Wall House
According to recently published scientific researches, indoor air quality is worse than outdoor air quality. Therefore, most of our discussions with the house owner tended to the idea of a house which is able to ‘breathe’ 24/7 by itself. Through the process of working, the Wall house is shaped gradually:
Photography by © Hiroyuki Oki
A house is made up of eight separate spaces surrounded by ordinary walls. These eight blocks are interspersed and intersect at a common space, which is formed from ‘breathing walls’. The ‘breathing wall’ consists of 2 elements:
Open wall system is the first layer to prevent bad effects from the outside environment. This protection shell is made of hollow bricks which are lined up in the opposite direction with the conventional method of construction. With such arrangement, these hollow bricks create circulation of fresh air and natural light into the house.
The garden space is a second layer to prevent the negative impact of the external environment on the living space inside.
These two protection layers is equivalent to a normal wall but still ensure the air and light circulation.
Photography by © Hiroyuki Oki
Architects: CTA | Creative Architects
Location: BIEN HOA, VIETNAM
Area: 208 m²
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: Hiroyuki Oki
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial