Gardens can be found on all the different levels of this house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, designed by Vo Trong Nghia Architects.
Ha House is the latest addition to Vo Trong Nghia Architects' House for Trees series, a project that aims to bring urban dwellers in closer proximity to nature. Each house typology has one thing in common ? planting is an integral feature.

With Ha House, the studio has made space for three generations on a compact plot measuring seven metres wide by 20 metres long.
The building is located in a dense residential area, approximately 15 minutes by car from the centre of the Vietnamese city.

As with many properties in the area, the building shares walls with its neighbours and therefore has limited access to natural light and ventilation. The studio looked for a way to create bright and airy spaces. Spaces include a swimming pool, parking, exercise areas and open-plan living spaces, alongside expansive gardens to be used for children's play and outdoor dining.

This multifaceted programme prompted the decision to divide the garden up into smaller portions that are spread across the various levels and connected by an external steel staircase.
The structure is separated into a series of volumes that are twisted and set back from the street above the ground floor. The upper storey cantilevers out toward the road to accommodate the large communal roof garden.

"The house's stepped gardens are intertwined with the terraces as they are connecte...