Asian Architecture [ARC 60403 /2234]

PROJECT 2B : Case Study Paper

Study of Vietnamese Traditional Vernacular Architecture and

Binh Thanh House Passive Design Strategies to Implement

Natural Ventilation to Increase Thermal Comfort in

Urban Tube Houses in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Group Members : Nicole Ann Choong Yin 0323148

Darshiini Vig 0319359

Nor Syarianna Neo 0318236

Rozanna Farah Ibram 0317967

Jacinta Kabrina Majalap 0311339

Ho Tze Hooi 0314179

Tutor : Ms. Alia

Submission Date : 29 November 2016

Study of Vietnamese Traditional Vernacular Architecture and Binh

Thanh House Passive Design Strategies to Implement Natural

Ventilation to Increase Thermal Comfort in Urban Tube Houses in Ho

Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Abstract

2.0 Research Framework

3.0 Overview of Ho Chi Minh City

-A.Introduction to Vietnam

-B.Morphology of Vietnam Architectural Style

-C.Introduction to Ho Chi Minh City

-D.Urban Tube Houses in Ho Chi Minh City

4.0 Study of Passive Design Strategies in Traditional Context

-A.Traditional Vernacular Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City

-B.Spatial Configuration and Orientation

-C.Climatic Responsive Strategies

5.0 Study of Passive Design Strategies in Urban Context

-A. Binh Thanh House, Ho Chi Minh City

-B.Spatial Configuration and Orientation

-C.Climatic Responsive Strategies

-D. Building Envelope and Materiality

6.0 Conclusion

7.0 References

1.0 Abstract

Passive design is a key element towards sustainable housing by making the most out of

free, available natural sources of energy, benefiting building with natural heating, cooling,

ventilation and natural lighting while minimizing mechanical energy use and other impacts

on the environment. Despite growing interest in sustainable, energy-efficient building,

Vietnam’s construction sector still mainly focuses on improving buildings’ thermal

comfort by implementing newer high-tech mechanical active system rather than

implementing natural, climatic responsive strategies.

Following the rapid urbanisation of Vietnamese’s modern architecture, Vietnamese urban

tube houses has been designed to be as narrow as possible for highest possible useful area

on a minimum area footprint. Due to the nature of this spatial approach, several important

aspects of architecture, such as human thermal comfort, building ventilation capacity and

energy usage are often neglected, resulting in inefficient design, heavily reliant on

mechanical ventilation and lighting. Moreover, the tube-house typology, accounts for 60%

of the Vietnamese urban population, which greatly jeopardizes the sustainability and

efficiency of Vietnamese architecture as a whole.

A comparative study was done to first investigate the architectural issues that contributed

to the in-effiency of the tube house design, and then subsequently the study of basic

principles of passive design in relation to the local Vietnamese climate, to identify adaptive

strategies that could be implemented in Vietnamese Urban Tube Houses to reduce heavy

dependence on mechanical ventilation and instead improve natural ventilation to further

enhance thermal comfort. In assisting the validation of research, literature reviews based

on various sources regarding Vietnamese climatic adaptation strategies were conducted to

enhance the process. In which two particular case studies are chosen to be reviewed in the

paper, one being the Traditional Vietnamese Vernacular Architecture, and the other being

the modern Binh Thanh House by Vo Trong Nghia and Nishizawa. Both of these cases are

prime examples of climatic-responsive buildings in Vietnam, due to their innate nature of

being fully flexible and adaptable to the local climate. It is important to note that these two

cases are chosen specifically to allow insights on passive solutions approaches of different

ground and context. The previous one bears traditional vernacular approaches that fully

utilizes local materials and passive design solutions to create balance and harmony between

the built and the nature, while the latter had a more modernized motif, using more

innovative and unorthodox approaches in tackling the constraint of urban tube houses. In a

two-parts discussion, both cases are discussed in three categories : i) Spatial Configuration

and Orientation; ii) Building Envelope and Materiality ; iii) Ventilation Strategies. It is

anticipated that through the study of these two different approaches, a more holistic

understanding towards principles of passive design strategies are achieved, and a more

cohesive passive design solutions can be proposed to implement natural ventilation to

increase thermal comfort throughout Urban Tube Houses in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

2.0 Research Framework

ISSUE

HEAVY RELIANCE ON

MECHANICAL VENTILATION

IN URBAN TUBE HOUSE,

HO CHI MINH CITY

IMPLEMENTING PASSIVE

DESIGN STRATEGIES

SOLUTION

STUDY &

RESEARCH

EXAMPLES OF PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES IN TRADITIONAL AND URBAN CONTEXT

BUILDING

ENVELOPE

&

MATERIAL

VENTILATION

STRATEGIES STRATEGY

TRADITIONAL VERNACULAR

ARCHITECTURE

BINH THANH HOUSE

SPATIAL

CONFIGURATION

&

ORIENTATION

3.0 Overview of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

A. Introduction to Vietnam

Vietnam is located in the center of Southeast Asia,

neighbouring Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. The

territory of Vietnam covers 331212km2 of land,

3200km length of the seashore and consists of 64

provinces, 609 districts and 10054 communes.

Truong Son Mountains run from Northwest to

Southeast, and separate the nation into three

division of locales of Vietnam, Hanoi-North;

Danang-Central; Ho Chi Minh – South, each of the

locale area have their own characteristic for its

climate and history. (Phuong 2012).

The history of Vietnam shows the intertwining

culture between local and traditional identities and

external influences. Locals created their own

cultural identity based on their contextual response

while the external cultures were brought into the country by the Chinese and the West.

Vietnam was controlled by China for almost a century, hence, the ideology and philosophy

of the Chinese culture has been ingrained into the Vietnamese people's lives from the feudal

period to the present. After WWII, Vietnam's economy and politics were constantly

fluctuating. Prior to the exit of the French, Vietnam was divided into two countries, the

north practicing communism and south a capitalist regime supported by the United States.

The conflict of the two political institutions led to the Vietnam war (1959-1975) The war

dispersed to reveal an official reunified Vietnam.

From 1975-1986, Vietnam experienced a socialist economy. The government encouraged

people to move to rural areas and relocated the jobless in cities to inhabited areas. This

policy helped to encourage agricultural production in rural areas. This new settlement along

with the French influence has also affected the architectural style of Vietnamese houses.

Fig.1 Map of Southeast Asia Indicating

Vietnam

The economic reform in 1986 was created with the intent of constructing a “socialist-

oriented market economy”. In correspondence with Vietnam's long history with war, the

reform was a natural progression to “reverse the increasing fragmented and out of touch

bureaucracy”.

With an end goal to adjust this pattern, new tasks are being worked to reinterpret Saigon's

(Now call Ho Chi Minh City) legacy and take life back to the city's building stock. This

has turned out to be particularly clear in the private division, where plans are drawing

motivation from Vietnamese customs while reconsidering current life. One such custom

focuses on inside yards, spaces embedded inside conventional long tube houses.

B. Morphology of Vietnam Architectural Style

:- (i) Vietnamese housing during the feudal period

The architectural style during this period was crafted during the 19th Century, the last of

the Vietnamese dynasty and was influenced by time, context and historical situations.

From a sociocultural perspective, there was an assimilation of local values with Chinese

culture. Vietnamese housing had to adhere to dimensions and decorations that were set

by feudal rulers.

The size of the house had to have 5 or 9 compartments with decorative figures of flowers

and animals on the roof ridges. The spatial organization in the feudal period followed a

rule of three fixed, main compartments which consisted of an altar seating, guest

welcoming and guest sleeping while two gable compartments were used as a space for

the family to sleep and for storage of assets, clothing and grains. An adjoining house

was used for cooking and dining.

The houses in the feudal period were well organized in an environmental perspective.

Houses were constructed using locally available resources and had a south and east

orientation.

:- (ii) Vietnamese housing during the French Colonial era and Vietnam War

The effects of war have deeply impacted the architectural style. The colonization from

the West saw a divided Vietnam. The Vietnamese culture was interlaced with western

culture and it was evident in the French style architecture during that period. During this

period, many new materials were introduced like concrete, cement, iron and steel. A new

regionalist style was introduced that interweaved Vietnamese and French architecture,

Indochinese style. Where verandas and window shading canopies were introduced to

combat the climatic conditions.

The Vietnam war separated Vietnam regionally from north to south. The north practiced

a socialist government whereas the south practiced a capitalist regime. The north saw

many massive concrete dormitory housing that modelled the Soviet apartment

complexes. These concrete structures housed military, civil servants and factory workers.

The architecture in the south during that period was influenced by the modernist

discipline. Public offices like libraries and universities adorned new materials like glass

Example of Vernacular Houses in the Feudal Period.

and concrete free of ornamentation

:- (iii) Vietnamese housing after the national reunification 1975

There were minimal changes in Vietnamese architecture until the economic reform in

1986. Albeit the differences in climate and geography in regions in Vietnam, all

Vietnamese houses prioritize ventilation and lighting. The architecture features during

that period were the use of vernacular materials, a high roof pitch, adaptation of semi-

open spaces, proper building orientation, buildings built on stilts and the integration with

the surrounding landscape.

:- (iv) Vietnamese housing after the economic reform

The housing typology post reform saw an influx of Western style buildings and the use

of new materials. This was applied with disregard of regionalism and climatic condition.

Vietnamese houses changed since 1986 when the National Communist Party introduced

policies to stimulate the economic development. Due to the impact of the reform

architecture can be divided in Pre-reform housing and Post-reform housing.

Pre-reform houses were built on foundations of culture and context and post reform

houses reflected globalization and international ideologies. Pre-reform rural houses were

built during the 1850s to 1980s under an agricultural economy so the houses were linked

to surrounding rice fields, gardens and farms. Whereas pre-reform urban houses were

traditional shop houses with narrow facades to avoid expensive taxes. The length of the

house would be divided into a storefront and residential. Post-reform housing developed

from traditional pre-reform housing into international ideologies. There were three types

of housing, modern shop houses, detached houses and apartments.

After the economic reform the number of houses have been increasing and the contextual

responsiveness has been ignored. The influence of foreign architecture has transformed

the built environment in Vietnam especially cities like Ho Chi Minh City. The

architecture has slowly morphed due to economic factors. New consumers can afford to

buy existing housesthen demolishing century old traditional houses to accommodate a

new type of dwelling, the “tube house” which features multi floor levels with a narrow

facade. These houses can build up to seven storeys. The taller the house, the less natural

ventilation is received this results in a heavy reliance on mechanical ventilation and

lighting.

C. Introduction to Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City can be found in the

Southern region of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh

City, being the capital city of Vietnam has

the highest population out of all of

Vietnam. The city is divided up into 19

districts which are then further split up into

wards. Ho Chi Minh City remains at a

dynamic social junction.,sited between the

Mekong Delta and the Sài Gon River,

Vietnam's biggest city blends French and

Vietnamese impacts and has risen as the

country's monetary heart. Grasping a cross

breed mix of design styles, the city's urban

texture reflects expanded urbanization and

densification.

Fig.2 Distict Map of Ho Chi Minh City

Four types of housing can be typically found in Ho Chi Minh City:

1. Urban Tube House/ Street House ( 60% of the Urban demographic )

The Urban Tube House is a multi-storied structure usually located in a rectangular

plot and has narrow frontage with contrastingly long depth. The tube house

connects to an alley on its one narrow side. Many Tube Houses joint together to

form a continuous block of houses and share the same regional common

infrastructure.

Fig.3 Urban Tube House Typology.

Fig 4. Floor Plan of Urban Tube House

The Ground and First Floors of the house are used for office or retail, while

living spaces are on upper floor.

2. Urban Detached House

The Urban Detached House is a free-standing stand-alone structure with repeated

same prototype in the same site compound.

3. Apartment

High rise housing that can accommodate a large unit of families with its own

infrastructure. High rise apartments reflect the globalization of the post reform era

and is a popular choice due to its flexibility in spaces and floor areas.

Fig.5 Urban Apartments

Fig.4 Urban Detached House

4. Rural Vernacular House

The rural or vernacular house is a type of house, which has much land for a

combination with other integral housing elements such as ponds, yards, and

gardens. These rural houses have adapted to regional environmental conditions and

culture by using local materials and passive design.

D. Urban Tube Houses in Ho Chi Minh City

The impact of the economic reform in 1986, was evident in the social and economic

development in Vietnam. The privatisation of the market allowed businesses to flourish.

Thus, citizens migrated to cities in pursuit of job opportunities. The overpopulation resulted

in a demand for more housing, the number of houses increased despite building codes and

regulations. The new tube house emerged as an answer to a social crisis. This new building

typology had a narrow facade as the government would tax households by the width of

their houses. With space constrictions there was no space but up.

Post reform urban tube houses could accommodate many activities despite their size. The

spatial planning reflected the Vietnamese social context. Ground floors were used as shops

or even a garage. The second floor were living spaces for families and a dedicated guest

space and a worship room. There would be no higher spaces above the worship room,

reflecting the respectful nature of the Vietnamese.

These Urban Tube Houses boomed in Vietnam especially in Ho Chi Minh City, the

capital of Vietnam, almost 60% of the urban demographic of Ho Chi Minh City is made

up of urban tube house. But yet, these urban tube houses are highly reliant on mechanical

ventilation, using up 20%-24% of the total national energy consumption in Ho Chi Minh

City, making them highly unsustainable.

Fig.6 Rural Vernacular House

Fig.7 Urban Tube Houses in Ho Chi Minh City

4.0 Study of Passive Design Strategies in Traditional Context

A. Introduction to Vernacular Architecture

Vernacular architecture is a type of architecture in which it uses locally available resources

to address the local needs. Vernacular architecture is an accumulation of knowledge and

experiences over a long period of time and is also a part of the traditional culture, thus it is

well assimilated and adapted to the climatic and social conditions of its’ specific location.

Climate is a main determining factor and variable in Vietnam’s social-cultural, economic,

material resources, constructive technique etc, and most importantly Vietnamese daily

lives. With Vietnam’s strong irrigated rice based culture, Vietnamese are incredibly

perceptive and sensitive to adapting to the immediate nature, creating an important

consciousness that maintain a harmonious relationship between the built environment,

human and nature. Thriving along with the growth of climatic adaptation knowledge and

practice, was the subsequent generation of forms and details of Vernacular Architecture of

Vietnam, as they defined the pattern of the building.

Nowadays, vernacular architecture are slowly diminishing by the day as urbanisation takes

over, but these houses still have much valuable environmental lessons to offer, so in this

chapter, the objective is to study valuable passive design principles that could be possibly

be introduce to urban tube houses.

B.Traditional Vernacular Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City

The paper will be focusing on Traditional Vernacular Architecture specifically located in

Ho Chi Minh City which is located in the Southern Region. So a traditional vernacular

building from the Southern Region is selected and will be studied and reviewed to

understand the climatic adaptive strategies that they employed.

The following are the two Southern Vernacular Buildings:

32 Tran Quoc Thao St.,

Ho Chi Minh City

South Vietnam

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh District,

Tiengiang Province

South Vietnam

Year of Construction : 1920

Architectural Style : Colonial Style

Function : Living Space

By French design and Local builders

Year of Construction : 1901-1904

Architectural Style: Traditional Style

Function : Living Space

By local skilled workers of traditional

carpenter bands from South Vietnam

EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2

:- (i) Climate Zoning of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City has a hot and humid climate with monsoons all year round. There are

only two annual contrasting seasons; dry and wet, both consistent with two

in-homogeneous monsoons in the region. Air temperature and solar radiation are quite

high all year which indicate that cooling is in demand. Wind is abundant all year round

and this resource can be exploited for passive cooling strategies, especially when the hot

weather is uncomfortable. Dehumidification is also a significant demand in Ho Chi Minh

City.

Fig. 8 Sun Chart Diagram and Wind Regimes in Ho Chi Minh City

Fig. 9 Monthly Average Temperature

Strong solar radiation all year round,

Average temperature is 28oC, the highest temperature sometimes reaches 39oC around noon in late April.

Sunpath direction of Ho Chi Minh city, shows the path where the sun is more intense and

angled at. Generally the sun moves at the east-west direction, in Ho Chi Minh, during

sunrise and sunset, it intensifies in the North East and North West direction, it declines

during midday. Opening in these directions should come up with solutions such as sun

shading, alternative openings and such to reduce heat glare from the sun.

Wind direction chart of Ho Chi Minh shows that most wind come from the South East and

the South West direction. It is preferred to orientate the house on these directions for

maximum natural ventilation however precautions should be made in case of strong winds

during storms and rainy season.

:- (ii) Spatial Configuration & Orientation of the Southern Vernacular Buildings

a. East-West Axis Configuration – Reduce Solar Radiation

A distinctive feature of the typical Vietnamese house is that the main house’s

configuration is always rectangular along an east-west axis to reduce solar radiation

on the wider sides of the building as shown in Figure 10.

EXAMPLE 1:

32 Tran Quoc Thao St., Old Urban House

PROBLEM:

HIGH SOLAR RADIATION, ESPECIALLY ON WEST SURFACE

ADAPTATION:

-Wide Corridors at West and South Façade: Protect from high solar radiation -Main Façade to South Avoid East West solar radiation -Stair,WC,Store Facing West Main rooms protected from direct sun. *Light coloured façade- Minimisation of heat absorption

Fig. 10 Building configured along east-west axis.

EXAMPLE 2:

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh District

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh

District,

PROBLEM:

HIGH SOLAR RADIATION, ESPECIALLY ON WEST SURFACE

ADAPTATION:

-Wide Corridors and Deep Eaves around the hosue Protect from high solar radiation -Main Façade to South Avoid East West solar radiation -Stair,WC,Store Facing West Main rooms protected from direct sun. *Light coloured façade- Minimisation of heat absorption

b. South East to South West Axis Opening - Facilitate Natural Cool Wind

Most winds come from the South East and South West direction in Vietnam, so the

houses are usually configured in such that the house have openings on the south façade

to catch the prevailing winds for maximum ventilation. For example, in Example 1

Fig. 11 Building oriented to the South and have openings.

EXAMPLE 1:

32 Tran Quoc Thao St., Old Urban House

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh

District,

PROBLEM:

NEED COOLING IN

HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

ADAPTATION:

-Building is Oriented to South Oriented to the path of the natural wind. -Windows Positioning and Opening on South Facade To catch prevailing wind -WC and Kitchen Windows at End of Wind Flow Main rooms protected from unwanted smell and is carried thru by the wind.

EXAMPLE 1:

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh District

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh

District,

PROBLEM:

NEED COOLING IN

HOT AND HUMID CLIMATE

ADAPTATION:

-Building is Oriented to South Oriented to the path of the natural wind. -12 Large Openings on All the Facades To allow effective natural ventilation

:- (iii) Climatic Responsive Strategies of the Southern Vernacular

Building

a. Building Structure – Roofing and Building Form

Vietnamese Vernacular Housing are usually a simple rectangular form with roofing

which usually have a big slope with gables at both ends, and is covered with locally

sourced thatch, a good thermal insulator made from thatch. Thatch holds little heat

during the day and cools down at night, allowing the house to be always cool. As

Vietnam’s climate are also prone to rain, the gables are covered by eaves, to protect

the housing from rain while still allowing ventilation. The long pitched roof also

serves as an effective solar shading solution. To maximised the indoor ventilation,

the ceiling height is significant, so that the wind can travels up and away from the

air holes in the roof as shown in Fig.13. In addition, as previously mentioned in the

climatic studies of Ho Chi Minh City, the area is incredibly humid and is constantly

in need of dehumidification, so all of the Vernacular houses are raised slightly above

the ground to prevent humidity.

Fig. 12 Cross Ventilation through

two air-holes in lengthwise section Fig. 13 Ventilation in the cross

section

EXAMPLE 1:

32 Tran Quoc Thao St., Old Urban House

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh

District,

PROBLEM:

HEAVY RAIN , SOLAR RADIATION

AND HUMIDITY

ADAPTATION:

1. Well Ventilated Attic and Insulated Roof Roof material,holds little in the day and Cools off at night 2. Significant Ceiling Height Ceiling Height is significant: 4.8m from Ground Floor, 4.0m from Second Floor 3.Raised Floor Ground Floor is raised 0.75m above ground to prevent humidity. 4. 340 Pitched Roof and Deep Eaves with Large Gutter Solar shading and Protect from heavy rain

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh District

Tan Ly Tay Ward, Chauthanh

District, ADAPTATION:

1. Sloper Pitched Roof An effective solar shading solution by minimizing height of front roof 2. Significant Ceiling Height The high roof ceiling height allows indoor air to circulate, thus maximising ventilation

b. Building Openings-Windows and Door

Vietnamese Vernacular Buildings are incredibly open, and often are very connected to

outdoor. This “open” configuration is so that the buildings are well ventilated and

naturally lit. For example, it the examples of the Southern Vernacular House,

Example 1, reflects the usage of thick load bearing wall (400mm on average) and combined

with many large openings and transitional space such as corridors to provide flexible use

and control of the indoor environment, it can be well insulated and warm with the thick

load bearing wall but also cooling when the openings are left open.

Fig. 13 Lots of Openings can be found in a Vietnamese Vernacular

Building . All louvred windows and doors create an “open architecture”,

connecting the indoor and outdoor environment.

Fig. 14 Thick bearing wall with lots of openings.

Fig.15 Openings are created throughout the house to provide enough natural lighting.

C. Building Envelope and Materiality

The material used in Vernacular Houses are locally sourced and available, and commonly

are lightweight, well insulated and have good thermal properties. They retains little heat

and helps cool off the house, which is beneficial for the hot and humid climate of Vietnam.

Table 3 Most Used Materials and their properties

Materials’ name Properties & Advantages Notes Bamboo High Durability, Local Availability, Easy

Fabrication ,

Multi-Purpose Usage, High Tensile Strength ( Up to

200 MPa),Compressive Strength up to 70 Mpa,

light-weight material (about 630 kg/m3)

Fire Prevention

Laterite Stone Very High Durability, Local availability, high

moisture absorption, suitable for walls ( compressive

strength 20-30 MPa)C

Ramped Earth Available in most regions, multi-purpose usage, easy

fabrication, low compressive strength (0.84-0.92

MPa)

Humidity Control

Clay-Straw Mixture Available in most regions, easy fabrication, low

thermal conductivity (0.18W/mK)

Thatch Extremely low thermal conductivity (0.07W/mK),

local availability, light-weight material (240kg/m3),

easy fabrication

Insect and Fire

Prevention

Fig. 16 Vertical wooden bars replace the wall panel,

Allowing wind to pass through 12 large openings 24 hours.

5.0 Study of Passive Design Strategies in Urban Context

A. Introduction to Binh Thanh House

Binh Thanh House is located in Binh Thanh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, along one of the

newer residential development in town. It was commissioned to Vo Trong Nghia Architects

+ Sanuki + Nishizawa Architects, to design a climatic responsive house that allows both

nature and modern lifestyle to co-exist. The house was also designed for two families, a

couple in their sixties and their son, his wife and a child.

Generational living in the same tube house is a common practice in Vietnam, most tube

houses have each individual living space dedicated to different generations and families,

for example the parents and their sons’ and daughter’s family. Where the common practice

was to create a strong vertical façade to allow for maximized privacy and the use of

mechanical ventilation, Binh Thanh House tackled the claustrophobic quality of the tube

houses by introducing several architectural measures and opening up the facades to help

bring back greeneries, open spaces and natural ventilation while still maintaining the

client’s sense of privacy.

Fig. 17 Site Map Indicating Location of Binh Thanh House.

The objective of the study of Binh Thanh House is to review and learn as to how climatic

responsive design has been implemented and can be implemented in the urban tube house

context itself.

B. Spatial Configuration of Binh Thanh House

As seen from the map, Binh Thanh house is oriented Northeast to Southwest. This causes

the house to receive high to moderate amount of sunlight. Ideally to prevent direct heat

from the sun, a house is oriented to facing north-south. The worst orientation for a tropical

climate house is to face east-west where the sun rises and sets. Therefore the architect had

to minimize the sunlight intake into the house. The first method was to differ the placement

of each floor volumes to the front or back of the property. Since the context is of row

houses, the architect’s design is limited to a narrow rectangular piece of land. Furthermore

the surrounding area had little to no greenery except for the orientation towards the river

where across from it is the Saigon Zoo covered mostly with trees and greenery. The

opposite direction faces the ever growing urban residential neighborhood. The architect’s

aim was to design a house in a typical urban row house context with the intention of

bringing together natural living and modern living. Using the available sun and wind to

reduce the reliance on mechanical lighting and ventilation.

Fig. 18 Site Map Indicating Location of Binh Thanh House.

:- (i) Spatial Description of Binh Thanh House

The Binh Thanh house design comprises of 5 levels, whereby each floors are connected by

a set of stairs and an elevator, to accommodate for the elderly couple. The purpose of the

design was to combine natural and modern living together, each levels are volumes of

spaces alternately arranged to separate the spatial conditions. The first, third and fifth floors

are semi-closed spaces where the openings are bounded by the pattern concrete blocks to

create more private and secure areas without entirely closing off the environment. These

floors are designated for personal spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms. In contrast, the

ground, second and fourth floors are open to the environment for the residents to enjoy the

natural wind, sunlight and view. These levels comprises of the living spaces and common

areas. However every floor can be completely closed off with sliding glass doors. The

alternated volumes give way to exposed balconies for courtyards on several levels thus

keeping the tradition of courtyards in residential buildings. The bottoms of each levels are

shaped differently and functions as ceiling for the level below, this creates different light

patterns and feel on each levels.

As the user enters the property the ramp declines leading into the garage on the ground

floor. Elevator and stairs leads to the first floor where an outdoor concrete spiral staircase

leads to the second floor. The first floor consists of a bedroom, bathroom, dining area and

a kitchen for the elderly couple. The next level includes the living spaces and an open

courtyard. The third level is shifted to the front inclusive of the worship room, bedroom,

gym and bathroom. Furthermore, on the fourth level situates the second living, dining and

kitchen with another open courtyard in the front. Finally the last level which is not

connected to rest of the house by the main stairs and elevator is accessible by the spiral

staircase from the fourth floor. This floor has 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, the balcony

however is a semi open area bounded by alternately tiled concrete blocks as the ceiling

creating unique light patterns whilst also reducing the direct glare of the sun and allowing

natural ventilation. In the back of the fifth floor the architect added a courtyard to further

accentuate the traditional living bringing nature into the house blurring the division of

internal and external spaces.

:- (ii) Spatial Description of Ground Floor- Binh Thanh House

On the ground floor, as the resident drives down the

ramp to the garage they take either the elevator or the

stairs to the next floor. The garage is leveled lower

than the road with walls on each sides to the

neighbors, it is open down the ramp to the back

leading up to a sloping courtyard. Air can enter and

exit from each sides of the openings. As for natural

lighting, the large ramp going down the garage

reflects and allows natural light in.

:- (ii) Spatial Description of First Floor- Binh Thanh House

:- (v) Spatial Description of Second Floor – Binh Thanh House

The first floor is the first volume of space to be sealed

with the patterned concrete block, placing a

bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and dining for the

elderly couple. The patterned concrete block creates

a more private space but still allowing the outside to

enter through the smaller openings. It is the most

recessed to the back of the property receiving less

light which helps with the elderly couple’s vision

since older people tend to have worse glaring in their

vision. It is right above the garage is also to make is

easier for the couple to walk up from the garage as

well as to exit. The sloping courtyard from the garage

is the intention of the architect to bring in the nature

into the spaces

As for the second floor, the level above it is

alternated to the front of the property covering and

recessing the second level whilst opening the back to

expose the courtyard to plenty of sunlight. Due to the

distance the upper level is protruding from the other

volumes, the second floor receive less light in front

while the plants in the back filters out the sun before

entering the spaces. The ceiling of the second floor is

shaped into concave waves to create an ambiance

differing from other floors. The level is also

connected to the first floor by a concrete stair case in

front of the house to welcome guesses that visits the

resident. Having the staircase direct the guesses

straight to the living room avoids them to pass

through the private spaces in the house.

:- (vi) Spatial Description of Third Floor – Binh Thanh House

:-(vii) Spatial Description of Fourth Floor – Binh Thanh House

Next is the third floor where there is a bedroom,

prayer room, gym, storeroom, and two bathrooms are

located. The bathroom and the storeroom separates

the gym from the bedroom and the prayer room. The

corners of the spaces in the hallway are rounded to

direct in more sunlight and allow air to flow. There

is no courtyard on this floor however the architect

designed a balcony that is led out from the prayer

room and the bedroom. As well as to create a recess

for both rooms from the opening to shield from the

sun and weather. The third floor volume is alternated

to the most front of the property than the other levels,

acting as a sun shade for the floor below. As well as

to allow sun to the courtyards on the other side of the

house.

As for the forth floor, it is aligned with the third floor

however the level above is alternated to the back of

the building. Thus creating an opening for the

courtyard in the front balcony. It is an open living-

dining and kitchen space with the kitchen island in

the middle to separate the spaces. The back of the

upper floor acts as the sunshade on the kitchen side.

: - (viii) Spatial Description of Fifth Floor – Binh Thanh House

Finally the top floor, it is placed in the center of the

property to allow equal amount of sun to travel to the

lower levels. Instead of just the walls lined with

patterned blocks, the top floor is aligned with

concrete block alternately creating a chess-board

pattern from the wall up to three quarters of the front

balcony which also plays a part as a courtyard. To

add to that, the architect designed another courtyard

in the back on the fifth floor, to further blur the lines

of urban and nature living. The fifth floor places the

master bedroom with a smaller bedroom in the corner

for the nursery. A bathroom in the middle separates

the spiral staircase access from the forth floor to the

rest of the private spaces.

C. Climatic Responsive Strategies in Binh Thanh House

:- (i) Cross Ventilation

The ventilation supply and extraction are taken place on the same level in a building. The air

is supplied and extracted through the façade and the internal doors must be opened in order for

cross ventilation to happen. This system generally achieves good results except in no wind

condition. Cross ventilation has several advantages, such as increasing air circulation and air

flow within the spaces in the building.

Figure 1 is a cross section of the Binh Thanh house when cross ventilation occurs. For cross

ventilation to happen, the façade was designed in a way that wind can pass through easily while

maintaining the functions of the façade.

Fig.19 Cross Ventilation throughout interior spaces in Binh Thanh House

:-(ii) Cross Ventilation Analysis on Floor Plans

Based on Figure 2, there is little to no cross ventilation in this space as it is located underground

and the space merely serves as a place to store their car.

Based on Figure 3, the wind will permeate through the façade and enter the inner spaces and

exit to the other end. The wind will first enter the dining hall, then splits to the kitchen and the

bedroom. This open-type spatial planning ensures that all of the main spaces will receive

optimal amount of ventilation.

Figure 20 Ground Floor Plan

Figure 21 First Floor Plan

Based on Figure 4, the wind can fully travel through the second floor because there is no

façade blocking its way. The second floor has only one space which is the living room,

therefore there are no walls to obstruct airflow. The second floor does not have a façade is

because it is not needed as the overhang(third floor) is potruding outwards, therefore

blocking direct sunlight from entering the space. And also, the living room is not considered

as a very private space hence the façade is not needed and the façade is needed on the

bedroom floors are because bedrooms are generally considered as private spaces.

Figure 22 Second Floor Plan

Figure 23 Third Floor Plan

Based on Figure 5, the wind will travel through the façade and split to the bedroom space

and worship space then it continues to the gym and exits the building.

Based on Figure 6, the wind will be able to full travel through the fourth floor because there is

no façade on this floor blocking it from entering. The wind will first travel through the

living/dining room, then towards the kitchen and travel out of the building. The usage of space

on this floor is a living/dining/kitchen which is not so private therefore no façade is needed.

Based on Figure 7, the wind will travel through the façade to the outdoor garden, then towards

the bedroom and will travel out of the building.

Fig.24 Fourth Floor Plan

Fig.25 Fifth Floor Plan

-(iii) Façade Design Strategies (Permeable / Perforated Façade)

Vietnam has two distinctive seasons which are rainy and dry season, so the façade plays an

important role of protecting the building and the users from the varying climate. There are a

lot of factors that will determine the suitable design for the façade, such as passive cooling,

solar control and natural daylighting.

The façade used in Binh Thanh house plays an extremely important part in naturally ventilating

the building. This permeable façade is formed by stacking multiple ventilation blocks

diagonally to eventually form a cross pattern.

and through the building, it is also capable to limit the amount of light entering the building, it

also helps to shield the interior spaces from direct sunlight effectively acting as a shield for the

building like a Double Skin Façade commonly used in modern buildings. Double skin façade

has a “buffer zone” in between the spaces which will allow heat to dissipate before it reaches

the interior of the building. In a tropical climate, heat is also an issue because of the rapid

development of the country the trees are being cut down and the surrounding temperature

rising. This façade will be an ideal strategy in the building’s design.

The pattern of the ventilation blocks is not only for aesthetic purposes, it also helps to develop

wind pressure flowing into the spaces therefore making cross ventilation more effective. The

alternating pattern is to limit the amount of sunlight entering the building and it also limits

visibility from the outside hence increasing privacy.

:- (iv) Natural Daylighting Strategy

Window to Wall Ratio (WWR)

RED – BUFFER

ZONE

This design allows cross ventilation to happen as the façade is not obstructing any airflow to

and through the building, it is also capable to limit the amount of light entering the building,

it also helps to shield the interior spaces from direct sunlight effectively acting as a shield for

the building like a Double Skin Façade commonly used in modern buildings. Double skin

façade has a “buffer zone” in between the spaces which will allow heat to dissipate before it

reaches the interior of the building. In a tropical climate, heat is also an issue because of the

rapid development of the country the trees are being cut down and the surrounding

temperature rising. This façade will be an ideal strategy in the building’s design.

The pattern of the ventilation blocks is not only for aesthetic purposes, it also helps to develop

wind pressure flowing into the spaces therefore making cross ventilation more effective. The

alternating pattern is to limit the amount of sunlight entering the building and it also limits

visibility from the outside hence increasing privacy.

The wind is forced to squeeze through the

small gaps of the ventilation blocks and

therefore increasing wind pressure.

Because of the layout of tube houses in Vietnam, the only

openings that are possible to allow fenestration are the front and

back directions. This is a problem because this configuration

does not allow optimal amount of sunlight to enter the building,

making the urban tube houses consume more energy by using

lights to illuminate the house throughout the entire day.

Binh Thanh house was designed in a way that the inner façade

of the building is made of glass (curtain walls/sliding glass

doors) this is to allow maximum sunlight to enter the house,

therefore lights during the day do no need to be turned on.

The ventilation blocks in Binh Thanh house is also another example of fenestration used in

the house besides than glass (curtain walls, sliding glass doors and skylights). Fenestration is

one of the prime factors in deciding the overall energy consumption of a building and user

comfort.

“The WWR ratio can be calculated by finding the total percentage of translucent and see

through materials such as windows used in the façade of the building and are only limited to

materials that provide transparency to the interior not glass ornaments.

This figure is often a factor that denotes the energy efficiency of a building. The lower the

WWR ratio, the more efficient is the building. This is because windows generally perform

less well compared to the other types of façade material as a thermal barrier.”

Figure 23 Effects of WWR on energy consumption and solar heat gain for Hot and Humid climate(Houston)

Figure 9 shows the relationship between the annual energy consumption and the Window to

Wall Ratio(WWR) for a Hot and Humid country which also includes Vietnam. The result

shows that the higher the WWR, the higher the annual energy consumption for the building.

The bigger the WWR, the more light and heat will enter the building (solar heat gain), which

will also directly affect the amount of energy required to remove the heat away from the

building.

The WWR for Binh Thanh house is approximately 80% because of the shear amount of

Ventilation blocks and glass (curtain wall / sliding glass door) used at the front and back of the

building. Based on the figure above, Binh Thanh house should have been consuming a lot of

energy to cool itself down. It is untrue because the results from the figure above are from

buildings that does not have natural ventilation design implemented as they are using air-

conditioning (mechanical ventilation) to cool majority of their building as opposed to the Binh

Thanh house that is using the entire face (façade and Sliding Glass Doors) of the building as a

cooling device for cross ventilation (natural ventilation). Therefore, the energy consumption

used to cool Binh Thanh House would be much lower than the data above.

D. Building Envelope and Materiality

The building façade of the Bin Thanh House is mainly constructed with concrete. Concrete

happens to be the norm for all tube houses in Ho Chi Minh City. This is because concrete is a

good material that is low cost and highly used as a local building material in most places of

Vietnam, despite the traditional ones, The Binh Thanh house is entirely constructed with

concrete with half of its floors screened behind hollow concrete blocks and the other half

exposed to the elements - curved concrete ceilings, a spiral staircase and gardens on each

floor. Concrete also has high u-value (low heat energy transmission) which would always aid

in cooling the interior spaces of a house. Where it is a good insulator and also able to

withstand harsh or wet weathers.

In terms of solar control, a sustainable façade will be functional as it is keeping the interiors

and exteriors of the house to be at minimum heat release. Hence, as shading device/material,

the Bin Thanh house use ventilations blocks to aid in that matter. As Ho Chi Minh city is

developing fast, cutting of trees and going towards an urbanized city, the façade of this house

uses concrete blocks to control penetration of sunlight and as well as the interiors, air diffusion

takes place easily with the usage of the blocks.

Form of Bin Thanh house takes place in symmetry with the other existing houses at the

neighbourhood. As for the materiality, Bin Thanh house is built in the same way other houses

are built with opaque materials – concrete and brick works.

The Bin Thanh house is design in a way of how the form of shadows and light creates the

shading that enhances the users experience in the specific spaces.

Alternating levels offer a mixture of both air-conditioned and naturally ventilated spaces that

happens to be concept of this building which is to instil 2 different lifestyles in a tropical

climate. The second and fourth floors are with glazed facades that slides open, bringing

natural light and cross ventilation through a pair of family living rooms that both occupy an

entire storey. One features an undulating concrete ceiling, while the other is framed by a row

of barrel vaults. As each floor creates their own atmosphere, the whole house actually

completes within itself.

6.0 Conclusion

From the case study research, both Vietnamese Vernacular house and Bin Thanh house has

shown great examples of climatic responsive design, and it goes to show how thermal comfort

of a building can be greatly improved if considerations on passive design is well-considered.

These lessons should be applied to Vietnamese urban tube houses so they can grow to be more

sustainable and climatically responsive.

To be completely practically, it is understandable that relying entirely on traditional passive

design strategies to maintain thermal comfort is not completely possible. But as studied in Bin

Thanh House, urban tube houses would benefit greatly from passive design and would allow it

to be less dependent on heavy mechanical energy. Passive design combined with low-energy

mechanical systems will offer urban tube houses a compromised solution.

In conclusion, this study has highlighted the importance of climate conscious building design

and consideration for the living environment without excessive use of both mechanical and

natural resources.

7.0 References

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