In 2012, Võ Trọng Nghĩa turned to meditation to cope with anger and unhappiness. His commitment led him to a monastery in Myanmar, where he stayed for about three years.

Since then, meditation has shaped his design ethos and approach. Nghĩa views meditation as an essential tool for personal and professional clarity.

Nghĩa believes meditation contributes to the sustainability of his work by encouraging compassion for all living things.
Courtesy of VTN Architects

The staff at VTN Architects spend an hour meditating every day after work. Nghĩa says meditation simplifies architecture by improving concentration and quieting the wandering mind.

Nghĩa highlights the benefits of having his staff meditate, asserting that it speeds up the design process.
Courtesy of VTN Architects

He emphasises that we are disconnected from nature and ourselves. He advocates for mental healing, believing that it will naturally lead to environmental restoration.

The Farming Kindergarten provides an example of how architecture can foster a connection with nature. The design of the kindergarten incorporates a roof that also operates as a community farm.

An integrated rooftop farm allows children to participate in urban agriculture at the Farming Kindergarten in Đồng Nai.
© Hiroyuki Oki

Nghĩa is best known for his use of traditional materials, particularly bamboo. His choice of bamboo is rooted in practicality, as it is a cheap and abundant resource in Vietnam.

Today he is globally recognised as a leader in bamboo construction. However, the start of his journey was an uphill battle.

After a period of study in Japan, he struggled to find clients upon his return to Vietnam. He took matters into his own hands and built the Wind and Water Café, becoming his own first client.

The Wind and Water Café in Bình Dương was built using 7,000 pieces of bamboo.
© Hiroyuki Oki

Nghĩa outlines the process of using bamboo in architecture, beginning with the structural system before moving on to the joint details. The structural system, he emphasises, is crucial in defining the spatial quality of the building.

He also underscores the importance of bamboo treatment, which involves soaking it in water and then smoking it. This treatment can extend a bamboo structure’s life to over 50 years, and even up to 100 years.

But how do we apply vernacular techniques in urban settings, where challenges like pollution and noise abound? Nghĩa advocates integrating natural elements to combat these urban stressors, enhancing city living conditions.

He points to his House for Trees project as an example. This project functions as a “pocket park”, where integrated greenery acts as a natural barrier against pollution, noise, and intense sunlight.

The House for Trees in Ho Chi Minh City is composed of five separate concrete blocks capped with lush greenery.
© Hiroyuki Oki

The Bat Trang House exemplifies Nghĩa’s use of vernacular techniques in novel ways. Its standout feature is a double-skin facade that filters the surrounding air and noise pollution.

The double-skin system of the Bat Trang House sandwiches a layer of greenery between residents and the urban setting of Hanoi.
© Hiroyuki Oki

We must first heal our inner selves before we can heal the planet, says Nghĩa. This is more than a fanciful philosophy. Nghĩa’s unique brand of architecture may emerge from idealism, but it is wholeheartedly rooted in pragmatism.

While modern sustainability solutions are important, Nghĩa shows us that sometimes they distract us from the more subtle, unexpected solutions that are already within reach.