Architects: a21studio
Area: 40 m²
Year: 2013
Photography: Hiroyuki Oki
City: Thuận An
Country: Vietnam
The Nest is a 40 m² house designed by a21studio in Thuận An, Vietnam. Completed in 2013, this project was built for a newsman with a limited budget. The house features a lightweight steel and metal sheet structure, incorporating reused furniture to reduce costs. The design integrates nature by blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors, making the surrounding environment feel larger and closer.
The Nest is a house designed for a middle-aged newsman who has spent years working for Vietnam’s architectural magazines. Situated on the outskirts of a developing city with diverse architectural styles, the architect and client agreed that the house should be green, comfortable, and blend in with neighboring homes.
Given the client’s budget constraints, the house employs a light structure using steel and metal sheets instead of traditional bricks and concrete. Additionally, reused furniture in good condition was incorporated throughout the house, reducing construction costs while lending a distinctive charm that highlights the beauty of aged items.
The steel structure not only lightens the foundation but also shortens the construction period and reduces costs. The house’s frame consists of 90×90 steel columns and 30×30 steel beams connected to metal sheets, with plants covering or filling in the spaces, giving the house the appearance of a green box from a distance. Within these “cool-metal” bars, nature integrates seamlessly.
The house is divided vertically into two sections: private bedrooms on the upper floor and an open kitchen and living room on the ground floor, with no doors or windows. This blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors, making the natural environment feel closer and larger. Trees are integrated as part of the building’s walls, providing numerous connections between the trees and the inhabitants.
The concept behind The Nest extends beyond spatial organization and structural flexibility; it offers a general housing model for low-cost construction that has garnered attention in Vietnamese society. By maximizing the use of abandoned items and cleverly utilizing space, the design achieves a comfortable, nature-filled home adaptable to future needs with minimal funding.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Thuận An, Bình Dương, Vietnam
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
