Located in a quiet riverside residential area, far from the city center, Black Cube House is a renovation project of a four-storey townhouse, built in 2019. The house has three open sides and a wide view of the Saigon River. However, the old space organization made the house lack light, stuffy, and not suitable for the open and nature-friendly lifestyle of the homeowner.
© Hiroyuki Oki
The main constrain was to keep the existing structure, while reorganizing the traffic flow and improving the quality of living. The proposed design solution was to move the elevator shaft, creating a clear skylight from the roof to the ground floor to bring natural light and ventilation deep through the house, helping the space to be airy and save energy.
© Hiroyuki Oki
Around the house, reinforced concrete flower pots are attached to the existing frame system, creating additional green layers at different heights. The facade of the building is covered by a system of black oiled wood slats that can be opened and closed flexibly, both providing shade and creating privacy, and playing the main role in shaping the building. The overall building is shaped like a black box – calm and solid, embracing the vitality radiating from within.
Project Info:
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Architects: MM++ architects
- Country: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Area: 255 m²
- Year: 2025
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Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki
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Lead Architects: Pham Thi My An
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Lead Team: Pham Thi My An
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Design Team: Tran Dac
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Technical Team: Toan Nguyen, Ngo Thuy, Kha Tu, Kim Hiep
Sophie Tremblay is a Montreal-based architectural editor and designer with a focus on sustainable urban development. A McGill University architecture graduate, she began her career in adaptive reuse, blending modern design with historical structures. As a Project Editor at Arch2O, she curates stories that connect traditional practice with forward-thinking design. Her writing highlights architecture's role in community engagement and social impact. Sophie has contributed to Canadian Architect and continues to collaborate with local studios on community-driven projects throughout Quebec, maintaining a hands-on approach that informs both her design sensibility and editorial perspective.