Project Info
Project Name: TS Veil House
Architects: Studio KHOA VU
Interior Design: Siri Interior
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
A perforated white "veil" redefines the shophouse, buffering it from the dense urban environment
A New Skin for Urban Living
In the kinetic, humid density of Ho Chi Minh City, the "nhà ống" (tube house) is the default urban condition. These deep, narrow plots, while efficient, often create homes that are dark, poorly ventilated, and exposed to the noise of the city. The TS Veil House in Thao Dien is a masterful response to this challenge. Instead of accepting these limitations, Studio KHOA VU has designed an elegant renovation that adds a new, intelligent architectural skin to the building, transforming a typical shophouse into a serene, light-filled sanctuary.
The veil's structure acts as a brise-soleil, wrapping the building to filter the harsh tropical sun
The project's success is defined by its primary intervention: the "Veil." This is a new, perforated white facade that stands slightly in front of the home's original structure. This veil is the project’s high-performance engine, a beautiful solution that simultaneously solves the problems of heat, privacy, and light.
The perforated skin allows diffused, dappled sunlight to illuminate the deep, narrow plot
First, it is a climatic moderator. The perforated screen acts as a sophisticated brise-soleil, blocking the harsh tropical sun before it can hit the building's thermal mass. This drastically reduces heat gain, keeping the interior cool and lowering the reliance on air conditioning. The perforations, however, are not random; they are sized and angled to allow diffused, indirect sunlight to pass through, illuminating the home with a soft, dappled glow.
This semi-outdoor atrium, created by the veil, pulls light and fresh air deep into the narrow home
Second, the veil is a sensory buffer. It provides a crucial layer of privacy from the bustling street while acting as an acoustic baffle, shielding the home from noise. Yet, unlike a solid wall, it remains porous. Residents can still feel connected to the city and sense the rhythm of the day, but from a position of protected calm. The house is no longer a victim of its environment but is in active, controlled dialogue with it.
Internal voids and a warm palette of timber and concrete capture the newly diffused natural light
This "breathing skin" would be ineffective, however, without the project's second major move: carving voids. To bring light and air deep into the narrow 4x18m plot, Studio KHOA VU strategically introduced internal light wells and atriums. These vertical shafts act as the home's "lungs." They create a natural stack effect, pulling fresh air through the perforated veil at the front, circulating it through the house, and exhausting hot air out the top.
The new skin acts as a sensory buffer, offering privacy from the bustling street while filtering light
The interior, designed by Siri Interior, is a direct and beautiful consequence of this strategy. The spaces are no longer dark and linear but bright, layered, and open. The palette is minimalist and warm, defined by timber, bright terrazzo, and clean white walls that maximize the diffused light. The internal voids, often filled with hanging plants, ensure that nature is not just a view, but a central, functioning part of the home's ecosystem.
The TS Veil House is a brilliant prototype for sustainable urban living in Southeast Asia. It proves that renovation and adaptive reuse can yield solutions that are more poetic, sustainable, and humane than new construction. Studio KHOA VU has crafted a home that truly breathes, a tranquil oasis that finds its identity not in loud gestures, but in the quiet, intelligent filtering of the world around it.
PHOTO CREDIT: Chuong Nguyen
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