Stacked Planters House

CONCEPT
Due  to  the  rapid  urbanization,  many  cities  in  Vietnam  are  losing  their  tropical  green  space and low-density landscapes are transforming into a densely populated metropolis. Increasing risk  of  flood,  together  with  serious  air  pollution  in urban  areas  has  resulted  in  the  situation. And  Vietnamese  new  generation  is  being  disconnected  with  nature.  Against  this  backdrop, VTN Architects (Vo Trong Nghia Architects) is developing a series of house project, “House for Trees”, to create green space within a high-density  neighborhood.  As  the  most  recent project in this series, Stacked Planters Housestrives to bring greens back to the city and forge an intimate relationship between human and nature.   

CONTEXT
The  house  is  located  in  a  neatly  planned  urban  area,  where  the  residents  built  up  to  the maximum  allowable  height.  Maximum  living  spaces  were  achieved  here  by  reducing  the green  spaces.  By  bringing  greens  back  to  the  house,  each  house  serves  as  a  small  park  in  a dense neighborhood. 

PLANNING
The  house  is  designed  for  a  typical  Vietnamese  family  with  three  generations.  Each  private function  is  packed  into  a  concrete  box  that  is seemingly  stacked  randomly.  The  horizontal concrete slabs, between boxes, are the terraces where trees grow. These semi-outdoor spaces serve as living and dining rooms where people gather.

MATERIAL 
The “House for trees” series always pays special attention  to  local  and  natural  materials. What makes this project special, is the terrazzo wall which was a popular material back in the 80s, yet forgotten in recent years.