A hemmed-in house in Saigon uses a non-parallel layout to have spacious rooms and plenty of natural light. 

The Lee House is built with 50 square meters of floor space in Ho Chi Minh City's District 7. It is hemmed in on both sides by other houses, and the owner also needs space for a garage.

Architect Pham Ngoc Binh and his colleagues have tried to create more space and let natural light reach every floor with a layout that is not parallel, allowing sunlight to come into each floor through different angles. They used the front space as an indoor garage from which steps lead to the living room.

The house’s design also narrows the space used by stairs while allowing easy, convenient access to all rooms.

This is the first floor of the house. The common area includes a living room, and a kitchen connected with a dining room. This area stands at a higher level, separating the living space from the garage.

The space separating the rooms is also used as common family hangouts. The study area for children and working desks for the parents are arranged in between their rooms.

The non-parallel interior design allows greater interaction in shared spaces and allows natural light to reach different corners of the house.

The house overlooks a park, so the architects decided to maximize the size of the front windows.

When the windows are open, the bedroom feels like an extension of the green park.

The house has a double-window system, with the outer layer made of compact plastic with patterned details. This layer prevents direct sunlight and enhances the house’s aesthetics. The inner layer is a glass sliding door system.

Both window layers help maximize the effect of natural elements. They bring into the house plenty of natural light and breeze.

The windows that create sunlight patterns inside the house during the day make it glow like a beautiful large lantern in the night.

Photos by Quang Dam