Cho Lach Garden

Cho Lach in Ben Tre is known for its fruit orchards and plant nurseries along the Tien River. Cho Lach Garden is designed as part of that landscape: a single-storey house set low beneath old trees, where its owners can slow down and live close to the soil and the garden every day.

From the street, the house is almost hidden behind a timber fence and layers of greenery, with only the peak of its steep roof showing. Past the gate lies a quiet entry garden of natural stone walls, a sculpted pine and steps that seem to float up towards the house. A round opening cut into the stone wall offers a glimpse of what lies beyond, making the arrival slow and deliberate.

The whole house shelters under a steep clay tile roof, with its timber rafters and ceiling left exposed inside. Beneath it, the living room, dining room and kitchen flow together as one open space, while the bedrooms and a study sit along large glass walls facing the garden. A concrete frame, brick walls, timber and glass are combined simply, letting each material speak for itself.

Wide timber decks wrap around the house and connect everyday life directly to the lawn and the large trees. Deep eaves shade the rooms from sun and rain, a familiar response to the climate of the Mekong Delta, while the glass draws daylight and the green of the garden deep inside. The line between inside and outside all but disappears.

Cho Lach Garden is a design project and has not yet been built.