Gạo Lứt House

Description:
Gạo Lứt house – The House of Light, Memory and Peaceful “Rice Grains”
Design Concept:
Gạo Lứt house originates from the story of a young family working in the IT field from their home in Da Nang, Vietnam.
The name “Gạo Lứt” (Brown Rice) evokes a highly nutritious type of rice in natural hues of brown, red, purple, or black - symbolizing simplicity, purity, and vitality.
It is also the name of the family’s little daughter, “Gạo”, representing joy, energy, and the simple happiness of daily life.
The image of “glowing brown rice grains in the night” inspired the design concept - a metaphor for health, affection, and the gentle light of life radiating throughout the home.
Context & Challenges:
Located on a 5 × 18 m site within a new urban area of Da Nang, the house faces only one open side towards the Southwest - directly exposed to intense sunlight from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the region’s characteristic hot, dry winds.
The challenge was to design a comfortable, private, and naturally ventilated home, cool in summer and warm in winter, with abundant daylight despite the narrow site.
Climate change - with prolonged heat and heavy rainfall - also required careful consideration of the roof and envelope systems.
Architectural Solutions
The building form harmonizes local craftsmanship and materials: clay tiles, terracotta bricks, reused 30-year-old wood, and exposed concrete.
The façade and stair wall feature double terracotta layers interwoven with colored glass blocks.
By day, sunlight reflects softly across the surface, creating gentle visual rhythm; at night, inner light glows through the glass, recalling “multi-colored rice grains” shimmering in the dark.
Technical & Sustainable Solutions
Natural ventilation, skylights, thermally insulated walls, integrated greenery, and reused timber ensure environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.
Social & Emotional Impact
Gạo Lứt house is more than a home; it embodies Vietnamese memory and spirit in modern urban life.
It spreads the message of small-scale sustainable architecture where light, materials, and nature tell a story of simplicity, happiness, and love.

Designed
2023
Completed
2024
Location: Da Nang, Viet Nam
Project Name: Gạo Lứt house
Function: Residential
Site Area: 90 sqm
Building Area: 250 sqm
Floors: 3
Structure System: Concrete structure with terracotta tiled roof
Facade material: Exposed terracotta brick, glass block, and wood

Office: Noam Architecture
Lead Architect: Trương Anh Vương
Client: Mr.Tin
Main contractor: MVN Group
Interior: Đức Gia Khang
Landscape: Green Forest
Photographer: Hoangle

Gạo Lứt House by Noam architecture in Vietnam won the WA Award Cycle 52. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.