon illuminate rough surfaces

the studio decided to peel off the existing finishing and remove away the decorations, while only the existing bricks were painted with a thin layer of white color. normally, demolition is a delicate and labor-intensive process, however, in vietnam, where labor costs are low and the supply of building materials is unstable, it is more effective to neaten what is already there, rather than covering it up with extra decoration. meanwhile, the studio carefully added things which enhance each exposed material: coconut leaves which are generally used for barracks roofs, pillar lights made by on-site craftsmen, and neon signs in cooperation with a local designer.
interior view, night – huge hamburger neon by local designer

due to the covid situation, the project proceeded without the possibility of actually visiting the site or even meeting the construction company in person. under such circumstances, the communication tool that proved most effective was 3D visualization. 3D data was updated and shared internally, prioritizing it over the drawings, so that not only the client but also the local construction company and workers with language barriers could always have a concrete idea of the space. 
interior view, night-stepping floor surrounded huge void

interior view, day – sunlight irradiate the shadow of structure on neon

all signage design collaborate with local designer

section perspective

Iinterior view, day – extremely high ceiling express semi-outdoor feeling

concrete and natural wood bar counter arranged together with the client

3D visualization as a communication tool among architect, client, and construction site

ground floor plan

mezzanine and first floor plan

project info:

name: burger bros da nang

architects: studio anettai

design principal: takahito yamada

contractor: coi design

location : ngu hanh son, da nang, vietnam

floor area: 204.1 sqm (2 196.9 sq. ft.)

photography: hiroyuki oki

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina petridou | designboom