Latticed ‘shophouse' in Vietnam by Tropical Space
ove a shop) and giving it a contemporary twist, Cuckoo House is a home for a family of four, situated on top of a coffee shop in Da Nang, Vietnam. It also represents perfectly the approach and sensibilities of its creators, Ho Chi Minh City-based practice Tropical Space. The studio, founded in 2012 by architects Trần Thị Ngụ Ngôn and Nguyễn Hải Long, responds to culture and climWorking with the typical Southeast Asian typology of the shophouse (a house abate in their designs, aiming to create spaces that reflect the users’ needs. In Cuckoo House, this involved composing three sculptural brick volumes placed on top of a rectangular base – each hosting different functions. Open areas link the different wings, uniting indoors and outdoors and allowing the breeze to flow in and cool the interior down during the tropical summer months.