VIETNAMESE ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTION
Vietnamese originally inhabited the basin of the
Hong River Delta - Northern Vietnam, then moved
south, taking cultural aspects of their housing
construction to the new southern settlements.
HISTORY
Vietnamese architecture reflects its rich
history, blending indigenous styles with
Chinese, French, and modern influences.
Ancient structures like the Thăng Long
Imperial Citadel highlight traditional
designs, while French colonial buildings
add European flair.
Modern urbanization integrates
contemporary trends, preserving cultural
identity through pagodas, communal
houses, and historic landmarks.
CLIMATE
Vietnam has a hot and humid tropical monsoon
climate, with a long coastline and mountainous
terrain affecting local weather patterns.
The northern lowland experiences four seasons with
a short cold winter, while the central coastal lowland
faces intense summer heat and frequent typhoons.
The North has a cold winter where the temperature
sometimes drops down to 6 degrees Celsius, while
the temperature in the South remains stable
between 21 to 34 degrees Celsius.
The period of sunshine in the country annually is
between 1400 and 2800 hours. Relative humidity is
rather high in all regions, and usually over 77 percent.
MATERIALS
Materials applied are mostly nature based
lightweight rod structure including bamboo trees,
timbers, thatch, rattan, rammed mud, brick and so
forth.
Most of these materials originate from natural rain
forests, self-planted garden or wastes of agriculture
works. Lightweight material offers great potential
for insulation against the sun and extreme climate.
Low-class people often utilize low-cost materials
such as bamboo and rattan, going with mud wall
and thatch roof. Beside functions as primary
structure, bamboo frame are also applied in
rammed mud wall and thatched roof with high
insulation
BUILDING FEATURES
Composing group of blocks in a fragmented pattern.
The main block should be stretched east-west
direction and main façade should face south.
Providing a buffer space between interior and
exterior likes veranda space equipped with shading
devices.
Utilizing doors and windows with ventilated bars to
maximize the air circulation across spaces.
Applying two-layer roof for enhancing the
insulation of the roof
Applying the proper form for typhoon resistance
Incorporation of garden spaces through the
courtyards.
PASSIVE METHODS
JALLI SYSTEM
These facades feature openings, such as perforations
or louvers, which allow for the exchange of air
between the building interior and exterior.
By promoting airflow, ventilated facades help
regulate indoor temperatures, reduce humidity.
COURTYARD
By strategically positioning courtyards, architects
create pathways for air movement, allowing fresh air
to enter and circulate within the building.
Courtyards also provide shade and shelter, reducing
solar heat gain and enhancing thermal comfort.
CONTEMPORARY : NHÀ BÈ HOUSE
ARCHITECTS: TROPICAL SPACE
AREA: 432 M²
YEAR: 2022
The house is a cozy and peaceful place for four middle-aged
women and their mother. They wish to spend the remaining
time of their life to come back and live together in a home,
especially looking after their mom. That is a nice way to
continue writing and filling in fractured memories of
childhood.
The site has the shape of a long rectangle that accommodates
five bedrooms, an open living room connected to the garden
and the front yard, and common spaces attached together
continuously – they embrace a central void to demand two
aims: separating individual needs and bringing
communication of family members inside the house.
CLIMATIC RESPONSE
Within the settlement, there is a palm canal
crossing. Therefore, the microclimate here is
satisfactory, especially on hot summer days,
because winds absorb moisture from that
canal when flowing through the residential
area. The outdoor environment is cooler.
The big house is designed with a pitched
roof. The central void is opened to the attic,
which is used as a worship space. This floor
acts as a transitional gap to prevent the heat
impact of solar radiation from the top at
noon. Winds containing moisture evaporated
from the canal move inside through
openings and the brick wall layer.
CONTEMPORARY: EcoBreeze House
ARCHITECTS: A+ Architects
AREA: 330 M²
YEAR: 2023
The design team aims to create a house that is closely
connected to the nature and climate of Vietnam. Here,
the house itself can "breathe", creating a living space that
is intimate with the surrounding environment.
This project brings a fresh approach as the homeowners
have chosen to use a steel structure instead of
conventional reinforced concrete. Additionally, they
desire to incorporate a significant amount of wood
materials to create a harmonious living space with
nature.
CLIMATIC RESPONSE
this project has implemented an intelligent
solution called the "Double Skin Facade."
This structure consists of a thermal wood
louver system on the outside, combined with
an inner sliding glass system. It can be
considered a two-in-one solution, addressing
both the factors of sunlight and wind.
The kitchen is moved to the center of the
main functional block on the ground floor,
combined with an overhead skylight to
create a perfect vertical axis that connects
with nature.
VERNACULAR: Suoi Re Village Community
House
ARCHITECTS:1+1>2 Architects
YEAR: 2010
The increase gap between urban and rural areas due
to the urbanization and the economic development
has made the social relationship increasingly loose
and be in danger of disintegration.
In the remote villages, the spaces for communal
activities, kindergartens, health care stations, post
offices, libraries seem to be luxuries.It has good Feng
Shui, leans on mountains, avoids storms, flash
floods and faces towards the valley.
CLIMATIC RESPONSE
Wide veranda with lawns act as a
green cushion with high visibility.
Ground floor is designed to fit the
concave slopes, utilizing
geothermal. It can avoid east
northern monsoon (which is very
dry and cold in the winter) and
collect east-southern monsoon ̣
(that makes the house warm in
winter and cool in summer).
The ground floor, villagers
gather, doing the sidelines.
Especialy, young children and the
elderly may be staying here
during the very cold or hot times
of the years.
BUILING MATERIAL
Ground floor is made of rugged-stone
wall, bamboo doors, fine-bamboo
ceiling those make people feel warm
and balance in the house.
Upstairs is made of brown and smooth
rammed-soil wall with heavy stones
beneath, bamboo frames, palm leaves
roof.
Solar cell system, filter rainwater
collection tanks, geothermal, monsoon,
power-saving LEDs, five-compartment
septic tanks which is not polluted. They
are the test solutions of green
architecture, energy efficient and
friendly environment .
