Located in Saigon South, this 940 m2 Villa is situated on the Saigon River. All bedrooms are designed as suites, including 2 master suites as specified by the owner; all are oriented towards the river view. Level 1 and level 2 are connected at the exterior by a stepped garden space encouraging movement around the building, with private areas for reading, lounging or simply enjoying the raised garden environment. Ground floor is one open space that traverses the volume from north to south with central feature staircase articulating the plan.

The final design in a series of investigations resulted in a building conceived as a carved block utilizing open planning and incorporating extensive planting areas. This project evolved with stringent requirements for the overall footprint dimensions. The criteria included consideration for dual access from both North and South, separation of service areas from main living spaces, and open rooftop barbecue and lounge area to take full advantage of the river views. 2 full master suites were to be included. The Northern access road fronts the Saigon River, of which interior planning takes full advantage. The ground floor is completely screened from the street and focused on the courtyard garden, while the Level 1 and Level 2 areas take full advantage of the river aspect. The Villa includes an 80 sqm Art Gallery. The project was conducted in collaboration with Atelier Tho.A.

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A variety of preliminary options were explored; 3 are presented here. The team had a lot of fun pushing the boundaries and exploring where the design might land. All of these initial conceptual meanderings include pavilion-style, open-air ground-floor living areas as originally specified by the client. This requirement was ultimately revised during the design process, becoming a provisional feature with the use of sliding or folding glass door systems. Saigon is very dusty and the rain can be quite unforgiving in a tropical torrential downpour. Focus on the art gallery space was also a jumping-off point for several of the schemes, becoming the central feature around which the planning was organized. Corten steel was proposed as a feature material highlighting key architectural components coupled with off-form concrete and cement-rendered walls.