Project: De Men House
Architects: Country House.Architecture
Location: Vietnam
Area: 2,152 sf
Year: 2023
Photographs by: Quang Dam
De Men House by Country House.Architecture
Inspired by a boy’s daydreams and the hope for his son’s independence, “The Cricket’s House” is a tale of simplicity and freedom. Built on a small plot enclosed by old walls, it champions sustainable living with recycled materials.
This project redefines home design, emphasizing openness and connection with nature. It celebrates the beauty of reclaimed materials in a two-to-three-story dwelling that radiates simplicity and tranquility.
“The Cricket’s House” is an ode to gratitude, thanking all who contributed, but above all, it’s a tribute to family—a place where dreams soar freely under the open sky.
I have been thinking about my house for a very long time since I was a teenage boy. Every day, when herding cows through fields, sneaking into the bamboo groves, and wandering around the village,… In my imagination, sometimes my house was the bird nest in the tree and other times it was just a thatched hut or an old house next to a stream in the forest. I feel like I am a very complicated man…
I am a fan of “The Adventure of the Cricket” by writer To Hoai in Vietnam, so I named my son “cricket”, with the hope that he will be an independent man. With a free and open-minded, he will travel everywhere, enjoy the sun and the dew, sing loudly under the sky…experience as many difficult things as possible.
From a small plot of land surrounded by old walls, I built my own house – “the cricket’s house” – named after my son, by using recycled material: wood, steel, and used bricks. Of course, a structure that is too small does not express everything, and it certainly cannot tell a grand story. “The cricket’s house” is a place I dedicate to my wife and son. A space for experiences, where my son can play inside the house or in the courtyard, plant vegetables, climb onto the roof lying on the grass, look up at the moon and stars, and dream whatever he likes…a completely open space.
This project has given to me a lot of experience. I think a house does not need to have too many partitions, but it should connect as many spaces as possible, with fresh air outside. There is no need to be made of solid concrete. Old things like wood from old houses, stone bricks, and used pallet wood, … can still be used to create a two/to the three-story house.
Really grateful to all my counterparts, who directly participated in building this house. And a big thanks to my wife and my son, who are my endless inspiration; helping me to write a very small story “The Cricket’s House,” a very simple, peaceful, and simple place to stay.
-Country House.Architecture
