Excerpt: Villa Tan Dinh, a residence by MIA Design Studio, features a concept of living spaces suspended above a small garden. The design evokes the feeling of walking on bridges, with key areas connected through open spaces filled with plants, water, and natural light. The exterior appears box-like and minimal, while the interior is a complex interplay of layered spaces, contrasting light and dark, with materials like concrete and stone.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] This house was designed for a female owner who truthfully desired for not only a comfortable but also convenient living space situated in the center area of a hectic city. As always in their previous projects, the architects have always done their best to create more spaces in their design stages in the context of less actual living space for humans due to expansion of “city building”. During discussion with the owner, the first task to be consulted is to reduce the demand to the point where it satisfies her needs, no more no less. And from that start, they intended to create a bigger garden instead of a few small green zones at the entrance or at the doorstep.
The principal concept is to create a living space which hovers above mini-garden, giving one the feeling of walking on bridges. All the primary activities in the house will be connected throughout the empty zone between plants, water as well as natural light.
Another distinguished features, the location adjacent to historical buildings of Sai Gon such as Tan Đinh Church, Tan iịnh Market. Also the house is located in the middle of district 3 which is considered the most “condense” area of the city. In the early morning or afternoon, one can clearly hear the bell from the Church, or just walk out from the house a few steps one can directly be in touch with the ambience of “alley” of Sai Gon, which can be seen as a specialty of Urban culture. In the same vein, the design team formed an estimated thin steel cover layer which relatively separates private spaces, and captures most distinctive ones.
In the near future, lianas is going to spread its plants all over the steel net system and create a fresh green filter for the house instead of cold concrete and steel. The architects maximize the use of the roller shutter system in order to clear the separation between outside and inside, they also computed the thickness of the structure so the owner could have more space but still remains sylphlike.
The shape could be seen as a simple box if we look at it from outside but from the inside, it contains so many layers of spaces as well as alternation between light and dark intertwined with raw material of concrete and stones. Last but not least, the house brings comfort to the owner where they can enjoy a “garden” with all the flavor of Sai Gon in their own home.
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