Applying Eco-Features of Traditional Vietnamese Houses to Contemporary High-Rise Housing

Abstract

This paper focuses on the potential applications of eco-features in Vietnamese traditional folk houses to contemporary high-rise housing. One of the main characteristics of traditional folk houses is that they are designed with a deep understanding of and respect for nature. This type of housing also expresses the way of life of its users, having evolved over generations while adapting to their needs, culture, and environment. Whereas the traditional Vietnamese houses can be an important source in the creation of a Vietnamese architectural identity, the design-with-nature approach and its unique characteristics are, however, scarcely found in the contemporary high-rise housing in Vietnam. The objective of this research is to investigate the potential applications of eco-features in Vietnamese traditional folk houses to contemporary high-rise urban housing. Initially, this study examines the unique spatial characteristics of the traditional folk houses typical in northern Vietnam. In particular, four houses at the Duong Lam Village in northern Vietnam are reviewed. Some of the ecological design elements are extracted from the spatial composition of the typical Vietnamese folk houses in relation to the local climate conditions and the Vietnamese lifestyle (vernacular culture). Finally, this paper attempts to develop new housing models in urban Vietnam, employing the ecological elements learned from the preceding assessment.