SCALE 50 Builds 11-Square-Meter House on Ho Chi Minh City Canal Amid Redevelopment

SCALE 50 has finalized the 11M2 House, an 11-square-meter dwelling situated on a canal in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, completed in 2026. This initiative intentionally captures an urban landscape that is vanishing, as the city embarks on extensive infrastructure upgrades that will replace informal canal communities with formal urban development and embankments. The residence employs lightweight modular construction utilizing AAC panels, selected for their minimal structural weight, ease of assembly, and thermal efficiency without the need for mechanical cooling. The corrugated canopy reflects nearby informal constructions, and the design integrates the settlement into the house's view. The studio emphasizes the architecture's recognition of its transient environment while providing comfort and spaciousness despite strict limitations. The project serves as a record of a fading urban reality, existing in a state of flux between permanence and impermanence, designed to endure yet situated in a temporary context. Unlike projects such as Clemens Kirsch's Villa Minimale, this house presents constraints as intertwined with political and urban realities. It may either persist as a remnant of redevelopment or vanish alongside the community it documents.