Over 100 years old house on the rooftop of the villa

The old house in Hanoi for more than 100 years was redesigned, then the owner put it on the rooftop of a villa. The construction cost of the house is about 10 billion VND.

The old house located on the rooftop of a villa in Bac Tu Liem district (Hanoi) makes many passersby curious because of its unique architecture, combining traditional features inside a modern building. so. This project is owned by Mr. Nguyen Van Vu and his wife, Quynh Lien. The total area of ​​a floor is 460 m2, the area of ​​the old church is 100 m2. Looking from afar on Lien Mac dike, the house stands out. The outside is covered with antique imitation refractory brick. Quynh Lien shared that in the past, the family owned an old church, and the neighbors had not built much, so the space was very open. But when the storey building continued to grow, the house was blocked and lost. With an age of more than 100 years, the family calculates that the old house will deteriorate, so it needs to be repaired for long-term use. In addition, the family has a 4-generation tradition of making sculpture, so they also want more space to display products. Therefore, Ms. Lien said this unique project was born. Quynh Lien said that it took her husband about 2 years to come up with the idea of ​​​​designing a house that combines classic and modern. In 1 year of construction (from February 2020), she and her husband had to edit a lot by themselves until they liked it. “We want the villa to be both a place to keep and preserve the old church and a place for our parents to stay close and familiar. Relatives feel very happy to know that my husband and I will keep them. I got the old house because this is the place that holds so many memories of people in the past,” Quynh Lien shared. Ms. Lien said that before putting it on the rooftop, the entire old church had to be demolished, brought to a wood workshop in Quoc Oai district for repair, and then returned to the roof of the villa. The traditional wooden house structure of the church is still preserved with wooden trusses, fish-scale tile roof and 3 compartments and 2 wings. The traditional layout is still maintained, with enough counters, mahogany furniture, sofa tables and chairs. The small Buddha altar is at the top, then the family altar, the altar to worship the gods. The hundred-year-old horizontal paintings and couplets are still preserved. The family added a few details in the design such as wooden floors, self-contained toilets, glass windows… to match the modern lifestyle. The roof, the owner uses traditional jackfruit wood to make the support. The new tile is custom-made according to the original prototype. At the rooftop campus, Ms. Lien’s family decorated more miniatures, aquariums, etc. with pure Vietnamese decoration. In addition, many products made by the Lien family, such as Buddha statues, musical couples, etc., are also displayed around the yard. Another highlight in the innovative structure of this building is that the courtyard brick foundation is not red brick but white brick. According to the owner, the house on high is easy to catch the sun, so the white tile will be reduced, which makes the floor cooler. At the same time, the decorations will stand out, not mixed in color. The steps entering the old house are also changed, looking new and modern. “I maintain and develop, not just rebuild like the ancient way, the landscape is more suitable for the current and more innovative lifestyle,” Lien explained. Around the old house, Ms. Lien planted trees such as apples, jackfruit, star fruit, guava, bougainvillea, vi… to make the space cooler. The overall design of the villa has 5 floors. In the photo is the space on the first floor to receive guests, the mezzanine floor as a room to hang pictures, the family’s sculpture museum. The 2nd floor is a gallery of sculpture products of the production company, the 3rd floor is the family room, the 4th floor is the old church and where grandparents live, displaying other works. Finally, the 5th floor is the gym and technical room. The 5th floor ceiling design space is like a park, both a place for children and grandchildren to play, and a place to gather to enjoy the family’s BBQ. The lighting system is installed around the house space. Thanks to the lighting system, the house stands out and sparkles more when it’s dark.