Domain Expert Guidance
Course Material
flights
hotels
local & airport transfers
breakfast & dinner
visas
entry fees
The Architecture Experience – Vietnam takes participants on a 13 day journey across the country of Vietnam exploring projects which showcase sustainable practices through different perspectives and interpretations. The immersive experience gives students a chance to go beyond academic perceptions of Vernacular Sustainability, which focuses on integrating a sense of structural innovation with wide, open spaces, increased ventilation, usage of local resources, and building materials with cooling factors.
VAC Library by Farming Architects, Image © Thai Thach, Viet Dung An
Image on top – Naman Retreat the Babylon hotel, Image © Hiroyuki Oki
13
days
20
participants
3
cities
What is The Architecture Experience - Vietnam?
The best approach to growing as an architect is to learn from experiencing and observing. The Architecture Experience Vietnam aims to do just that – to take an existing project proposal and enhance its core architectural values by incorporating the ideals of Vernacular Sustainability studied on this tour. The Experience will be a thirteen day long curated educational tour for up to twenty participants, across 3 cities in Vietnam.
These visits will focus on observing and learning about the importance of site sensitivity, different architectural techniques – active and passive, importance of material selection and other aspects vital to sustainability. The visits will foster a deep understanding of building with nature with an inclination to local materials and techniques, while working on a documentation capstone project will collate the learning of Vernacular Sustainability ideals on contemporary architecture.
Itinerary
In the 13 days, participants will get to work on their own capstone project in sync with their subjects in college or work. These projects will be relevant for an urban landscape, with inspiration taken from places visited during this Experience.
Bêtania by atelier OBJECTIFS. Image © Julien Barro
Day 1
Morning arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Orientation on the structure of the tour visits and project. Finalisation of teams and the participants’ individual roles and responsibilities within the team will be defined.
Places to visit: Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature.
Day 2
Topics of discussion: Spatial design principles, efficient planning, macro logic strategies.
Places to visit: Hanoi Museum, Sentia school, VAC library, studio visit – Farming Architects / 1+1>2 Architects.
Day 3/4
Topics of discussion: Eco resorts and sustainable material construction.
Places to visit: Flamingo Dai Lai.
Late night arrival on day 4 in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Day 5
Topics of discussion: Versatility of bamboo, Green Facades.
Places to visit: Naman Retreat the Babylon, Naman Retreat beach bar, Atlas Hotel.
Day 6
Day trip to Huế.
Topics of discussion: Low-cost passive methods of cooling, rainwater harvesting, self-sufficiency.
Places to visit: Bêtania, studio visit – atelier OBJECTIFS.
Day 7/8
Topics of discussion: Creating a microclimate within a minimalist form and material selection.
Places to visit: 43 Factory Coffee Roaster, Cuckoo House, Terra Cotta Studio by Tropical Space.
Day 9
Early morning arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Topics of discussion: Renovation of heritage buildings, natural light and ventilation.
Places to visit: Saigon Central Post Office, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, Fine Arts Museum, De La Sol Work & Exhibition space, studio visit- Tropical Space.
Day 10
Topics of discussion: Flexibility and strength of bamboo, the fusion of traditional & modern styles.
Places to visit: Diamond Island Community Centre, Wind & Water Cafe, studio visit – Vo Trong Nghia Architects / MIA Design Studio.
Day 11
Topics of discussion: Spatial Planning for Sustainable – Urban Micro Homes.
Places to visit: 3 X 10 House, T- House, Saigon House, Breathing House, studio visit – DD Concept/ A21 Studio.
Day 12/13
Culmination of the tour, brief on submission of proposals.
Departure to India or home country.
Days 4 and 8 are free days for the participants to explore the cities.
Upcoming batches
How Much Does It Cost?
INR 130,000 / $1,700
The price includes flights ex-India. The price without flights is $1,300.
What does the cost include?
*Flights are ex-Kolkata/New Delhi
Our Partners
People
Nikita sharma
National University of Singapore
Curator & Tour leader - The Architecture Experience
Ankit Berry
Vo Trong Nghia Architects
Curator & Tour leader - The Architecture Experience
Testimonials
The panelists were really considerate of our requirements and everything went well. The experience was really good and helpful. Meeting new people helped me understand their views and perceptions in different topics in architecture. And the studio visits helped me understand a lot of topics related to technicality and sustainability, specially the visits to Takashi Niwa and bhA architects. It was also great to interact with other colleges’ students, and exchange portfolios.
Deepali Naidu
2nd Year, BMS college of Architecture, Bangalore (Participant, July 2019)
The Architecture Experience was a great experience as I got to know what analysis actually was. Sustainability refers to solving existing problems, and not just installing solar panels! The stay and visits were planned well. Mohor shared a lot of her own experiences as a student which also helped. I got many of my architecture related doubts cleared which I couldn't solve before, along with an understanding of functionality and aesthetic. I got many questions answered and I'm satisfied.
Pauras Narvekar
3rd Year, Goa College of Architecture, Goa (Participant, June 2019)
The Architecture Experience Vietnam was a great experience for me since before this, I felt a little out of place and wanted motivation to move ahead - so this trip really helped me with that and helped me understand my profession better. It was good to see sustainable architecture in real life, and see real life interpretation of subjects like building construction and architectural design. I also loved interactions with fellow participants.
Sagarika Kaushik
4th Year, Vastu Kala Academy, Delhi (Participant, July 2019)
Sustainable Development Goals
All our Experiences are aimed at implementing and solving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. Goal no. 17 ‘Partnerships for the Goals’ is key to our Experiences, since we work with a global team of experts to be able to add value to the learning of the participants. The Architecture Experience Vietnam focuses on 3 of the Goals primarily.
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
– Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
– By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing
– By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement
– By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
– By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
– Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
FAQs
– Students and fresh graduates from architecture colleges and related fields
– Young professionals from architecture, design and related fields who want to explore Vernacular Sustainability in Vietnam
Young architects could benefit exponentially from observing contemporary Vietnamese architecture as the pros and cons architects deal with in Vietnam are largely similar to that in tropical regions like India. Issues like high population density, space premium, harsh climate and limited financial resources are common. Likewise, advantages like abundant natural material resources, readily available labour and traditional knowhow in the construction field are also common. Vietnam has produced innovative yet feasible architecture that is both aesthetically pleasing and functionally efficient. Budding architects would benefit from experiencing architecture that intelligently blends the best of the old and new, the built and the open.
Yes! This Experience will take up to 20 participants. These participants will be split into smaller teams to execute projects which are designed to give added value to their ongoing projects (school or live).
The Architecture Experience is designed with the intent of enhancing architectural understanding. To this end, a short capstone project is included as part of the experience. The participants will explore methods of observation and documentation while focusing on ideologies of Vernacular Sustainability and its applications.
This Experience will focus on observing and learning about the importance of site sensitivity, different architectural techniques – active and passive, importance of material selection and other aspects vital to sustainable architecture, which are important tenets of contemporary and new age architecture, be it urban or non urban.
Yes! From a logistics point of view, this price includes the cost of accommodation, flights, visas, breakfast and dinner, local and airport transfers, and entry fees where applicable.
“
A building can only be understood by moving around and through it, and by experiencing the modulation, and feel the spaces one moves through - from outside into verandah, then rooms, passages, courtyards. Architecture cannot be totally explained but must be experienced."
Geoffrey Bawa
Contact Us
Sentia School by 1+1>2 architects. Image © Do Minh Duc
If you’d like to know more about The Architecture Experience – Vietnam, please fill out this form, and one of us llamas will get back to you shortly.