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A spiraling wooden staircase or one hidden in a 'straw stack' give these houses an elevated sense of character. A blue curving staircase colors the interior of this semi-detached villa in a busy Hanoi neighborhood. According to architects, the staircase was one of the most complicated parts to construct, taking them one month to finish. Photo by Tuan Nghia Nguyen. The staircase descends to a basement apartment reserved for domestic staff. Photo by Tuan Nghia Nguyen. Located in Hanoi's Son Tay Town, the 157-square-meter lake-skirting house reflects a typically northern Vietnamese design, complete with wooden furniture, thatched roof and a "hidden" staircase evoking a rice straw stack. Photo by Hiroyuki Oki. A closer look at the staircase. Photo by Hiroyuki Oki. An 85-meter-square house in Saigon's District 7 features a wooden staircase that gives its homeowners the feeling of "ascending to paradise." It is structured with wooden bars designed between