The Cocoa Project Café / T3 Architects

Architects: T3 ARCHITECTS
Area: 460 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki
Manufacturers: Hafele, Jati Mosaic, Plastic People, SECOIN, Toto, Vickini, Vietceramics
Lead Architects: Charles Gallavardin, Tereza Gallavardin, Rafael Lira, Guillermo Banderas
Main Contractor: PI Architects
MEP: PI Architects
Structure Consultant: PI Architects
Lighting Design: Baeteman & Ta Design Studio
Landscape Design: T3 ARCHITECTS, Anthony Desgre
Architect: Hai Ta Quang
Interior Designer: Kieu Chinh Nguyen
Scenography: Cent Degres Vietnam, Patrick Wong Mui
City: Ho Chi Minh City
Country: Vietnam

The Cocoa Project Café, designed by T3 Architects in Saigon, repurposes a 1950s modernist villa into an open, sustainable space centered around promoting sustainably sourced cacao trace chocolate. This transformation aims to reconnect Vietnamese people with their cocoa heritage from the Mekong Delta. Originally, the villa was concealed by unsightly industrial materials on its walls, ceilings, and facades, making it unrecognizable before the project began. By removing sections of the roof and slabs, T3 introduced natural light and incorporated a tropical garden inspired by southern Vietnam’s plantations. The project prioritized preserving the building’s original elements like terrazzo staircases and vertical louvers, which help insulate the café from street noise. Emphasizing sustainability, the design retains the villa’s structure while minimizing the use of new materials, opting for locally sourced items such as local cement tiles, solid wood, and lime paint. Recycled materials, like tetra packs, were creatively used for custom fixtures, underlining the frugal, creative approach to this heritage-driven restoration.

The Cocoa Project Café highlights the value of renovation, which is often more sustainable than constructing new “green buildings.”
Interview with Charles and Tereza Gallavardin of T3 Architects and Kanopea Studio

The space was originally dark and uninviting, leading T3 to remove part of the roof and break concrete slabs to introduce a tropical garden, allowing natural light to flow through the buildings and accentuate the architectural elements typical of the era. This approach resembled more of an “archeological” mission than a conventional architecture or interior design project. The inherent beauty of the villa was uncovered, and through the efforts of T3, the Cocoa Project Team, and their partners, a peaceful environment was created in the heart of Saigon.

Upon their first visit, T3 Architects noticed a terrazzo staircase and ceiling cornices, both characteristic of the modernist period. They meticulously removed layers of materials, revealing features like old handrails, vertical concrete louvers, and layers of lime paint. These elements were preserved to evoke the villa’s past and reflect the historical context of Saigon.

T3 Architects chose to preserve part of the existing street façade, stripping away all finishing materials to provide acoustic insulation and create a peaceful garden for the café, shielding it from street noise. The tropical garden, inspired by the Mekong Delta’s plantations, features typical South Vietnamese palm trees and a productive cocoa tree as a symbolic element. Additional plants will soon cover the walls, enhancing the space with greenery while minimizing maintenance needs, aligning with T3’s commitment to reducing water consumption.

T3 Architects aimed to make the project as sustainable as possible by first preserving the original building structure, which is more environmentally friendly than demolishing and rebuilding. They minimized the use of new materials, ensuring that all were sourced and produced in Vietnam to reduce transportation costs and associated pollution.

T3 Architects prioritized natural or low-carbon materials to ensure healthy air quality with no chemical emissions. They used non-cooked local cement tiles, solid wood furniture—much of it antique—and lime paint. Custom elements, like the bar counter and mirror frames, were crafted from recycled tetra packs and plastic sourced from Plastic People. The Cocoa Project stands as a testament to Vietnamese heritage regeneration, embracing a joyful and creative frugal approach.