Architecture studio K59 Atelier has designed a home in Di Linh, Vietnam, using local materials that were easy to transport to its remote site, such as timber and rammed earth.
Named Di Linh House, the 50-square-metre dwelling was constructed in 2022 for a family who moved from the nearby city of Da Lat during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Di Linh House is located around three kilometres from the nearest village and accessible only via mud roads, leading K59 Atelier to utilise materials that would be easy to transport and have a minimal impact on the natural surroundings.
With little rainfall during the dry season, a reservoir for harvesting water was created further up the valley. The soil from the excavation was used to create the home's rammed-earth floor.
"Residents must cross three steep slopes and a protective forest to reach the land," the studio told Dezeen.
"This not only causes inconvenience for users but is also a big challenge for construction," it continued. "The project uses small, light structures and materials that are nearby and easy to find around the area."
The home has a timber frame, predominantly infilled with internal and external panels that incorporate slatted screens, providing protection from the sun while allowing air to circulate.
Facing east, these slatted wooden screens and a sliding door open out onto a terrace that K59 Atelier placed overlooking the valley.
Where the home faces a nearby road to the west, thick rammed-earth walls punctured by small windows and a strip of clerestory glazing provide greater privacy and sun shading.
A singular space framed by the exposed timber structure contains all of the home's living areas, divided only by a curving wall for the bathroom and a wooden screen shielding the bed.
Above, a loft space contains a reading and meditation area and opens onto a small balcony for watching the sunrise. Alongside it, a tower-like structure surrounds a storage area, water tanks and lightning rods.
"In house projects, we are interested in designing walls covering technical and water treatment systems to ensure aesthetics and unity," said K59 Atelier.
"Because the project is located in a high-terrain area, we also arrange lightning rods here to avoid risks when it rains and lightning occurs, creating a gentle highlight for the project," K59 Atelier added.
Other homes recently completed in Vietnam include De Hue Space by Studio Vio, which blends materials drawn from traditional crafts with lush planting, and House for Young Families by H-H Studio, which is formed of stacked white volumes, balconies and planters.
The photography is courtesy of K59 Atelier.