SHORT DESCRIPTION

ROTATING house, located in a new urban area, is home to a nuclear family — a couple and their two young children. The clients value peace and prioritize a space that nurtures their children’s development. In typical urban housing, a 1–2m side setback is common to allow side windows, but it often compromises privacy. In response, this project embraces an inward-oriented design. Inspired by the multi-layered spatial composition of traditional Hoi An houses, the building maximizes the site’s width and opens toward a lush internal landscape. The floor plan is divided into five longitudinal sections: two main living spaces interwoven with three garden courtyards, all connected by the "nhà nối” (connecting block). The concept of rotating the entire house 45 degrees creates a unique diagonal orientation, breaking the rigid parallelism with the site’s boundaries. This rotation deepens spatial perception by interweaving solid (interior) and void (exterior) spaces. It also addresses feng shui, redirecting the house’s sharp corner to meet a T-junction and forming natural ventilation pathways across the entire structure. The ground floor is fully devoted to children’s “learning through play,” with open spaces framed by two gardens to form one large continuous playground. Supporting functions like the father’s workspace and the mother’s kitchen are minimized and positioned around this area to maintain visual supervision. The upper floor is rotated 180 degrees from the ground floor, enclosing a central courtyard that focuses all views inward. The design integrates the familiar tile roofing of Hoi An, offering climate responsiveness and highlighting the gentle shift from a contemporary exterior to a warm, intimate interior atmosphere.