The Twins Boutique is a clothing shop in the main floor of a family owned lane-house. To transform this house into a retail environment, a continuous surface or ‘shell’ was built within the existing space. This shell encompasses all functions of the project; it creates a separation from the residences beyond, conceals AC units and provides an armature for the lighting, retail display and transaction counter. The shell extends outdoors through the existing glazing to form an archway over the entrance and create a façade identity consistent with the interior language. The materials selected to construct the architecture tell a story of contemporary Vietnamese resourcefulness. 80% of the interior shell is composed of reclaimed wood. A taxonomy of white panels are applied in this spirit but within a strict framework of 600mm columns, lending the collage of materials a more refined and deliberate contemporary language. The rougher shell intersects with traditional Vietnamese lacquered display boxes to create a juxtaposition of old and new. A palette of tropical pastel colors was developed for the lacquered areas to reflect the urban fabric of Saigon’s colourful streets.