The Kaleidoscope Kantoor- en Woongebouw by Inrestudio

The Kaleidoscope Kantoor- en Woongebouw by Inrestudio is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award in Zilver in Architectuur, Gebouwen en Constructieontwerp Competition Category.

ZilverArchitectuur· 2023

The Kaleidoscope Kantoor- en Woongebouw

by Inrestudio

Client: Hoang Long Mineral JSC

A' Design Award in Zilver Winner in Architectuur Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About The Kaleidoscope Kantoor- en Woongebouw

De Kaleidoscope is een kantoor- en woongebouw op een fabrieksterrein in Centraal-Vietnam. Het gebouw staat tussen een heuvel en de zee en omkadert diverse uitzichten in verschillende richtingen en op verschillende momenten van de dag. Het dak volgt de vorm van de Non La, een traditionele Vietnamese boerenhoed die zon en regen tegenhoudt terwijl de wind eronderdoor kan waaien. V-vormige massieve wanden creëren driehoekige privévertrekken en grotere gemeenschappelijke ruimtes daartussen. Op maat gemaakte geperforeerde prefab betonblokken zorgen voor privacy en natuurlijke ventilatie.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Zilver

The Kaleidoscope Kantoor- en Woongebouw is winnaar van de A' Design Award in Zilver, een buitengewoon prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan topontwerpen die prachtig en indrukwekkend zijn. Winnaars in Zilver zijn enorm briljante en uiterst creatieve werken die de uitmuntende expertise, het talent en de scherpzinnigheid van hun ontwerpers illustreren. The Kaleidoscope Kantoor- en Woongebouw wordt verwacht een prachtig paradepaardje te zijn dat opmerkelijk professioneel en diepgaand innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in Zilver heeft gewonnen, is een hoogst opmerkelijke, bewonderde uitvinding die baat en de grenzen van kunst, wetenschap, ontwerp en technologie verlegt. The Kaleidoscope Kantoor- en Woongebouw is een zeer benijde creatie die verlangens oproept, positieve gevoelens brengt en verbazing en verwondering doet ontvlammen.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Kaleidoscope is the living and working building located at a factory site in central Vietnam. The surrounding region is well known for its severe climate: a hot wind blows in the dry season and typhoons and floods during the rainy season. The building is placed between the hill and the sea, and frames a series of diverse (kaleidoscopic) views in directions and times. The project aims at creating a protected space from the harsh tropical climate, and enhancing the user’s contact with nature.
Dimensions & Packaging: The roof plan fits into a 32,330mm diameter circle, while the building measures 15,250mm high.
Major specifications are listed below.
Roof: trowel-finished mortar
Ceiling: exposed concrete (public spaces) / paint (private rooms)
Exterior wall: trowel-finished mortar, fiber-reinforced concrete block
Interior wall: stucco (public spaces), paint (private rooms)
Exterior floor: terrazzo (2F) / washout concrete (1F)
Interior floor: solid wood, terrazzo (public spaces) / ceramic tile (private rooms)
Tags: Vietnamese architecture, tropical architecture, rural architecture, concrete architecture, sustainable architecture, office building, residential building, open building, passive energy, non la
Production Technology: Perforated ventilation blocks are common building elements in tropical regions to moderate environmental factors. Custom precast ventilation blocks compose the outer surfaces of the solid volumes to provide privacy to the inner rooms. These fiber-reinforced concrete blocks have larger dimensions (500 x 500mm) than usual (200 x 200mm), and match the grand scale of the surrounding backdrop. The hollow precast blocks were interlocked on site by pouring concrete into their cavities.
Design Challenge: The project was realized after a 5-year long process in an outlying region of Vietnam. The construction was carried out by a mixed team of experienced builders from Saigon, the largest city in Vietnam, and local barely experienced farmer-builders. The process was characterized by numerous moments of deliberate procedures and impromptu solutions, contributing to the evolution of the local workmanship and offering a window into the potential of rural construction.
Research: In Vietnam, there are many office buildings that only import the style of modern office buildings but fail to adapt it to the local climate. These buildings apply large glass surfaces on their flat facade and, as is often the case, office workers close the blinds throughout working hours to block the strong sunlight. The Kaleidoscope is one of a series of projects called Tropical Office Projects, which aims at discovering location-specific design languages for modern office buildings.
Inspiration: The characteristic roof of the building inherits the idea of Non La, a Vietnamese traditional farmer’s hat made of palm leaf, that a large conical surface shuts out sunlight and rain while allowing for the wind underneath. In order to enhance the natural ventilation, solid walls are arranged perpendicularly to the roof periphery. These form a series of V-shapes to cut out triangular private rooms while defining a large in-between space that is used for the public functions.
Project Duration: The project design was started in 2017 in Saigon and the construction was completed in 2022 in Quang Binh, Vietnam.
Operation Flow: Located in a remote area, the building provides both living and working spaces for the users. Under a single roof, various functions of the building are organized by seven triangular volumes that defines private and common spaces. The inside of the volumes accommodates closed functions such as bedrooms and private offices, while the space between the volumes holds gathering functions such as the central office and parlors.
Team Members: Nguyen Quynh Han
Vo Hanh Nhan
Image Credits: #1: Photographer Hiroyuki Oki, non-title, 2022
#2: Photographer Hiroyuki Oki, non-title, 2022
#3: Photographer Hiroyuki Oki, non-title, 2022
#4: Photographer Hiroyuki Oki, non-title, 2022
#5: Photographer Hiroyuki Oki, non-title, 2022