Tropical House 2 By ARO studio

A Vertical Village for Multigenerational Living in Vietnam’s Tropical Climate

Located on Hung Vuong Street in Bắc Giang City, Vietnam, Tropical House 2 is a contemporary residential project by ARO studio that reimagines the urban house as a vertical village. Completed in 2025 and covering approximately 1,000 square feet, the home was designed for a large two-generation family, accommodating nine children and grandchildren within a compact urban footprint.

Rather than functioning as a conventional single-family residence, the project proposes a flexible, climate-responsive model of tropical living, where architecture, greenery, and shared domestic life are interwoven into a living ecosystem.

Site, Climate, and Urban Constraints

Situated on a corner plot within a dense residential neighborhood, the house benefits from an east-facing main façade and a long northern edge, ideal conditions for natural daylight and ventilation in a tropical climate. However, these advantages also posed challenges related to solar heat gain, privacy, and urban density.

The client’s brief called for a home that could support collective family life, while still allowing for individual retreat, adaptability over time, and a strong connection to nature, despite its urban setting.

Layered Massing as a Climatic Strategy

In response, ARO studio rejected a compact, enclosed form in favor of a horizontally layered architectural structure. The building mass is articulated through setbacks, cantilevers, deep balconies, and planted voids, breaking down the perceived scale of the house and introducing shaded semi-outdoor spaces on every level.

This layered approach softens the building’s presence within the streetscape while maximizing cross-ventilation and reducing direct solar exposure. Balconies act as thermal buffers, mediating between interior living spaces and the external environment.

Architecture Interwoven with Greenery

Greenery plays a central role in shaping both space and experience. Planted balconies, vertical gardens, and internal atriums are distributed throughout the house, creating continuous visual and climatic connections between floors. These planted voids allow daylight to penetrate deep into the interior while facilitating stack-effect ventilation, drawing hot air upward and promoting natural cooling.

Rather than isolating rooms vertically, these atriums function as social and visual connectors, strengthening relationships between family members across generations.

The Roof as a Second Ground

The roof is conceived as a second living plane, extending the landscape vertically. Green roofs and outdoor terraces provide additional shared spaces for family gatherings, play, and relaxation. This elevated garden improves thermal performance, supports rainwater retention, and contributes to a cooler microclimate throughout the building.

By transforming the roof into an active living area, the project maximizes usable space while reinforcing its identity as a vertical village rather than a stacked house.

A New Model for Tropical Urban Living

Tropical House 2 presents an alternative model for dense urban housing in tropical cities, one rooted in coexistence rather than separation. Through layered massing, green roofs, and interlaced atriums, the house balances privacy and collectivity, openness and shelter, urban life and nature.

The result is a sustainable, adaptable home that supports extended family living while responding intelligently to climate, context, and long-term change.

All the photographs are works of Hoang Le