The design of Xã Coffee Shop in Buôn Mê Thuột, Vietnam 

Positioned on the periphery of Buôn Ma Thuột, also recognized as Buôn Mê Thuột city, lies the Cư Ebur commune—a locale marked by its enduring community spirit. This well-established community grapples with the pressures imposed by swift urbanization, and the architectural design of the area is credited to Architect Tad Atelier.

The task of designing a coffee shop in this locality involved a deliberate effort to create an architectural structure that could pay homage to the area’s unique spirit while establishing a harmonious connection between the new architecture and the established community lifestyle.

In an effort to optimize construction costs and synchronize with local construction resources, the café’s architectural design was modularized, ensuring a streamlined and efficient construction process. Notably, the Cư Ebur region still retains many houses with rural architectural characteristics. These houses typically feature robust main structures extending into surrounding spaces that incorporate lightweight structures for various daily activities, entertaining guests, housing livestock, and storing farm equipment or vehicles for local farmers.

The architectural concept for Cà phê Xã was inspired by this local architectural tradition, as the coffee shop’s location was previously an old deer stable, a vegetable garden, and a communal outdoor living area for the entire family. To cater to the preferences of the local residents, who generally favor the open and airy ambiance of roadside coffee stalls, the design proposed an open layout.

The “enclosed” segments of the project were strategically positioned to serve private functions, such as the counter and support facilities. In contrast, the primary space was designed to be open to nature, creating a “loose” structure that ensured continuity and diversity in the coffee experience. Specific considerations regarding ground elevation, size, height, and landscaping were taken into account to ensure the café space could accommodate a variety of users simultaneously, whether for workshops, reading, group meetings, or family gatherings.

The central courtyard, around which the entire space is organized, was intended to establish a warm, communal, and open atmosphere. This design approach reflects the essence of the café’s name, “Xã,” which translates to “community” in Vietnamese. The project’s overarching goal was to achieve a sense of harmony while preserving the distinctiveness and richness of each separate space within the establishment.

Xã Coffee Shop is located in Cư ÊBur, Buôn Mê Thuột, Dak Lak, Vietnam.