The Odd One Out: Compact Urban House Reimagines Daily Living Today
The Odd One Out sits in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a compact house by NU Architecture & Design that treats every square meter as meaningful. Within Go Vap’s bustle, the studio reorganizes daily life around light, storage, and a nimble plan that lifts energy upward. The result balances a bright material palette with practical moves that make small-scale living feel generous without waste.
Morning light sifts across white terrazzo, catching the grain of warm oak before sliding up a mesh stair. A tall glass front pulls the street’s brightness deep inside, trading bulk for clarity and a steady rhythm of shade and glow.
This is a compact house in Ho Chi Minh City’s Go Vap district, shaped by NU Architecture & Design around how people move, gather, and store the stuff of daily life. The plan orients everything to daylight and circulation, so each routine—cooking, working, resting—has a defined place without adding bulk.
Open Ground Living
The ground floor runs as a single room, joining kitchen and living so conversation crosses the cooking line without shouting. A full-height glass facade framed by lean structure pulls in brightness through the day, keeping tasks visible and reducing the need for extra fixtures when the sun is high.
Light Through the Stair
A redesigned stair with a fine mesh body turns circulation into a daylight conduit. It throws soft patterns across floors and walls, linking levels by sight and shadow while preventing the middle of the house from going dim around noon.
Built-Ins Tame Clutter
Storage disappears into walls and under treads, clearing floors for movement and keeping counters bare enough for real cooking. Handles, pulls, and wall lights line up across rooms, so the eye reads continuity instead of visual noise, which helps a small footprint breathe.
Material Calm, Everyday Use
White terrazzo brightens surfaces and bounces light into the core, while oak warms touchpoints where hands land most: rails, drawers, and the desk tucked beneath the stair. The palette stays restrained, trading novelty for durability that holds up to daily routines and keeps maintenance simple.
Rooftop as Room
Up top, a lightweight trellis sets the edge and casts a delicate grid for shade when the sun angles low. Plantings turn the roof into a social perch for dinners, quiet reading, or a morning stretch, reclaiming city air that’s often wasted above the street.
As afternoon softens, the glass front glows while the stair scatters its faint lattice across terrazzo. The house answers tight urban living with measured clarity—rooms that do more, materials that do double duty, and a plan that keeps light working hard.
Photography courtesy of NU Architecture & Design
Visit NU Architecture & Design
