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Issue 66 - Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Issue 66

Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Kitchens and bathrooms are, arguably, the most consequential rooms in the home — and almost always the first to be considered. Whether approached through renovation or new build, their design has the power to recalibrate how a home is lived in and experienced. For this issue, our guest editor, Mardi Doherty, principal of Studio Doherty, explores what it truly means to transform these pivotal spaces — and why thoughtful design in kitchens and bathrooms delivers dividends far beyond the purely functional. Her insights both as an architect and as her own client give an open and honest account of the thinking behind creating a home.

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The Binh Thanh House in Vietnam
HomesElla McDougall

The Binh Thanh House in Vietnam

Vietnam

The Binh Thanh House by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Sanuki and NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS adapts traditional Vietnamese architecture to construct an eternal yet contemporary home.


Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Sanuki and NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS all come together to craft the Binh Thanh House, an incredible feat of architecture that references an eternal Vietnamese aesthetic in a strikingly contemporary and geometric-inspired home.

The Binh Thanh Home is an attached duplex, designed for two families. A middle-aged couple live on the lower two storeys and their son, his wife and young child live on the upper two storeys. Due to the familial connection of the residents, the architects wanted to keep the two sections separated but offer additional, shared living spaces in between that could be enjoyed by all residents.

This addition comprises of three shared blocks holding guest bedrooms, kitchen, gym, worship room and a laundry. As well as two blocks that will be transformed into the living space for each family. These living rooms enjoy extended, moveable glass doors, where the families can vary the degree of connection between the interior and the lush of tropical gardens beyond.

The design sought to honour traditional Vietnamese design, where the natural world is continued as an integral feature both inside and outside of the house. Pattern block has a long history in Vietnamese architecture and was the perfect solution to offering direct ventilation and sunlight throughout the house, while protecting the interior from the heat and heavy rain.

Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS bedroom

The pattern block has become somewhat synonymous with local Vietnamese architecture, perfectly suited to the harsh tropical climate. And more than mere functionality, the pattern block gives an arresting impression to the house. The graphic geometric appearance integrates into the surrounding forest greenery, and made from pre-cast concrete allows the overall structure to assume an aged appearance despite the modern form.

The Binh Thanh House is immediately impressive, standing out as a beauteous, artistically-minded form from its neighbours. Yet, the house does not rebel against its context, instead it adapts pervading architectural forms and knowledge to relate the space to historical structures. The inherent concern for site and context, that informs local design, continues within the house, offering an insight into the future trajectory of Vietnamese architecture.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Sanuki and NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS all come together to craft the Binh Thanh House, an incredible feat of architecture that references an eternal Vietnamese aesthetic in a strikingly contemporary and geometric-inspired home.

Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS staircase

The Binh Thanh Home is an attached duplex, designed for two families. A middle-aged couple live on the lower two storeys and their son, his wife and young child live on the upper two storeys. Due to the familial connection of the residents, the architects wanted to keep the two sections separated but offer additional, shared living spaces in between that could be enjoyed by all residents.

This addition comprises of three shared blocks holding guest bedrooms, kitchen, gym, worship room and a laundry. As well as two blocks that will be transformed into the living space for each family. These living rooms enjoy extended, moveable glass doors, where the families can vary the degree of connection between the interior and the lush of tropical gardens beyond.

The design sought to honour traditional Vietnamese design, where the natural world is continued as an integral feature both inside and outside of the house. Pattern block has a long history in Vietnamese architecture and was the perfect solution to offering direct ventilation and sunlight throughout the house, while protecting the interior from the heat and heavy rain.

The pattern block has become somewhat synonymous with local Vietnamese architecture, perfectly suited to the harsh tropical climate. And more than mere functionality, the pattern block gives an arresting impression to the house. The graphic geometric appearance integrates into the surrounding forest greenery, and made from pre-cast concrete allows the overall structure to assume an aged appearance despite the modern form.

The Binh Thanh House is immediately impressive, standing out as a beauteous, artistically-minded form from its neighbours. Yet, the house does not rebel against its context, instead it adapts pervading architectural forms and knowledge to relate the space to historical structures. The inherent concern for site and context, that informs local design, continues within the house, offering an insight into the future trajectory of Vietnamese architecture.

Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS roof
Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS bedroom
Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS kitchen
Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS lounge room
Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS staircase
Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS brickwork
Binh Thanh House NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS exterior

About the Author

Ella McDougall

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Home ArchitectureHouse ArchitectureResidential Architecture


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Issue 66 - Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Issue 66

Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Kitchens and bathrooms are, arguably, the most consequential rooms in the home — and almost always the first to be considered. Whether approached through renovation or new build, their design has the power to recalibrate how a home is lived in and experienced. For this issue, our guest editor, Mardi Doherty, principal of Studio Doherty, explores what it truly means to transform these pivotal spaces — and why thoughtful design in kitchens and bathrooms delivers dividends far beyond the purely functional. Her insights both as an architect and as her own client give an open and honest account of the thinking behind creating a home.

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