Floating House in Thu Duc by Sanuki Daisuke Architects

Located in the lush suburban landscape of Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, the Floating House by Sanuki Daisuke Architects is a striking example of modern Vietnamese residential design. This innovative 325 m² home, completed in 2022, is designed for a young couple seeking a strong connection with nature while addressing the unique challenges of a flood-prone site. Surrounded by tropical vegetation and located near a river, the property required careful consideration of local environmental conditions, including seasonal flooding and high humidity.

Design Concept – A Mostly Outdoor HouseThe architectural approach emphasizes an almost entirely outdoor lifestyle. The house is composed of three floating slabs, cantilevered above the ground to elevate living spaces one meter above street level, ensuring safety while maximizing views and engagement with the lush garden. Each slab varies in shape, creating diverse indoor-outdoor spatial experiences and seamless connectivity to terraces, outdoor staircases, and a rooftop. This arrangement allows continuous circulation entirely outdoors, reinforcing a strong sense of openness and connection to the surrounding tropical environment.

Innovative Structural ApproachSanuki Daisuke Architects reinterpreted conventional Vietnamese concrete frame construction by using ribbed slabs and slender columns to support extended cantilevered floors. With column dimensions minimized to 300 x 150 mm and slab thickness appearing extremely thin, the design achieves a lightweight, floating aesthetic. The structural innovation blends traditional concrete frame techniques with a modern approach, ensuring ease of construction while delivering an elegant, open, and airy architectural form.

Integration with NatureApproximately 70% of the house’s floor area is outdoors, including the rooftop. Folding doors further dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior spaces, allowing the house to respond naturally to Vietnam’s tropical climate. Cross-ventilation ensures comfort, while rain and breezes naturally cool the spaces. This emphasis on outdoor living transforms the home into a “Blank Space” that embraces Vietnam’s tropical lifestyle and fosters a daily connection with nature.

Materials and CraftsmanshipThe Floating House employs locally available materials and construction techniques, aligning with sustainable practices while maintaining structural efficiency. Every element, from the ribbed slabs to the cantilevered terraces, is thoughtfully designed to complement the lush surroundings, creating a home that feels simultaneously light, open, and intimately connected to its site.The Floating House in Thu Duc stands as a bold reinterpretation of Vietnamese residential architecture, blending modern structural innovation with a deeply rooted connection to the outdoors. By prioritizing openness, environmental responsiveness, and natural integration, this project demonstrates how architecture can harmoniously respond to both climate and lifestyle.

All the photographs are works of Hiroyuki Oki