woven bamboo façade clads atelier ngng's 'floating nest' house in vietnam

located in a crowded residential area of ho chi minh city, vietnam, ‘floating nest’ by atelier ngng is a tube house clad in a woven bamboo screen that runs the entire length of its façade. an element of traditional vietnamese architecture, the screen protects the whole house from the severe west sunlight while maintaining a high degree of privacy. wood, glass, and iron complete the material palette of the project, combined with abundant greenery throughout the building.

all images by quang dam

atelier ngng’s ‘floating nest’ is located on a narrow lot (4 x 12m), typical of tube houses in ho chi minh city, which is blocked by neighboring buildings on three sides. the owner’s main requests included an airy and relaxing space to come to after a tiring day at work, complete with green areas to satisfy her gardening hobby. in order to satisfy the client’s requests and enhance natural lighting and ventilation with the given spatial constrains, the architects decided to omit partition walls within the building, using ‘greenery’ and ‘void’ to separate functional spaces.

the design of the house comprises three large voids: a front and a back garden, spanning all three floors and separating the interior from the streets outside; and a central lightwell, across the two upper floors, separating the home office from the resting area. small gardens are used similarly to separate the interior and exterior; the toilet and bedroom or kitchen; the bedrooms and stairs. this solution creates smooth spatial transition while ensuring that all functional spaces are in contact with nature.

the material palette of the house combines materials reminiscent of traditional vietnamese villages, such as bamboo and wood, with contemporary ones, like glass and iron. a natural material that is both environmentally friendly and economical, bamboo is has been chosen for the front façade of the building in the form of a woven screen. the CNC iron partitions feature cut out leaf patterns, while CNC iron is also used as sunshades on the balconies, and for the entrance gate.

atelier ngng has hung a series of vertical bamboo sticks from the backyard skylight, enabling a visual connection with the façade while serving as a sunshade. natural light can still pass through, creating not only interesting shadows but also ‘happy sounds, like wind chimes hung in gardens’. stairs, plant pots, balconies, and sunshades are made of thin sheet iron in order to reduce structural weight. iron is also used as the backdrop for the worshipping area, which extends into the lower floor and becomes the meditation space.

‘these different strategies make the whole house feel light, as if it were floating in a large green space and filled with light,’ notes the studio. ‘at dusk, when the sun sets, the light from inside the house shines through the gaps between the bamboo trunks and the leave cuts on the iron walls, making the house look like a lantern in the middle of the neighborhood.’