SILK house
Nguyễn Đặng Anh Dũng
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Nguyễn Hữu Thể Trang l Nguyễn Văn Trung l Võ Đình Huỳnh
Supervisor : Nguyễn Văn Trung
Construction : Đinh Đức Thiên Ân
Photographs : Quangdam
I have a friend who was an investor in real estate field. We have known each other for quite a while but have never thought that there would be a chance for us to co-operate. It was partly because the real estate business required quick, economically effective designs and constructions. Furthermore, AD+studio ‘s works, which are designed for client’s particular needs and situations, are the results of dialogues and sympathies. Those buildings normally would not be appealing to the market.
In the middle of 2015, he suddenly asked me to renovate a house for commercial purpose. I asked him earnestly: “Do you think that my design would be difficult to sell?”. “I want to have something different, different from the houses that I used to work on.” – he said.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT is the starting point of this project.
With the request of keeping the existing structural frame, our design concentrated on defective elements of the old building, turning the fragmented space into coherent, open space as well as resolving the issues of functions, light and ventilation.
After these disadvantages are solved, this house gets its new ‘dress’ – a factor that connects interior and exterior – upper and lower space.
This ‘dress’ is weaved from raw bricks – a material which has the same color but different tones formed by the course of test, choice of clay sources and the difference in calcination temperature – combined into a handmade pattern wall throughout the common space of the construction works; this wall leads, connects spaces and gives the old house a new vitality.
The project was finished a few days before Lunar New Year and was put to use. A few days ago, I ran into him, and I asked him about the house. He said “A beautiful house, I’m still living there and not ready to sell".
His words reinforced my faith in the value of my work.
This building – despite being born from commercial purpose – is still embracing the ones who loved it and the ones who lingered on.
SaiGon , August 2015 - February 2016
