ARCHITECT HOANG THUC HAO - THE WINNER OF THE ROBERT MATHEWS AWARD FOR HUMANE AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTS (UIA)

The award ceremony took place on July 6, 2023 at the 2023 International Congress of Architects held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The award was given to the architect Hoang Thuc Hao (Vietnam) for projects that emphasize a sense of connection, creating a friendly environment for the lives of local people. In particular, with the Workers' Village Project, architect Hoang Thuc Hao has contributed to rebuilding the lives of workers, encouraging connections between neighbors through shared yards and corridors as well as care activities. garden,...

The Lao Cai Workers' Village project was created for workers who work away from home but have a social and neighborly nature. The design creates a cozy living environment with rows of homes surrounding communal areas, which are situated among lush trees and close to the outdoors. The complex consists of 4 blocks that are spaced apart by roughly 2.5m and connected by corridors. The arc-shaped building bricks create a green core in the middle by following the natural contour. Suction funnels and convective air flow are produced by the spaces between the blocks and the ladder positions. The architecture of the house is sleek, facing north to south to stay out of the hot sun and provide natural light and airflow to every room. A concrete frame structure in the shape of a tree is used in the facade's design. When attending along the corridor, a unique shadow effect is produced by the facade's tree-shaped concrete frame structure, which is coupled with flowerbeds and climbing plants to block the sun. The layout minimizes the leveling of landfills and makes use of the terrain's natural slopes to create terraced fields that are typical of the Northern hilly region. In addition to the courtyard that separates the rows of homes, local agricultural products and vegetables are also grown on the roof space. In order to reduce concerns about eating unhealthy or hazardous food and to give workers a place to unwind after work, they tend to the garden themselves, harvest it, and buy and sell agricultural goods. Tanks are led into each level for automatic watering and are filled with domestic effluent, rainwater, and treated surface water. The links between housing, utility services, public areas, gardens, shared playgrounds, soccer fields, volleyball courts, and swimming pools enable locals to live in a sociable, sustainable village.