Nguyen Hoang Xuan is a Vietnamese architect and principal of SAL Architects, a Khanh Hoa-based practice working at the convergence of vernacular tradition, ecological responsiveness, and contemporary form. Educated in Vietnam, Xuan grounds his work in contextual research, material origin, and spatial memory.
SAL Architects operates with a design language shaped by climate, landscape, and local craft. Xuan frequently incorporates passive cooling strategies, porous envelopes, and natural materials—stone, timber, and raw concrete—arranged with a careful attention to sequence, tactility, and proportion.
DB Horizon in Dien Khanh exemplifies this approach: a house shaped by memory, breeze, and shifting views, articulated in elemental surfaces and calibrated thresholds. Xuan’s architecture advances a mode of regional modernism that remains responsive to site, culture, and continuity.
What inspires you?
Looking at reality, what inspires me to design a building is the joy of its users, their sense of satisfaction, both physical and spiritual, when experiencing the building.
What inspired you to become an architect?
I grew up in a rural area where people built their own homes, and my family was no exception. My parents built and renovated the family house, a house in the countryside, without any drawings. At that time, architecture was a very strange term; all they knew was to follow the local folk construction experience, which is now called vernacular architecture.
Everyone chooses their own career, and I became an architect to pursue my passion, to realize the ideas I had in my mind about my own home, and beyond that, to design other buildings as well.
How would you describe your design philosophy?
In my opinion, a good architectural work does not stop at its beautiful appearance or its ability to perfectly meet its functional needs. An architectural work must also provide interesting experiences, new yet familiar experiences for the user. In addition, spirit is also an aspect that I am very interested in and incorporate into architectural works, an element that originates from the residents who will use that architectural work. It is invisible, but still exists.
What is your favorite project?
I have many favorite projects, especially those by world-renowned architects that explore the relationship between architecture and nature. From them, I have learned valuable lessons, from their philosophies to how they bring their designs into reality.
Two works by Geoffrey Bawa that fascinate me in particular are the 33rd Lane House and Lunuganga. The 33rd Lane House shows how nature can be brought into architecture as part of modern life, while Lunuganga illustrates how architecture can blend into nature, highlighting and respecting the existing landscape.
In the West, I’m especially drawn to Fallingwater and Taliesin West by Frank Lloyd Wright. Each represents a different response to nature: one harmonizes subtly with its environment, while the other adapts flexibly to the harsh desert. Both pursue a balance between human beings, architecture, and the natural world.
What is your favorite detail?
Detail design is very important, it is indispensable in my architectural practice. To me, architectural details are not decorations. They must carry meaning, and most importantly, make construction easier and clearer for the builders on site.
I’ve learned a lot from studying the works of accomplished architects. One detail that especially impresses me is the horizontal window system in Paulo Mendes da Rocha’s Casa Butantã. The windows are divided into two parts: the glass with a thin frame and the pivot. The system uses counterweights to balance the weight of the glass, allowing the window to stay open in equilibrium without any mechanical arms. This is a fascinating detail that works entirely based on basic physical principles.
Do you have a favorite material?
I am interested in local materials from the project’s site. They are one of the key sources of inspiration for my designs. These materials may be natural or locally manufactured, like ceramic bricks, handwoven textiles, or even reused elements such as steel from old industrial buildings or wood from decommissioned fishing boats.
What is your process for starting a new project?
Every project begins with the site context, whether it is a new build or a renovation. I study the site through many aspects: history, culture, economy, politics, regional architecture, and people. To design a good building, I need to immerse myself as if I were a resident of that place, understanding all the factors related to the site from the physical to the spiritual, from the visible to the invisible.
How do you fuel your creativity?
By living close to nature, immersing myself in the natural world, observing and understanding the laws of how things move and interact, my creativity is constantly nurtured.
What inspired DB Horizon?
DB Horizon is like a story, a long one that spans generations. Every element in the house carries its narrative, recalling memories of an old home, living habits, and familiar stories that were once associated with that area. Those elements can be the front porch, a few steps, a water pond, paint color, wooden doors, old souvenirs, and many more. Or invisible elements such as the cool breeze through the window, the birds singing in the garden, the smell of grass and flowers through the seasons, the view of the fields and the mountains in the distance at sunset. In short, vernacular architecture, local history, people, and stories from the area inspired DB Horizon.
How did materiality shape the DB Horizon?
The materials that shape DB Horizon are sourced directly from the surrounding area, such as large natural stones, natural wood or unplastered walls, concrete floors, and rough concrete ceilings. Their surfaces are not smooth, polished, or glossy; instead, they remain rough and textured, staying true to their natural essence. These material surfaces create a range of emotional responses when touched.
What advice would you give to young architects?
I’m also a young architect, so I don’t have much advice to give. But I do have a few words for architecture students:
Dare to dream, and let your imagination take flight. Build a strong foundation of knowledge, and spend meaningful time interning at a few architectural offices. These experiences will become essential tools as you begin your professional journey in architecture.
