MM++ Architects replaces the old walls of a Vietnam house with red bricks and pivoting glass
Vietnamese studio MM++ Architects stripped a house back to its concrete frame to create this pared-back open-plan villa featuring red brick walls, pivoting glass doors and leafy gardens (+ slideshow).
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_22.jpg)
The renovation works were carried out to an old villa located in one of Ho Chi Minh City's eastern suburbs – an area of the city framed by the twisting path of the Saigon River.
![Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_sqb](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_sqb.jpg)
The original dwelling was built in a faux-Art Deco style that the investor client wanted to strip away and replace with a more contemporary and open-plan home.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_20.jpg)
By retaining the original concrete structure instead of demolishing and starting over, MM++ Architects was able to save approximately 30 per cent of the typical construction cost.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_15.jpg)
The team then inserted sections of orangey-red brickwork and black-framed glazing to create the walls of the new residence.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_16.jpg)
"This project is a about a “heavy” renovation of a bad art deco villa into a new contemporary unit using existing columns and slabs but reshaping and totally renewing the layout," explained studio co-founders Michael Charruault and My An Pham Thi.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_18.jpg)
"These including design elements like customised steel frame windows on pivot, and recycled bricks walls," they added.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Concrete lintels and porches protrude over the gridded and glazed openings, which can be further protected against the elements by slatted timber shutters.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_21.jpg)
Two slatted walls surround an upper-floor balcony and provide privacy for the bedrooms behind.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_10.jpg)
Inside the house, trenches in the stone floor of the ground-level living space have been planted with small trees.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
Three sides of the open-plan living space open to the garden. Glazed doors pivot from the centre of one wall onto a decked platform by a swimming pool.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_27.jpg)
A staircase runs up one side of the now open-plan space, providing access to the four first-floor bedrooms.
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
Photography is by Hiroyuki Oki.
Project credits:
Architects: MM++ architects / MIMYA .co
Project Architects: My An Pham Thi, Michael Charruault
Construction team: Cuong Lam Quoc, Triet Le Huu
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_0.gif)
![Thao Dien House by MM+](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/06/Thao-Dien-House-by-MM_dezeen_1.gif)