Terracotta Breath, a multi-generational residence in Vietnam designed by architecture practice Live Out Studio, features distinctive perforated brick walls and lush planted courtyards. This “home that breathes” stands out for its thoughtful integration of natural elements and materials.
Situated on a narrow site in Da Nang, the project is composed of two separate residences—one for the parents and one for their daughter. These are divided by a slim courtyard, which brings abundant daylight and fresh air into the heart of the home.
The home’s identity is shaped by a warm, reddish-brown palette, featuring perforated brick and clay-rendered walls on the exterior, as well as terracotta tiles and textured finishes throughout the interiors.
“We envisioned a home that does more than provide shelter—a home that breathes, gently and constantly, through the interplay of light, air, and the warmth of local materials,” explained Van Tan Quyen Le, co-founder of Live Out Studio, in an interview with Dezeen.
Quyen added, “From the outset, we committed to a cohesive palette of materials: clay-toned corrugated roofing, handcrafted brick facades, bamboo shading, clay-rendered walls, and brick paving in the gardens.”
“These elements are woven together like an earthy carpet that flows seamlessly between indoors and outdoors, allowing the house to blend naturally with its surroundings, as if it had grown from the soil itself.”
Le describes the arrangement of the two interconnected homes as a “delicate puzzle,” with each designed to meet its unique requirements and feng shui considerations.
Both homes have their living, kitchen, and dining areas on the ground floor, organized around two staircases: a front staircase crafted from timber and finished with clay plaster, and a rear staircase constructed from folded, painted steel.
The parents’ living room opens onto a shaded entrance yard beneath a bamboo canopy, while the daughter’s living space overlooks the central courtyard with folding, timber-framed windows above a built-in bench.
The home’s perforated brick façade creates a double-layered skin for the ceremonial hall on the first floor of the parents’ residence. Here, a compact balcony sits between the brickwork and sliding glass windows, enabling controlled natural ventilation.
“With operable features, the architecture can adapt throughout the day, creating shifting patterns of light and gentle breezes,” said co-founder Thi Anh Nguyet Tran in a conversation with Dezeen.
“This façade is the project’s defining feature: a subtle yet distinctive interface between the home, its residents, and the laneway, quietly illustrating how local craftsmanship and materials can foster a living, breathing architecture,” she continued.
Bedrooms are finished with pale plaster for a neutral effect, while the kitchens and bathrooms are accented with small terracotta tiles. The material palette is unified by pale tiled flooring on the ground level and wood flooring upstairs.
Other notable homes in Vietnam recently covered by Dezeen include Kho Rèn House in Hue by M+TRO Studio, which also features a perforated brick façade, and the Earthenware House by Naqi & Partners, designed to resemble a row of terracotta pots.
Photography is by Live Out Studio.
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