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Saigon1990 by Archiro Vietnam
Saigon1990 by Archiro Vietnam
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Other Projects by ARCHIRO VIETNAM
Saigon1990 by Archiro Vietnam
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2024
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
TRANSFORMING A MICRO TUBE HOUSE INTO AN F&B SPACE
A micro-scale adaptive reuse model based on canal-driven microclimate in Ho Chi Minh City
The project is located along Hoang Sa Street, a busy traffic corridor running parallel to the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Beyond its role as urban infrastructure, the canal generates a distinctive microclimate, characterized by cooler, moisture-laden airflow, particularly noticeable during daytime hours. Rather than treating the canal merely as a scenic backdrop, the project approaches this microclimatic condition as an existing climatic resource.
The site measures approximately 13.5 square meters, with a three-meter-wide frontage and an irregular depth due to a diagonal boundary condition. The building consists of four floors and a rooftop terrace, representing a rare example of a super-narrow townhouse that has developed vertically within the dense urban fabric of contemporary Vietnamese cities. Originally designed for residential use, the building relied entirely on air-conditioning, enclosed by a sealed glass façade to maximize usable floor area. This resulted in a vertically stacked, enclosed volume detached from its surrounding environment.
The renovation strategy reverses the building’s original mode of climatic interaction. The former two-leaf glass door at the ground floor was removed and replaced with a rolling shutter, allowing the entire frontage to be fully opened during operation. This intervention enables cool air from the canal to flow directly into the interior, rather than being blocked by a sealed envelope. On the upper floors, fixed glass windows were replaced with four-panel louvered wooden shutters.
In this project, the louvered shutters are not treated as nostalgic decorative elements, but as passive climatic devices. Their slatted configuration allows flexible control over openness, ensuring continuous ventilation while limiting direct solar radiation when closed. This approach draws upon vernacular knowledge of tropical architecture, where natural ventilation once played a primary role before the widespread adoption of mechanical cooling systems.
Internally, the stair core is designed with maximum voids, functioning as a vertical ventilation shaft. Cool air entering at the ground floor is drawn upward through the building, while warm air accumulates and is expelled through openings at the rooftop. The rooftop terrace also accommodates technical access for water tanks and building maintenance systems, without obstructing the primary airflow path.
The F&B program is organized vertically in response to the extremely limited ground footprint. The ground floor accommodates the beverage counter, cashier, and short-stay seating for takeaway customers, minimizing prolonged occupation within the heavily trafficked street frontage. The first and third floors provide seating for individual customers and small groups, while the second floor is arranged for larger groups with tables for six or more people. The rooftop terrace serves as a viewing space overlooking the canal and the city at night, extending the spatial experience without increasing the building footprint.
Beverage preparation at the ground floor is limited to coffee machines and fruit juicers, with no cooking activities that generate heat or strong odors. Restrooms are located separately on the first and third floors, each with direct external ventilation, preventing interference with customer spaces. The elimination of major heat and odor sources allows the natural ventilation strategy to operate effectively and consistently during daily use.
As a result of the vertical ventilation structure, all four air-conditioning units previously serving the four floors were completely removed. The building now operates through natural ventilation combined with small wall-mounted fans on each level, a familiar solution in many Asian domestic environments. Post-occupancy observations indicate that thermal comfort is maintained even during midday hours, without reliance on mechanical cooling systems.
Beyond its function as an F&B venue, the project proposes a micro-scale adaptive reuse model for narrow-frontage townhouses in tropical dense cities. As traditional townhouses become less suitable for contemporary family living, lightweight functional conversion into small-scale economic activities allows owners to retain centrally located properties while enabling families to relocate to healthier and more suitable living environments.
Rather than demolishing or sealing existing structures, the project demonstrates how architecture can operate as a passive climatic–economic infrastructure, enabling micro-scale buildings to persist and adapt within high-density urban contexts and under increasing energy pressures.
Creative Director:
Tran Le Vu Thanh
A micro-scale adaptive reuse model based on canal-driven microclimate in Ho Chi Minh City
The project is located along Hoang Sa Street, a busy traffic corridor running parallel to the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Beyond its role as urban infrastructure, the canal generates a distinctive microclimate, characterized by cooler, moisture-laden airflow, particularly noticeable during daytime hours. Rather than treating the canal merely as a scenic backdrop, the project approaches this microclimatic condition as an existing climatic resource.
The site measures approximately 13.5 square meters, with a three-meter-wide frontage and an irregular depth due to a diagonal boundary condition. The building consists of four floors and a rooftop terrace, representing a rare example of a super-narrow townhouse that has developed vertically within the dense urban fabric of contemporary Vietnamese cities. Originally designed for residential use, the building relied entirely on air-conditioning, enclosed by a sealed glass façade to maximize usable floor area. This resulted in a vertically stacked, enclosed volume detached from its surrounding environment.
The renovation strategy reverses the building’s original mode of climatic interaction. The former two-leaf glass door at the ground floor was removed and replaced with a rolling shutter, allowing the entire frontage to be fully opened during operation. This intervention enables cool air from the canal to flow directly into the interior, rather than being blocked by a sealed envelope. On the upper floors, fixed glass windows were replaced with four-panel louvered wooden shutters.
In this project, the louvered shutters are not treated as nostalgic decorative elements, but as passive climatic devices. Their slatted configuration allows flexible control over openness, ensuring continuous ventilation while limiting direct solar radiation when closed. This approach draws upon vernacular knowledge of tropical architecture, where natural ventilation once played a primary role before the widespread adoption of mechanical cooling systems.
Internally, the stair core is designed with maximum voids, functioning as a vertical ventilation shaft. Cool air entering at the ground floor is drawn upward through the building, while warm air accumulates and is expelled through openings at the rooftop. The rooftop terrace also accommodates technical access for water tanks and building maintenance systems, without obstructing the primary airflow path.
The F&B program is organized vertically in response to the extremely limited ground footprint. The ground floor accommodates the beverage counter, cashier, and short-stay seating for takeaway customers, minimizing prolonged occupation within the heavily trafficked street frontage. The first and third floors provide seating for individual customers and small groups, while the second floor is arranged for larger groups with tables for six or more people. The rooftop terrace serves as a viewing space overlooking the canal and the city at night, extending the spatial experience without increasing the building footprint.
Beverage preparation at the ground floor is limited to coffee machines and fruit juicers, with no cooking activities that generate heat or strong odors. Restrooms are located separately on the first and third floors, each with direct external ventilation, preventing interference with customer spaces. The elimination of major heat and odor sources allows the natural ventilation strategy to operate effectively and consistently during daily use.
As a result of the vertical ventilation structure, all four air-conditioning units previously serving the four floors were completely removed. The building now operates through natural ventilation combined with small wall-mounted fans on each level, a familiar solution in many Asian domestic environments. Post-occupancy observations indicate that thermal comfort is maintained even during midday hours, without reliance on mechanical cooling systems.
Beyond its function as an F&B venue, the project proposes a micro-scale adaptive reuse model for narrow-frontage townhouses in tropical dense cities. As traditional townhouses become less suitable for contemporary family living, lightweight functional conversion into small-scale economic activities allows owners to retain centrally located properties while enabling families to relocate to healthier and more suitable living environments.
Rather than demolishing or sealing existing structures, the project demonstrates how architecture can operate as a passive climatic–economic infrastructure, enabling micro-scale buildings to persist and adapt within high-density urban contexts and under increasing energy pressures.
Creative Director:
Tran Le Vu Thanh
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