Dezeen Magazine

Exterior of Tile House by The Bloom Architects

The Bloom Architects tops Tile House with inverted roof in Vietnam

Red tiles envelop the roof and walls of this family home, which Vietnamese studio The Bloom Architects has arranged around a central courtyard in the city of Bao Loc.

Appropriately called Tile House, the home in the Central Highlands region is designed by The Bloom Architects to remain cool despite the tropical climate.

Exterior of Tile House clad in red tiles by The Bloom Architects
The Bloom Architects has created a tile-covered house in Bao Loc

The tiles on its facade and roof facilitate natural ventilation, bringing cool air into the house through small slots in the wall, while the central courtyard helps to distribute air and light through the spaces.

"The house is located in a disadvantageous position in that it can only get good wind in the front," lead architect Dinh Anh Tuan told Dezeen.

Person walking on a red-tiled roof on a home by The Bloom Architects
Tile House has an inverted trapezoid roof

"We decided to create a trap with a high roof system in the front and a low inside to get the wind and send it throughout the house, [leading] to the green spaces outside," Tuan continued. "The house looks like a funnel, surrounded by wind holes."

Tile House is defined by its inverted trapezoid roof, with all surfaces pitched towards the central courtyard. This open space allows for rainwater collection and is designed to provide thermal comfort in both the rainy and sunny seasons.

Red-tiled Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Small slots between the wall tiles let cool air into the home

"[In the] rainy season, the house acts as a funnel to collect water into an underground water tank and water it back onto the roof and trees around the house using an automatic irrigation system," explained Tuan.

"[In the] sunny season, tiles surrounding the house prevent it from being radiated [with] heat," they continued. "Combined with natural ventilation, the house is always cool."

From the street, a white-painted wall acts as a base, supporting the angled forms of the upper portions house that are clad in the red-clay tiles.

On entering Tile House, a transitional indoor-outdoor courtyard space leads to the main living areas. These are oriented around the central internal courtyard, where a tree is planted beneath a circular lightwell.

Oculus lighting an internal planted tree in a home in Vietnam
Living spaces are arranged around a central courtyard

The living room, kitchen and dining room open directly onto this internal courtyard, and also onto small external patios with planted borders that define the perimeter of the plot.

All the living spaces and bedrooms have generous double-height ceilings, with large picture windows offering views of the green patios.

Mezzanine children's bedroom with dark wood flooring and white walls
The children's bedroom is on a mezzanine level

Internally, the house has a natural material palette with warm wood floors and joinery in the bedrooms, stone-tiled floors in the living spaces and grey textured panels in the bathroom. A standout detail of the interior is the children's bedroom, which features a mezzanine-level reading nook accessible by a ladder.

Other residential projects in Vietnam recently featured on Dezeen include a lakeside tree house made from recycled materials by H2 and a concrete-framed house on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City by SDA.

The photography is by Oki Hiroyuki.

More images and plans

Ground floor plan of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Ground floor plan
First floor plan of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
First floor plan
Roof plan of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Roof plan
Section drawing of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Elevation drawing of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Red-tiled external wall of a home
Courtyard space leading into the Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Internal living space with an oculus and planted tree
Entrance to Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Living space with a circular skylight over a planted tree
Tile House in Vietnam by The Bloom Architects
Exterior of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Exterior of a red-tiled house by The Bloom Architects
Red-tiled exterior walls at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Dining room with a planted courtyard at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Grey bathroom interior
Bedroom with an outdoor courtyard
Bedroom with an outdoor courtyard
Red-tiled wall at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Outdoor courtyard space at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
White living room with a circular skylight
Planted tree below a circular skylight in a home
Planted tree below a circular skylight in a home
White dining room with wood furniture and planting
White dining room and kitchen with an outdoor courtyard
Exterior of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Mezzanine bedroom with a semicircular window
Mezzanine bedroom with a semicircular window
Living room with an oculus over a planted tree
Living room with an oculus over a planted tree
Exterior of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Interior space with planting at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Entryway with semicircular window at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Entryway with a pond at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Entrance with a blue door and planting at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Interior with planting and multi-coloured square floor tiles at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Dining room with an outdoor courtyard at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Bedroom with an outdoor courtyard at Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Circular skylight in a roof
Circular skylight in a roof
Exterior of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Exterior of a red-tiled home in Vietnam lit up at night
Aerial view of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Aerial view of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Aerial view of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Aerial view of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Aerial view of Tile House with a sloping red-tiled roof by The Bloom Architects
Sloping red-tiled roof with a circular skylight
Sloping red-tiled roof with an oculus
Aerial view of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Aerial view of Tile House by The Bloom Architects
Aerial view of Tile House by The Bloom Architects