One red brick home in a row of nearly-identical dwellings definitely doesn’t blend in anymore after the addition of a decorative white brick shell that dramatically modernizes the home without completely rebuilding it. Vietnamese firm Landmak Architecture devised this screen to perk up the space, which is located in a once-posh and expensive area that’s now a little neglected after an economic crisis. “We want this place to be reborn, with a new form (full of energy, romantic, peaceful with an awareness of security,” say the designers.

The new facade creates some separation between the street and the home itself, allowing much of the brick to be replaced with glazing for maximum sunlight exposure indoors without sacrificing privacy. The interiors are obscured from view, yet from inside, they feel light and breezy. The design also allows for two new lush courtyards on either end of the house, open to the sun, rain and wind.

On the upper levels, the screen conceals balconies that provide additional indoor/outdoor spaces on the edges of the kitchen and bedrooms, allowing the occupants to enjoy the outdoors in a way that’s almost disconnected from their real environment in a very ordinary suburban neighborhood. In addition to installing the facade, the architects added an additional level, raising the roof to the maximum height allowed within the building code.