MK House / Atelier 12

Architects: atelier 12
Area: 215 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Chimnon studio
Lead Architects: Dang Duc Viet
Manufacturers: An Cuong, HailongGlass, Jotun, KINGLED, Thanh Hoa stone (local shop)
Kitchen Cabinet: Vinakit
City: Hanoi
Country: Vietnam

MK House is a compact residential project in Hanoi, designed by atelier 12, which responds to the dense urban context through an open and connected interior strategy. The project rethinks the typical tube house by minimizing spatial partitions and integrating natural light and ventilation across vertical levels, supporting a lifestyle of living, working, and playing within just 44 m². The steel-framed façade, inspired by “liếp tre” bamboo blinds, transforms planning setbacks into opportunities for mediation between the home and the streetscape. Completed for a small family of three, MK House balances spiritual and practical needs through transparency, spatial fluidity, and architectural elements rooted in Vietnamese tradition.

Mk House is a modest home with natural light as a central element. Therefore, the materials have a simple finish, natural and raw, left exposed, and not glossy. These materials serve as a background for daily life.
Interview with Đặng Đức Việt of atelier 12

For those familiar with Hanoi, a walk through its 36 ancient streets may still evoke poetic impressions, yet the city’s growing congestion is increasingly apparent. Within this dense context, MK House was developed for a small family of three on a narrow 4×11-meter lot. The design was guided by a clear intention: to create a home sufficient for living, working, and playing, without internal barriers.

In Hanoi and other large cities, fragmentation of domestic spaces has become widespread. As urban density increases, houses tend to become more enclosed—from the façade to internal rooms—separating inhabitants from their environment and each other. This growing physical and emotional disconnection within families has created a need for openness and continuity. The homeowners sought an open spatial arrangement to prevent the house from becoming isolated and to maintain a soft connection with street life. Responding to this, the design adopts an open floor plan, minimizes partitions, and emphasizes natural elements such as sunlight and wind flow. The result is a cohesive living space that keeps the family connected.

On the ground floor, the owner’s workplace occupies nearly the entire area. The upper levels accommodate the core domestic functions: living room, kitchen, dining, and bedroom. Given the narrow 4-meter width, spatial organization required careful attention to ventilation and internal connectivity. The architects introduced a corridor with a transparent floor, combined with a hollow steel staircase. This lightweight structure functions as a vertical circulation space while enhancing airflow and natural lighting. It also strengthens visual and spatial connections across floors, encouraging daily interactions between family members.

At the front, urban planning restrictions prevented the use of concrete in the setback zone, opening space for a lighter architectural intervention. A hollow steel floor system was installed, with a façade woven from thin steel strips evoking liếp tre, traditional Vietnamese bamboo blinds. This layer acts as a balcony, seasonal buffer, vertical garden, and visual filter between the house and the street. It offers a quiet architectural reference to traditional Vietnamese techniques that engage the natural environment in subtle and adaptive ways.

Beyond functional concerns, MK House reflects the personal cultural identity of the homeowner, shaped over time through a rich spiritual and aesthetic life. This undercurrent defines the house’s atmosphere through the homeowner’s preservation and appreciation of memory and heritage.

MK House prioritizes sufficiency over comfort. The emphasis lies in natural light, spatial clarity, and maintaining human connections across rooms. Simple elements—sunlight through door gaps, clear internal views, the audible presence of family members—support a quietly sustained spiritual well-being.