This year, Ho Chi Minh City suffered one of the longest and most intense heatwaves in its modern history. And while residents of the Vietnamese metropolis are no strangers to hot weather, the extremity of the city’s tropical savannah climate is increasingly exacerbated by air pollution and climate change — as well as a lack of green space. It’s a combination that makes outdoor life difficult to embrace. For local designers Infinitive Architecture, however, the challenging urban conditions presented an opportunity to reimagine a workspace and conference venue as a tranquil, verdant — and surprisingly sociable — haven in the heart of the bustling city.

From the street, the façade meets its urban surroundings as a wall of bamboo. Although the monolithic two-storey frontage betrays little hint of the eclectic program within, the shoots of greenery that rise above the rooftop give a taste of the laid back ambiance that defines the complex. Inside, the mixed-use space — dubbed “The Vibes” — combines a co-working facility and event venue with a permanent office space, as well as a hospitality program that includes a café and dining room.

Past the bamboo frontage, the complex unfolds as a C-shaped, four-storey steel structure organized around a sheltered central courtyard. Featuring a green lawn, a pond, and ample tropical plantings, the courtyard forms the hub of a green spine that extends through the 1,296-square-metre site. On the ground floor, an indoor-outdoor café and dining room is paired with a kitchen, restrooms, and a smaller private dining space, with a pair of smaller atriums carved out of the floor plate, infusing the interiors with light and vegetation.

Upstairs, the second floor features a generously proportioned co-working space, as well as an open room for large meetings and workshops. On the smaller third level, meanwhile, half of the C-shaped floor plate is given over to the roof garden visible from the road, with the offices of a design studio occupying the remaining space.

Finally, the uppermost level features a gallery-like space — which can be programmed to host talks, receptions, or exhibitions — with a panoramic view of its surroundings.

While the infusion of greenery and bamboo cladding fosters a distinctly lush, tropical aesthetic, the strategy creates more comfortable conditions throughout the space, all while reducing energy use. Clad in glass, the simple steel structure’s second skin of bamboo mitigates solar heat gain, using an inexpensive local material that nods to vernacular heritage. Moreover, the C-shaped form facilitates ventilation, further limiting the need for air conditioning. It all adds up to an oasis from the city’s hustle and heat.