K59 Atelier

Could you share some information about the current projects of K59 Atelier? 

Nhật Nam: We are kind of taking our time to process our workflow and to compare with our peers or other offices, we have much fewer projects. At the moment, we are working on an F&B project in Ninh Bình province and a small-scale housing project in Vũng Tàu city. We have already started these projects for several years. We understand that we need time to learn about each construction, subject/object, client and vice versa. This is why we do not usually sign a contract hastily. 

If a project could take that long period to complete, would your investors be willing to wait?

Cẩm Linh: Actually, there are many factors affecting the time. A typical example is our project in Ninh Bình province. We could not do much due to the pandemic and the construction permit process. During this delay, the investor of this plan gave us an opportunity to work on their interior refurbishment project in Hội An city. 

Although it takes time, we and our investor understand each other’s opinions to figure out exactly what their needs and wants are. Not until this moment, we would accept and begin working on the project. With our project in Vũng Tàu city, the investors truly trust us. From the beginning of 2020, we had a chance to meet her – one of these two investors, but perhaps her idea was not clear enough. This is why we had to research carefully before taking on her project. We do not push our clients, instead, we suggest that if they need it now, it is possible to look for another architecture unit. It is more interesting that our investor listened to us and looked for another office, but she remembered what we shared with her then she came back. 

We usually have these cases, sometimes investors come for us, they leave if we have different perspectives, then a year or two later they come back and say: “so, should we continue?”. We believe designing requires time, occasionally investors need time to think clearly about what they truly want us to do for them.

How did you prepare for the establishment of K59 Atelier as a young architecture office?

Cẩm Linh: We had no preparation, basically we just worked together and eventually when it felt right, we decided to open this office together. Both of us have been serious about architecture since we graduated, we want to do and take part in our favourite architectural projects. We were pretty carefree the time before that, each of us worked in a different office. Until a certain moment, we felt that our opinions or mindset about architecture were no longer suitable for them, we then looked for a new appropriate environment. 

Nhật Nam: We used to discuss about our points of view for design and architecture, which had gradually changed over time. In the period between 2016 and 2017, we took part in some community projects, I realised that architecture is just a very small part of a building, it is the needs and the wants of the people that determine the success of a project. Since then, Linh and I Linh tried working on some projects together since 2018, it has already been 5 years.

What is the special meaning of the name K59 Atelier?

Cẩm Linh: Actually, there is nothing special about it. We did not really think about it. A name is just a name, what is important is what we do. Architecture department in university will be coded as ‘K’, each year you have ‘K’ followed by a school year. For instance, Nam’s was K05, I was K09, we combined together to K59. 

Architecture is a word in English but I wanted to keep the K of “Kiến Trúc”in Vietnamese. “Atelier” is a workshop. We both like many things not solely architecture, the word “workshop” means a collection or including this and that or having some bits of everything. Most of the objects here in our office are all handmade ourselves, from designing to making models, taking pictures or making movies, etc. We use what we have and experiment with anything we can. 

K59 Atelier in Year End’s Talk in late 2022, organised by Notes and other architectural office partners

In the year end talk in Ho Chi Minh city, K59 Atelier presented a series of 3 projects. Why did you select them to introduce?

Cẩm Linh: During five years working together, we have completed five projects, which means choosing out which suits our presentation is not a difficult task. Our three projects represent three distinguished areas: urban, sub-urban and coastal areas. We believe that architecture is always associated with urban development, urbanisation is an essential part of society. With these three projects, we had the opportunity to share our points of view about architecture that we are able to adapt to each area and location in the process of urban planning. 

Nhật Nam: In fact, some people asked why we selected only three and did not mention about other finished or on-going projects. We think that a project should include three stages: when it is on the blueprint, the building phase when the place starts to shape, and lastly is when it lives with its residents. These are three fascinating phrases when we have had chances to observe, through these I understand the construction and know that if the building interacts positively with its surrounding and people there. Not until then will we have materials to share with others. As Linh said, the process of urbanisation is usually followed by concrete constructions. Although this is an essential thing to happen when the society develops, would this development flexibly accommodate natural and topologic conditions where it takes place. We always wonder about these things. If we could do something to improve the condition of an area, why not? People from that area might learn something from observing our construction or be inspired by techniques and ideas to utilise in their nearby projects. Recently, this topic has drawn much attention, when many coastal areas are being heavily concreted, causing serious subsidence and losing the terrain’s characteristics. Farmlands are also levelled to make room for numerous new urban projects. Meanwhile, constricted city areas are facing massive construction frequency. Investors and real estate firms have no break time to consider if what they have done fits the context of the place. 

Cẩm Linh: Honestly, what we have shared with you is probably our personal observation, in each project comes different point of views. Perhaps, any architect or individual working in other fields would have their own remarks. We expected to receive feedback and comments from participants about our trio for each location. 

According to you, what is a fine architectural construction? 

Nhật Nam: In my opinion, it should cover some specific aspects. Firstly, one who uses the construction can feel pleasant and unworried about the place, it suits each needs, ages and wants of people who live there. I constantly wonder if my clients live well or feel good in the space that K59 designs. 

Cẩm Linh: Aside from housing projects, it can includes also  public and community architectural works. For me, a good architecture must be appropriate and adaptive in harmony with certain contexts of different locations: climate, social conditions, customs, and lifestyles, etc. 

Any architects must have considered diligently with precision so that their designs are suitable for the context. We should be consistent with what we do, concurrently taking in feedback and opinions. Sometimes architects may even direct the construction’s users about natural desires. Our office has a non-air-conditioned space. Although we sweat a lot, we do nothing about it because we are surrounded by many windows and green plants. Open space helps wash away worries from hustle life, it gives people who live there freedom and this is a part of nature. The construction itself affects people more or less. 

For K59 Atelier, what is the key point for you to take on a project? And, after that, what factors are important to you to start designing and coming up with solutions for the project? 

Cẩm Linh: We have had five years working on our own, from meeting with clients, designing to constructing, etc. After a long part of our journey in this industry, we have gradually learnt and improved. The investor is the key point for us to consider about accepting a project. Regardless of whether the project is small or large, the conformity and the trust from the investor always are crucial parts that enable us to create fine products. We are always willing to do under that condition. After receiving a project, an equally important part is having a clear topic. Without a clear goal from clients, it is challenging for architects to create a product that is good enough. 

Nhật Nam: To find the right topic/idea takes time, probably months and years to get an exact one. The more data we have, the more precise our product will be, the more questions will be solved according to investors’ difficulties and needs.

House 803 in Sài Gòn, where homes K59 Atelier office

Does the surrounding context of K59 Atelier’s projects have much influence on your design? Can you give some examples?

Nhật Nam: The natural context of our projects is definitely crucial to define their topics. Climate, location, environmental interaction of a construction will give us hints for the ideas of our design. For instance, Bình Dương House’s location is surrounded by many trees. Measuring exactly the space between the trees helps to make the design more specific and clearer in terms of its required usage and minimum functions. We do not mind doing research about a specific object using the construction. Of course, it can be confusing to receive many points of view all at once, but we simply think “why not?”. When receiving many opinions, we can link them all together to synthesise into a unified flow. I always try to ask how many people I need or should meet to get to know their requirements, then I can have the most suitable solution. The more opinions there are, the easier it is to select optimal and the most necessary elements for the projects. It is similar to solving maths. 

A sketch of the current tree survey result at Bình Dương House

Building solutions without damaging natural root systems of surrounding trees.

Cross Section

Model

Construction process

Cẩm Linh: About the on-going project in Vũng Tàu city, when arriving at the place to survey the location, I learnt also about the investors’ family background. Usually when building a house, the family will have one or two people to discuss with architects about what they want for their house. The family in Vũng Tàu has many members: two of our investors, their father and two of their children. This was why we visited and talked with them to get to know more about the entire family. We also learnt that their father has been living in an antique house in a garden and he has a hard time walking. This family has some pets such as birds and dogs, they will also live in the building as a member of the family. After thorough observations, we understood the core elements and what we need to do in order to respond to any individual’s needs. Some people like windows, some need a table, others like to have open spaces, etc. Although a house is a building for the fewest users in the scale of a construction, it always has different characters in each corner. A residence is a minimal society, each room is considered as a private house reflecting each person’s characteristics. This room is the neighbour to the one next door, the interactions of open spaces and windows might give us something to notice for our design. Every room has its own colour palette and usage. 

What is the most used material in K59 Atelier’s architecture? 

Nhật Nam: Actually we do not prioritise any specific material. Firstly, the context shapes the building, from which we will choose the most suitable material for the construction. Some people have fear of wood because of the termite, some are scared of iron because of the weather. After getting to know about our investor’s preferable materials, we can also conduct which material we will use for the project.

We are big fans of crafted materials, which have been very connected with the locals for years, proving the adaptability of these materials to the geographical and climatic features of the construction’s location. To us, there is no favourite or best material, everything is equally great. Sometimes during the building process, there are some materials that we did not think would fit at first, but after talking with people of the family, we figured out these are the most suitable for the place. Thus, when we know exactly what material to use, we have almost no other choice. We always base on the investor’s opinions to choose materials. 

What do you think about community projects? Having participated in community projects, what determines the quality and success of the project in your opinion? 

Nhật Nam: This is a tough question (laughs). Honestly, we both like community projects because we can meet many people who use the construction. Perhaps, community projects have always been the most difficulttopics. There are too many people using it. Another difficulty is financial issues, it is limited by organisations and investment funds for this topic. Additionally, the understanding and contribution of users are the keys to success of these projects, this causes many troubles for architects. If a community construction has no contribution from its users from the beginning, they will not feel responsible to preserve or protect the building, leading to degradation and irresponsibility. It was all because they did not have to invest in it. The initial steps in the survey are quite inadequate because we cannot meet everyone. Some people are too busy, some work away from town; but often these people are the breadwinners and have their voice in the house, sometimes they are the sponsors of the community constructions in their town. If the final work is not as expected, they can obviously give negative feedback. For us,  to survey as many as possible and understand clearly their needs is the toughest task. Whether a community project exists or not depends on how much people are engaged in the construction. 

A video of Cửa Đại Park (Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam) by K59 Atelier

Cẩm Linh: Getting opinions of local people in the beginning was extremely difficult. We and Sống Foundation organised many community meetings but they are often absent; instead, they send representatives of the neighbourhood or the elderly to join, but these people rarely use the community building. I went to every household to encourage them and it did not work. Participating or not depends on the people, and not all attendees will share their thoughts. Therefore, the success of community work is the result of how we constantly change and encourage people to participate in the construction process to create a bond. 

This is a long-term project. From the beginning to completion and even after the construction was put into use, whenever I received people’s opinions, I felt more interested because the project had certain changes according to the needs of use. Then, the building seemed to have its life to adapt to the context. In my opinion, a community project has no ending point. It changes nonstop due to the continuation of use. We should accept this fact. The success of the project is not based on the image but on the frequency of use of the building when the construction is completed. 

Dear Nhật Nam, you are currently teaching and working as an architect at K59 Atelier at the same time. From a lecturer’s point of view, what is the difference between today’s architectural training and when you were a student?

Today’s students are very active, they even find out more fascinating things than our generation. They have the opportunity to practise and intern in many architectural offices. Although they are still students, they can directly take part in the work at the construction site. Some freshly graduated ones are even able to open their own offices and they are doing great. This is a true difference from when I was a student ten years back. At that time, I only knew about some foreign firms, domestic offices were not as popular as nowaday. Another positive aspect besides their confidence is that today’s students often work for young or domestic companies without any financial constraints. 

What would you advise a person to choose architecture to study? 

Cẩm Linh: We personally think that when you follow architecture or even other majors, observation is the key. Try to practise your view with objectivity and a pure heart as much as possible, without being influenced or imposing personal opinions. Observation is not only about staring at a construction but also about every little thing around you, how people live, their activities, the way children play together or how the elderly walk, nature, atmosphere, etc. It might be just the way you see things at first, but when you start working, you will see how much your observation helps you. 

Nhật Nam: As Linh has mentioned about objectivity and transparency, these mean we have no default to impose a problem before acknowledging them. In architecture, try to look for positive aspects in a construction, things about what it helps, which is interesting, or what challenges the people who build them have overcome. A fine observer is able to do multiple tasks, architecture is just the beginning. 

What is the construction that you have been truly impressed with so far? Why?

Nhật Nam: It must be Mr. Kiệt’s ancient house in Cái Bè town, Tiền Giang province. I am very impressed with their adjustable doors. The entire door system is installed on an easily removable structure, the setting is amazingly smart. We can still learn a lot from our ingenious forefathers’ ideas. Books and materials are not enough, we must be at the place to research and learn directly these details to apply these techniques. 

Cẩm Linh: The palace of Mèo King in Hà Giang province is the first that comes to my mind. I have been there twice but I am keen for more. I have learnt something new after every visit. The complex has many interlocking spaces with complex roof systems. When it rains, it is very sensational to watch water drops falling down and jumping on surfaces. I was very emotional when stepping in the place.

What is a project that K59 Atelier has always wanted to realise? Why?

Cẩm Linh: I have been interested in educational projects ever since I was a student, especially ones for mountainous children or children in rural areas. Nam and I share the same point of view about this matter. Nowadays, many people seem to distrust Vietnam’s educational system but we disagree. I can see that our educational system is trying to improve and update regularly. In the past, we used to hope that K59 Atelier might have a chance to build a school, yet, we have slightly changed our mind. Whatever the project is, as long as we meet investors who trust us that we can make it. 

Perspective drawing of Cửa Đại Park in K59 Atelier’s design

Nhật Nam: We want to realise a project that investors feel suitable with and they are willing to spend their time with us and of course, they respect our final result from start to finish. Education is not just about a school. A house is important as well. When a child is nurtured in a house where it is educated in its space, this should be a very positive foundation for children’s development. 

We thank you , Linh and Nam. It was a memorable talk we had!