Nang House: Redefining the Relationship Between Nature and Architecture in the Outskirts of Hanoi

Urban Transformation and the Challenges of Rural Identity

In the outskirts of Hanoi, where waves of urbanization advance rapidly and reshape rural life, the Nang House emerges as an attempt to preserve spatial memory. Despite the accelerated urban growth, the project chose not to displace existing natural elements, but rather to integrate them into its design. Consequently, the house, covering approximately 270 square meters and accommodating three generations, becomes a point of balance between the past and new transformations.

Respecting the Natural Context

Although the surrounding landscape has changed, old trees and natural landmarks were preserved. This approach reflects a clear desire to soften the harshness of urbanization while providing residents with a familiar environment connected to their rural roots, highlighting sustainable building materials choices.

Brick as a Contemporary Architectural Language

The house design relies on brick as a traditional local material, yet in a way that highlights its aesthetic potential.

• Walls feature distinct patterns that interact with light throughout the day.
• Arches and circular openings regulate movement and create visual pathways toward the gardens.

In this way, the building merges material authenticity with contemporary reading, without leaning toward a showy form or promotional character.

Balance Between Rigor and Warmth

High wooden ceilings and curved details add a sense of intimacy, while brick lines maintain a clear structural presence. This contrast creates a visual balance that makes the spaces calmer and more profound, enhancing the residents’ sense of harmony within a single home uniting three generations.

Integrating Nature into the Fabric of the House

The distinctiveness of this project lies in its direct relationship with the site. The mature trees were neither uprooted nor relocated; they remained in their original positions, while precise openings in the roof were designed to allow their trunks to pass through. Through this natural extension, the tree canopy becomes a cover for the central courtyard, blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors and demonstrating principles of interior design integration.

The Courtyard as a Beating Heart

As shadows spread and light moves through the leaves, the courtyard transforms into a space that brings generations together. It also provides the house with natural ventilation thanks to the porous brick façade. As a result, a sensory interaction emerges between air, light, and plant elements, creating a sense of openness without compromising privacy, a notable feature in contemporary projects.

Interior Organization Based on Connectivity

The interior spaces are arranged as a series of rooms interconnected around the central void.

• Living areas, dining spaces, and the prayer room occupy the heart of the house, reflecting the nature of close-knit family life.
• Light entering through narrow vertical windows interacts with the sloped ceilings to form changing patterns on the walls, adding subtle yet impactful visual touches in terms of building design.

Interaction of Materials and Light

Textured brick meets wood at precise points within the design, establishing a balanced relationship between rigidity and warmth. Over time, the moving light creates a sensation of walls that shift and respond, giving the house a living character that transcends conventional geometric form and serving as a reference for architectural research.

Bedrooms and a Design that Embraces Intimacy

The two-storey building accommodates five bedrooms, four of which extend toward the rear of the property. Despite their modest size, they feel warm thanks to the use of wooden ceilings and brick surfaces that add a sense of comfort. Framed views of the garden connect each room to the surrounding nature, enhancing visual continuity throughout the house, a key aspect of interior design.

Gardens as Intermediate Spaces

Between the bedrooms, three distinct garden spaces emerge, each serving a specific function tailored to the needs of the extended family. This distribution allows the house to balance privacy with daily interaction, facilitating family connection in shared areas while providing tranquility in secluded spaces when needed. This layout reflects practical projects principles in integrating indoor and outdoor spaces.

It is a layout that harmonizes with the rhythm of family life and adapts to its changes without losing cohesion.

An Architectural Vision that Respects the Existing

Trung Tran Studio takes a different approach from the common practice in rural areas under rapid urban pressure, where new construction is often seen as requiring complete removal and a fresh start. In contrast, the Nang House presents a more balanced approach, demonstrating how contemporary architecture can interact with pre-existing elements rather than ignoring them.

Balancing Heritage and Renewal

The design does not aim to directly evoke the past but seeks to respect it without falling into excessive nostalgia. Amid a landscape increasingly erased by urbanization, the house emerges as a model that allows old trees to coexist harmoniously with new walls, a concept highlighted in building materials research.

In this way, the project underscores that urban development does not necessitate erasing what came before, it can grow alongside it, giving it renewed life.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Nang House can be considered an example of how to attempt integrating existing nature with multigenerational family life, offering several notable strengths. The project demonstrates respect for the natural context, preserves mature trees, and creates continuous visual connections between indoors and outdoors. It also provides a flexible environment that adapts to the daily rhythm of family life. The use of brick and wood in the design of the rooms adds warmth and highlights the relationship between materials and light in a clear and expressive way, providing a case study for architectural research.

However, when examined more deeply from an architectural perspective, a set of reservations emerges that could serve as learning points for other designers. Firstly, the focus on integrating existing natural elements may limit opportunities for future expansion or modifications, especially in the context of a family that evolves over time. Secondly, the interior spaces may feel relatively constrained compared to the functions required, which could impose limitations on the practical use of rooms and courtyards as the number of occupants or daily activities increases. Thirdly, the use of wooden ceilings and circular openings introduces operational and technical complexity, which can increase maintenance costs and requires careful monitoring to ensure the sustainability of the natural elements and materials used.

On the other hand, designers can benefit from this project as a case study in balancing the preservation of the natural context with architectural design innovation. The core idea of arranging rooms around a central void and incorporating gardens as intermediary spaces provides a practical vision for handling the characteristics of traditional sites, while offering lessons on how to manage the interplay between light and materials to achieve a sense of openness and privacy simultaneously.

In other words, the Nang House presents a discussion-worthy example of the possibilities and challenges involved in combining the preservation of local heritage with modern design flexibility, making it a valuable reference for students and practitioners in architecture, even with the reservations raised by practical implementation in changing contexts.