Under one roof: The Umbrella by AD+ Studio

An airy living space beneath a canopy-like roof: in redesigning an old house offering 120 square metres of space and located on a small alleyway in Ho Chi Minh City, AD+ Studio took its inspiration from the form and function of an umbrella. The guiding vision for the project was to ensure both privacy and consideration of the climatic conditions.

The terrace and the screening wall of the old structure have been retained, plus brick masonry has been combined with perforated concrete and wooden elements. The interior spaces merge together on the ground floor, while the upper floor features sliding windows and doors.

Part of the old basic structure was retained and provided new reinforcement elements, but this measure affected the load-bearing capacity of the roof structure, however. The architects solved the problem by coming up with the idea of shaping the roof like a canopy. In a region located in the tropical climate zone and featuring little temperature amplitude, the shape of The Umbrella's roof was also chosen to underscore the typical character of a tropical building. A high entrance gate and luxuriant foliage screen off the house and contribute to a feeling of seclusion.