The staircase in a Saigon house creates recreational, airy spaces for the family to watch the TV and see the moon. 

The three-storey house has been built on a plot 5.25 meters wide and 16 meters long in a small District 2 alley in Ho Chi Minh City. It is now home to a family of four people.

With two young children, the owners wanted to have an airy interior space with natural light. They also wanted spaces inside the house to be connected in a way that enables them to keep an eye easily over the children when they were busy working or cooking.

Architect Le Viet Hoi and his colleagues have designed a house with three floors in zigzag patterns, connected by two wide open spaces between the stories. The spaces are placed in the area of the staircase and in the front balcony.

The house is also close to nature, with gardens in the front and back, balconies and large openings on the roof and the facade.

The openings in the front wall of the house are arranged in accordance with the view from the bedrooms on the two upper floors. Thanks to a double-wall design, the indoor rooms are always cool and avoid direct sunlight.

The ground floor has a yard for parking, a living room, and a dining room connected with a kitchen. The living room space, part of which is below the staircase, is separated from the kitchen area by the differences in their ceiling heights.

Sitting space in the living room is a wooden platform below the staircase.

The wooden staircase system with transparent glass and steel railings, has spacious landings.

A long step connects the large bedroom and the smaller bedroom, becoming a shared space for the family where they can sit and play together.

From this area, people can easily observe other areas in the house, enjoy natural light during the day or see the moon when it is dark. They can also feel the cool breeze blowing through the ventilation area in the large bedroom.

The smaller bedroom is connected to the shared space by a sliding door that can be closed for privacy.

The large bedroom is protected from direct sunlight by a white wall and a balcony. A large glass door connects the bedroom and the balcony, creating more space for the bedroom.

The bathroom is located on the western side to shield the large bedroom from the outside heat. Large windows and green trees in the front support ventilation and provide privacy for the bathroom.

The bedroom for guests on the third floor is also a multifunctional space of the family. There is a small garden to the west of the room, which blocks the heat and adds the greenery to the house.

Photos by Hiroyuki Oki