International Lines

As one enters the The scalloped facade of Koi Cafe has been achieved by laying The little holes in the facade create a sense of intrigue, prompting one to wonder what
cafe, one spots the red Bat Trang tiles on its surface. It alludes to the koi fish pond lies inside. The same tiles have been used to create the wall of the pond, ensuring
fish pond on the right that lies indoors. continuity of the design.
surrounded by a stone
pathway and a cosy
cafe setting at the
front that has been
created using old
oak pallets.

Urban
ParadiseWith a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem complete with an
aquaponic garden, the tranquil Koi Cafe in Hanoi, Vietnam,
designed by Farming Architects, is an oasis that offers its guests
welcomed respite from the cacophony of urban life.
Text: Alifiya Mehamdabadwala; Photographs: Nguyen Thai Thach,
courtesY Farming Architects

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I
Natural light trickles n their small way, Vietnamese
through the Bat Trang architect An Viet Dung and his team at
tiles-covered facade Farming Architects have, through
of Koi Cafe, quietly their work, set an example for all to
illuminating the stone follow. The team of young architects
pathway around the pond. identify themselves as farmers and
strive to create environmentally sustainable
living spaces, which one would agree are the
need of the hour. “We not only cultivate
green ideas but also treat each project in
isolation and execute it with utmost care.
This journey has helped us to deeply analyze
and understand many things — nature,
geography, people, climate...” explains
An Viet Dung.
Their most recent project, Koi Cafe at Hanoi
in Vietnam, was executed based on the
principle of sustainable living with a design
centred around an aquaponics system. For
the uninitiated, this method combines
conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic
animals such as fish or prawns in tanks) with
hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a
architect symbiotic environment.
An Viet Dung When the client approached the firm to
design the cafe, which was situated in an old
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Amidst the noise of the outside
world, Koi Cafe represents a
life that is peaceful, meaningful
and tied to its roots. The koi
pond, the soft murmur of the
waterfall and the roof lined
with plants help express this
thought beautifully.
three-storey house with a front yard, he
wanted the space to have a strong connect
with nature. “The owner wanted Koi Cafe to
not just be a place of business but also an
emotional space. He thinks that modern life is
slowly stealing one’s love for nature,” says
the architect. That was not all. The client also
put forth a rather unusual wish — he wanted
the architect to create a habitat for the koi
fish as he greatly admired this colourful,
pretty and low maintenance species. Another
challenge came in the form of the structure
— as it was a rental space, the homeowners
did not want any changes to be made to the
building and the layout. Any modifications
that were carried out needed to be easy to
dismantle once the rental period ran out.
The architects therefore decided to
transform the space by adding design
elements that were both environmentally
friendly and efficient. An Viet Dung chose to The sister’s room exudes a light-
create a smashing impression right at the hearted, ebullient feel, with no
outset, the result of which is the captivating trace of a ‘formal’ bedroom. The
facade. Made up of red Yin-Yang tiles — artwork of the enduring style
sourced from the pottery village of Bat Trang and glamour icon breathes into
— and supported by a steel frame, the the largely white space.
facade is faintly reminiscent of fish scales
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Clockwise, From Left The
drawing of the horizontal and
vertical sections of the cafe. It
clearly shows the aquaponics
system, the solar panels laid on the
roof, the use of old pallets and the
creation of the koi pond.
The Yin side of the Bat Trang tiles
has been applied on the interior
wall. It not only adds texture and
colour to the space but also draws a
connection with the facade and the
imagery of the fish scales.
The discarded wood pallets that
belonged to the client were given a
new lease of life and used for most
of the surfaces of the cafe. Here,
one gets a glimpse of the seating
area on the left with the bar counter
and kitchen to the right.

and offers just a tiny glimpse of the interiors,

piquing one's curiosity.

A series of steps lead to a peaceful semi-

CONCEPT: To design a cafe with a koi aquarium that would be a peaceful green
oasis amidst the harsh city life.
enclosed space with a small, self-contained
ecosystem comprising an indoor waterfall
and an aquaponic vegetable garden. On the
ground floor, you'll find a pond filled with
colourful koi and surrounded by a stone
walkway which would lead you to a seating
area next to it. The level above includes an
indoor waterfall that flows down into the
pond, a reference to an old Chinese legend,
according to which if a carp could leap over a
waterfall called the Dragon Gate on the
Yellow River in Hunan, it would be
transformed into a dragon and fly away. This,
however, isn't just decorative and symbolic. It
also helps oxygenate the water for the fish.
The rooftop garden and the pond function as
a single ecosystem. Excrement produced by
the koi provides nutrition for the plants in the
garden on the second floor, which in turn
help purify the water that then flows back

Materials

Flooring Oak pallets, stone Ceiling Oak

Pallets Walls Bat Trang tiles

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Tendrils of plants hang down
through the mesh roof structure on
both floors, with natural daylight
filtering through the double-height
atrium. The waste produced by
the koi provides nutrients to the
plants and vegetables grown here,
which are then used in the dishes
prepared in-house.
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into the aquarium. Produce grown here is
used in the dishes served at the cafe.
Staying true to the architects’ eco-friendly
design ethos, all the surfaces — from the
ceiling to the furniture — have been created
using discarded oak pallets that have been
spruced up and varnished. The result is a
stunning and environmentally-conscious
cafe where one is ensconced in tranquillity.
Not only did the team successfully conquer
the client’s brief but also bagged the third
prize under the Rehabilitation and
Reconstruction category at the Baku
International Architecture Awards 2017 for
the project. With such a unique and inspiring
approach to design, Farming Architects
have a promising future.
Fact File: Project Koi Cafe
Location Hanoi, Vietnam Area 947 sq ft
Principal architect An Viet Dung Design
team An Thanh Nhan, Pham Ngoc Linh