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Part 2 will talk about materials and solutions such as soundproofing, heat insulation, air conditioning, fresh air, and internal mechanical systems. Part 3 is the workshops, opening ceremony and show summary sessions that we have begun to organize in the new location.

Cafe Tinhte 209 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, old District 3.

I always choose District 3 because it's an easy place for everyone to get to

If you notice, you will see that Tinh Te Cafe's locations are almost all located in District 3, before that we were at February 3, then 209 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia. In the past, technology-related stores or company offices were often located in District 1 or District 3, so it was easier to contact each other. In Saigon, going to District 1 and District 3 is comfortable for everyone, but staying in other areas is difficult to get to.

Cafe Tinhte 209 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, old District 3.

From my house to District 3 is about 8 to 10 kilometers, other brothers also travel a similar distance, so this is considered the central place. I also like District 3 because there are many historical places around, with long-standing restaurants and delicious coffee shops, and from here it is very easy to go to District 1, District 5, District 10, District 11, Phu Nhuan or Binh Thanh.

Main space area when working offline.

Main space area when working offline.

Exquisite Office must have a coffee shop, a kitchen and room for 100 people

The Tinh Te office is where the Tinh Te brothers work, later there is Khac Ten, a leather goods making unit that I am also the owner of, then the photography and filming team and other support teams. That adds up to a few dozen people, so I always want there to be a coffee shop in the office, first of all to serve everyone here, so buying water or anything doesn't cost anything.

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In that space there is also a canteen, or also called a kitchen. There is a barista-style counter run by a barista instructor, so the coffee here, in my opinion, is better than most outside shops in Saigon. The kitchen takes care of breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner for everyone.

Bar counter and kitchen, place to take care of coffee and food for everyone in the office

Panorama of the main space.

In addition, the new place must meet the following criteria:

• Space large enough to accommodate 50, 60, 70 or 100 people for offline, workshops, product launches or experience sessions with fellow members.
• There is room to take photos and film content for Tinh Te and other platforms that Tinh Te participates in.
• Has office, toilet, storage.

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The space is nearly 300 m² and the idea immediately came to mind when walking around

This position was what the administrative staff was looking for. I looked at the location and the map and decided to choose it. When I got there, I agreed even more because the floor was very large, nearly 300 m², and there were two more floors. At that time, the premises were in the middle of being repaired. The landlord said that the previous tenant intended to build a supermarket or something, so he arranged a lot of things, divided many rooms, built many walls and corrugated iron roofs, everything was very messy.

The floor plan when I first came to see it was still in the process of being repaired

After walking around, I had an idea in my head. I look at where the wall is built, where the wall is erected, where the columns are, where the beams are, and then divide the zones as follows:

• The front includes a parking lot and a few available small rooms that will be combined into one space, creating a space for you to experience offline, with a coffee counter.
• Enter Khac Ten's showroom a little bit, where people come to see and buy leather goods, SEN wallets, stickers, leather cases, phone stickers, and camera straps. This is a leather goods business designed and manufactured by us in Vietnam.
• Behind the ground floor is my office.
• The ground floor has a studio for filming heavy items such as refrigerators and washing machines. Although there is a pulley system to pull goods upstairs, it is not used for such heavy items. This studio has a nice flat floor and a suitable lighting system to film and review the cleaning robot.
• The 1st floor has a restaurant, office, and bathroom.
• The 2nd floor has a large studio for filming TV and PC, along with a working room for filming and taking photos, and another working room.

Current status when I received the premises:

Stairs area.

The facade when receiving the premises.

Vineyard area at rough ground level.

Main space before and after.

Wooden table over 10 years old and grape trellis in the atrium

Behind my office is an area like a skylight, where I plant grapes so that they grow to cover everything, the sun is still shady, and the rain does not fall strongly. Under the grape arbor is a wooden table that I made when I was in February 3. It has accompanied the office and Delicate Coffee for more than 10 years. Those of you who don't want to sit in the air conditioner can sit there. At night we often eat and drink on that table for fun.

Grape trellis in the atrium, below is a wooden table that has followed Tinh Te for more than 10 years

This area is like a hub, from inside to the toilet, kitchen, studio or other areas all pass through there, so everyone almost meets each other here.

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The facade only has cemboard and iron, a bit brutalism

If you see the outside picture from before, it is completely different from now. I built a new wall to cover the old wall. The facade uses almost only one material: cemboard, the border is iron, so from the outside looking in there is only cemboard and iron.

Current condition of the facade when receiving the premises.

New facade, almost only cemboard panels and iron borders

Anyone who studies architecture will see that it has a bit of brutalism from the 1950s, with few colors, only straight lines and simple colors like cement. Like Coruscant in Star Wars or the planets in Dune, especially the planet of the Harkonnen family. I'm not that person, I just like something simple, clean, without many details. Inside, in most areas, we also choose those two types of materials, simple unadorned colored cement panels and iron decorative lines, that's it.

Part 2 will talk about the materials, technology and solutions I use to create a quiet, harmonious, clean and cool space. Please stay tuned.