DOUBLE SKIN SYSTEM
06 Feb 2018
In response to the climate of Vietnam, an office building was proposed that uses a "tropical double skin" to moderate heat gain while improving acoustic resistance from the noisy streets of Ho Chi Minh City.
The design comes from the team at Inrestudio who came up with the idea for the “double skin” as an "alternative office design for tropical urban environments." The façade consists of modules, each approximately 400 cubic millimetres, made up of six steel rings. The modules on the façade support planters filled with various plants and trees that casting kinetic shadows on the interior of the building and create an extra “skin” for the building. 
The modularity of the façade continues inside the building through the structure and provides the interior with a unique connection to nature in the middle of a dense urban area. The system integrates vegetation that provides greater protection from water penetration, compared to the majority of office buildings constructed in Vietnam that use a single layer system. 
Taking into account that the integration of a double-glazed façade system is not needed in a tropical climate like Vietnam, the design instead provides an inner layer of glass and an outer layer of greenery to define it. This ultimately means the system is much easier to maintain while still providing the adequate protections required in a tropical environment. 
This "double skin system" provides an alternative office design for tropical urban environments that is sustainable, environmentally conscious, and allows for nature to seamlessly blend with the indoors, thus improving overall office morale and atmosphere.
Images courtesy of Inrestudio
