Tons of Terra-Cotta Make Up This Multigenerational Vietnamese Home

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Project Details:

Location: Da Nang City, Vietnam

Designer: Live Out Studio / @_liveoutstudio_

Footprint: 1,650 square feet

General Contractor: Sigma Construction

Structural Engineer: Truong Phu Khanh

From the Designer: "Terra-cotta Breath by Live Out Studio is an elegant yet humble multigenerational home quietly nestled in a narrow laneway of Da Nang, Vietnam. Designed for two households—the parents’ home at the front and their daughter’s home at the rear—the project occupies a modest urban plot. Between the two, a small planted courtyard serves as both separator and connector: a shared space that breathes life, daylight, and community into daily routines.

"Embracing Vietnamese feng shui principles and delivered on a limited budget, the architecture celebrates local craftsmanship and passive climatic strategies suited to the tropical climate. A harmonious, earthy palette of brick, bamboo, timber, clay-colored render, and corrugated roofing naturally envelops the building from facade to garden paths, forming a thermally responsive skin that integrates seamlessly with its dense urban surroundings. Operable brick screens, handwoven rope balustrades, and delicate brickwork are humble and sophisticated.

"Fronting the street, the parents’ house welcomes visitors with a sunlit front garden. The textured brick facade, with angled bonding and pivoting windows, balances privacy and openness, while bamboo shade and a clay-hued corrugated roof age gracefully over time. Inside, the first-floor flows from living to dining to kitchen, opening directly to the garden for effortless indoor/outdoor living. A sculpted staircase leads to the second-floor prayer room, a peaceful ceremonial hall that also functions as a community gathering space. A reading nook, overlooking the central courtyard, captures breezes and daylight. Throughout, brick, bamboo, and timber form a warm, tactile, and timeless backdrop, with terra-cotta wall tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms paired with beige floor tiles to heighten the sense of comfort.

"At the rear, the daughter’s home reflects the principles of compact living without compromise. Designed for a young family, it features an adaptable, open-plan layout that makes the most of every square foot. Large folding windows dissolve the division between living spaces and the shared courtyard, drawing in fresh air, natural light, and greenery to visually expand the interior. The ground floor accommodates a combined living/kitchen space, a compact bedroom, and a bathroom, with built-in storage and multipurpose furniture allowing the family to reconfigure spaces as their needs evolve. A slender steel staircase, finished with a handwoven rope balustrade, rises to a small communal landing—a space for prayer or play. Two light-filled bedrooms on the upper floor, ventilated through narrow openings and skylights, remain cool and airy year-round. Strategic window placement ensures privacy while maintaining openness, allowing the home to feel larger than its footprint.

"Throughout both homes, the simple beauty of local brick, bamboo, timber, and clay render reappears consistently. The architecture avoids unnecessary embellishment, allowing subtle details—the shifting shadows through brick screens, dappled shade from bamboo shade, and greenery brushing against textured walls—to provide moments of quiet delight. The courtyard, minimally landscaped yet rich in sensory detail, effectively knits the two households together, softening edges and marking the gentle passage of time. Terra-cotta Breath demonstrates how humble materials, local craftsmanship, and mindful design can generate sophisticated architecture that quietly enhances everyday life."