It is about 450 miles from Quang Binh province in the middle of Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the noisy, frenetic commercial capital in the south. But Vo Trong Nghia's journey from one place to the other has less to do with mileage than it does with the radical change in life experiences that came with the move. Born in rural Quang Binh in a house without electricity, Vo helped care for his family's cows as a boy. Today he and his two partners'Takashi Niwa and Masaaki Iwamoto'run a thriving practice with about 15 people in their HCMC office and 10 in Hanoi. The firm has worked on projects in various parts of Vietnam, designed the country's pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, and is even involved in a few projects in Mexico. It's a long way from Quang Binh.
Or not. Vo says that his architecture is rooted in the lessons he learned in his childhood. When you live in a hot, humid place without air-conditioning, you understand the need for shade, water, and natural ventilation. You grasp in a very direct and meaningful way the connection between buildings and their environments. You know the versatility of local materials such as bamboo and how to use them. All of this informs Vo's architecture, whether he is designing a small caf' surrounded by a cooling ring of water, a modern townhouse with stacks of lush planters on the front and back, or a school for 800 students that blurs the boundaries between indoors and out.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.