Sanuki Daisuke Architects Responds to Land Limitations with Tube House Style

Sanuki Daisuke Architects redefines the tube house in Vung Tau, South Vietnam. Sanuki Daisuke Architects is a closed design, the sides and back of the house have no openings such as ventilation or access to neighboring houses. However, the front of the house is uniquely designed with a facade open to the street to provide natural ventilation and a natural light source to the interior.

Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
As we know, the tube house style is a vernacular style of architecture in Vietnam because it does not require a large area of land and can help overcome the problem of overcrowding. However, the drawback is that the building will look 'stick' between one house and another. To respond the context, Sanuki Daisuke Architects introduced an enclosed dwelling with no ventilation and only one large facade. Dry steel materials with angled panels complement the open facade and create light and shadow patterns that can change throughout the day. 

Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
Sanuki Daisuke Architects (via Archdaily) said he would create a tube house model that could be adapted to the Vietnamese climate to increase natural light and air. He wants to transform the dense, dark, gloomy urban living environment into a bright and open environment. The designer realized this by dividing the house into a private part and another public part that can increase natural lighting.

Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
“Our idea was simple. We defined the entire site as the “space” left between the neighboring houses, with the first floor as a platform containing playrooms and private rooms, open floor plates inserted above the second floor, and the roof and facade covered with light steel coverings,” says Sanuki Daisuke Architects.

The airflow inside the house is channeled through an atrium that rises high from the first floor to the roof. A 10m White Champak tree grows in the front yard, becoming the focal point of the house's green space. The tree and garden can be enjoyed from various angles in the house. 

Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
The living room, dining room, and bedrooms on the second floor to the fourth floor are also connected to the front yard through sliding door partitions and sliding folding doors. That way, the boundaries between inside and outside will fade. The impression of the house is that the garden makes residents feel like they are living there.  
Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
Trees of various sizes adorn the front yard as a buffer zone for the facade and a source of light into the house. Children can freely play inside the house as if they are in nature, under the hot sun with lush plants in it. The house does not leave any space without plants, as if bringing nature into the house that is hidden among other buildings. 

Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)

Vung Tau House redefines the tube house as a dwelling that feels lush with greenery and feels as free as bringing nature into the house. Creating boundaries with neighbors through closed sides and leaving only one side open. 
Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)
Vung Tau House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects (cr: Hiroyuki Oki)