S House: A Masterclass In Urban Serenity And Rural Soul

In the dense, frenetic sprawl of modern cities, silence is often the most expensive commodity. We build thicker walls, install double-glazed windows, and retreat into climate-controlled boxes to escape the chaos outside.

However, in Tan Thuận Tây, District 7 of Vietnam, there is a small, quiet residence that proposes a radically different solution. It suggests that the answer to urban density isn’t to shut the world out, but to let nature back in.

Designed by MM++ Architects, the S House is a stunning architectural experiment that asks a simple yet profound question: how might we live more lightly?

Drawing its spiritual blueprint from the rural life of the Mekong Delta, S House feels less like a city dwelling and more like a personal eco-lodge tucked away in a concrete jungle. It is a home shaped not by rigid boundaries, but by the elemental rhythms of weather, plants, and open air.

The design is guided by four humble themes—rural, ecological, flexible, and humble—which aren’t just architectural buzzwords here, but tangible, everyday experiences. In this house, the rain is welcomed rather than feared, and the sun and wind are allowed to pass freely through porous living spaces that blur the line between indoors and out.

The transition from the public street to the private sanctuary is handled with incredible softness. At the front, a lush garden flows seamlessly into the main living area, where a raised floor subtly marks the beginning of the interior without breaking the visual continuity.

Above, a generous volume of air gives the room a sense of cathedral-like calm. This space is particularly vital for the homeowner, a commercial film director whose life oscillates between the high-pressure intensity of shooting and long stretches of solitary creative reflection. Here, the architecture provides the physical and mental headspace required for writing and quiet thought.

Move to the back of the house, and the vibe shifts from contemplative to elemental. The kitchen meets the rear garden in a way that makes cooking feel like an outdoor activity.

It honours traditional methods, supporting the use of charcoal and clay stoves for open-air preparation. It is the domain of the lady of the house, a homemaker who moves fluidly between plants, fire, water, and food.

Even the bathroom embraces this philosophy; the shower and toilet sit open to the air, sheltered yet exposed, connected to the main structure by a simple garden path. It is a bold design choice that turns a mundane daily routine into a moment of connection with nature.

Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of S House is how it encourages a return to basic, peaceful behaviors. The architecture invites you to sit on the floor, rest on cool surfaces, dry clothes in the sun, and tend to edible plants.

The rooftop has been transformed into an edible landscape—a plain soil garden where vegetables and fruit grow under the open sky, providing sustenance and a patch of green in the grey city. From the first-floor bedroom, views stretch to both the front and back gardens, reinforcing the feeling of living within nature rather than apart from it.

S House is not merely a retreat from the city; it is a quiet, confident re-imagining of how urban life might feel—slower, greener, and deeply, wonderfully human.

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