Solemn Contemporary ML Apartment in Hanoi, Vietnam by Le Studio

Architects: Le Studio
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Year: 2015
Photo courtesy: Thien Thach
Description:

“From the initial researching of this original apartment, both the owner and architect decided not to interfere too much with the structure of the place, due to the limit in area as well as specific demand for functionality. Instead of that, there would only be a few simple renovations, expanding the kitchen area and rearranging the master bathroom to suit the owner’s personal use and increase ventilation for the space.

Beside catering for all the meticulous requests for functionality within the apartment, the main challenge for the design team is to convey precisely, through the renovating process, the living philosophy of the owners: a solemn, middle age couple, full of nostalgia. To that end, we used similar materials, sometimes items taken from their previous house, to create a sense of familiarity and a lived-in feeling. Furthermore, the cover of the ceiling from the living to the dining area was taken off to show the semi-polished concrete surface underneath, contrasting with the surrounding space. However, it’s important that the materials and details are controlled and moderated well together, to form a balanced and harmonized living space, especially with such a small apartment like this.

The apartment might not look very big, but the collaboration and respect between the client and the design team are always the keys for a successful project.”