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2022 UDAD 🏆 Awards

Gold Winner | BMT Villa | D1 Architectural Studio

The project is dedicated to a foreign couple who wished for a ‘retreat house’ in Vietnam where they can relax among nature. Coming to survey the project site, the architects were hypnotised by the majestic waterfall and the highland culture. D1GArchitects entertained the idea of constructing a villa on the waterfall, in the iconic longhouses structures of the local Eđe village.

Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2023: Discounted Entries Open Now! Save $50
Super Early Discount – 1st May 2022 to 30th June 2022 – $199 = $149

Gold 🏆 Winner
Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2022

BMT Villa
Residential Architecture Under Construction

Firm
D1 Architectural Studio

Architect/Designer
Linh Nguyen

Design Team
Tan Nguyen, Project Manager: Linh Nguyen, Lead Interior Designer: Oanh Nguyen

Location
Krong Nang District, Dak Lak Province, Vietnam

Country
Vietnam

Photographer/Copyright
©Ton Do

In the highlands of Krong Năng, the Ede live in longhouses up to a staggering 100 metres in length. They are very low to the ground but still require a ladder to enter. The Ede longhouse is made of timber and bamboo and roofed with straw, normally built in a north-south orientation and resembles a boat. The house is the embodiment of the Ede culture, and it is where people of several generations gather around a charcoal fire. The team of architects came up with the idea of combining the building blocks with one another to form the shape of a longhouse.

BMT Villa’s design with strong, robust blocks stacked on top of each other helps the house blend naturally into the majestic mountain surroundings. The fusion of interlocking blocks – which recalls Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie style – leaves plenty of spaces for the terrace gardens wherein residents can relish in the beauty of the surrounding landscape. These open spaces that help the building break away from the geometric rigidity of the shapes and make the construction come alive. Each design element on the facade is selected with the intention to flaunt the charm of wooden material infused together with glass and stone, in a sophisticated light grey palette.

BMT Villa’s layered structure allows natural light to creep into each space, animate the whole building. The rows of green areca trees around the villa helps bring people even closer to nature. The charming highlight of the building is the indoor swimming pool, designed as a stream flowing gently between the rocks.

Tailor-made for the client – a foreign couple who wished for a ‘retreat house’ in Vietnam where they can relax among nature – BMT Villa’s interior design style honor the spirit of Hygge (pronounced Hoo-gah), the Danish conception of a feeling that is relaxed and cosy.

Functionality is an emphasised quality in Hygge interior designs. Each piece of furniture is clean-lined with a focus on practicality and comfort. While the decorations are kept minimal in order to avoid clutter, wooden materials, which enhance the sense of intimacy, create the overall tone throughout the spaces. The replication of details in a symmetrical layout generates the sense of solidity and safety as demanded of a true home, not a temporary abode.

To imbue calmness into the ambience, we start with light grey – a neutral colour that is high-contrast, allowing bolder shades such as brown and white to stand out. This colour layering adds visual interest and pulls people into the space.

The idea of creating smaller moments of cosiness within a larger space resonates with the owner of the house, who requires plenty of spaces to relax and contemplate, where they are disturbed by nothing but the gentle touch of nature.