Ma House / Gerira Architects

Ma House / Gerira Architects - Exterior Photography, Stairs, Facade, HandrailMa House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Living Room, BenchMa House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Bedroom, BedMa House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Wood, Bed, Bedroom, Windows, BeamMa House / Gerira Architects - More Images+ 21

  • Architects: Gerira Architects
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  230
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2017
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Hoang Le
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  AutoDesk, Spec, Toto, Trimble Navigation
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Ma House / Gerira Architects - Exterior Photography, Stairs, Facade, Handrail
© Hoang Le

Text description provided by the architects. When designing a house for the middle class on the outskirt of a city, a big problem is how to build a living space for a small family with a limited initial investment.  And the usual choice is to start by making “a half” of the house by the height (floors).

Ma House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Living Room, Bench
© Hoang Le
Ma House / Gerira Architects - Image 24 of 26
Plans
Ma House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Windows, Courtyard
© Hoang Le

Phase 1 is building the ground floor with concrete with some essential functions such as living room, kitchen, one bedroom and of course the stairs to the 2nd floor. Phase 2 (after 5 - 10 years) when there is more funding, they will complete the other half by building the second floor with two bedrooms and some other extra spaces.

Ma House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Bedroom, Windows, Stairs, Handrail
© Hoang Le

The Ma house is a project which we are required to design phase 1 first. We carefully considered the project’s financial issue, and we found that: instead of delineating the house by floors and implementing each phase, we divided the house into two parts: the shell and the core. The concrete shell protects the inner living space from the effects of the climate and also creates an internal connection with the external natural environment. The core includes the walls separating the inner spaces, the voids and the interiors, etc.

Ma House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Wood, Bed, Bedroom, Windows, Beam
© Hoang Le

With that in mind, we built the house as an empty concrete shell with enough usable areas. The other half of the house (the core) was built by local materials, developed on a wooden structure and agricultural nets. The core frame system is designed for the next 5-year plan. When entering phase 2, the agricultural nets will be replaced with wooden wall modules to ensure privacy for the bedroom space on the 2nd floor without disturbing the family activities during construction. The interior will be completed with some old items and leftover wood from the construction process.

Ma House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Windows, Door, Table, Chair
© Hoang Le

The large and small voids created from the shell and the core are used flexibly during the different phases.  Opening, closing, and filling allows extending the living space in the future, at the same time, solving microclimate problems in the living spaces, connecting them with the natural environment through trees, light and air circulation, etc.

Ma House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Windows
© Hoang Le
Ma House / Gerira Architects - Image 25 of 26
Model
Ma House / Gerira Architects - Interior Photography, Handrail
© Hoang Le

By changing the core for each stage and arranging free interiors, the Ma house is our experiment of the non-default, transformable living space. Architecture can give us flexibility, mobility, and proactive regulation of living spaces based on initial limited conditions such as financial resources, local resources, and specific natural factors available.

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About this office
Cite: "Ma House / Gerira Architects" 13 Nov 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/951335/ma-house-gerira-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

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