◆Houses: Vo Trong Nghia & The Work Of Vtn Architects -9781946226952

Since its founding in 1977, Cutler Anderson Architects has evolved to understand that the ultimate objective of any architectural design is to reveal what is true about all of the circumstances of a project. From place to program, from materials to shape, all components need to be understood and designed into a harmonious whole that reveals each component’s nature. This genuinely rigorous task has been both the focus and the intellectual stimulant of our practice and, it is hoped, will continue to be our passion in the future. This single-minded attitude has led to successful and award winning projects on three continents. The firm’s staff of fourteen is currently engaged in both residential and commercial projects throughout ten states, plus Poland and the Czech Republic. Our ultimate goal on every project is to produce projects that are not only beautiful but also emotionally enlightening.

◆Bamboo Architecture: Vo Trong Nghia & The Work of VTN Architects -9781946226457

“I think bamboo is the right material for creating a new architectural language unique to Vietnam.” Vo Trong Nghia With the climate crisis raging and awareness of humanity’s detrimental impact on the environment now patently apparent, the need for architects to come up with sustainable new solutions has never been more pressing. A key part of any green approach to architecture is the use of local natural materials with a low environmental impact. Bamboo, which has been widely used in Asian architecture for centuries as scaffolding and for bridges, pavilions, houses and other structures, is an ideal material in this context: lightweight, strong and readily available. In an effort to meet the challenges of the 21st century, VTN Architects has developed few ways of working with two species of bamboo in particular: the flexible “Tam Vong” (Thyrsostachys oliveri Gamble) and sturdier “Luong” (Dendrocalamus barbatus), creating a manufacturing workflow that allows for the production of standardized modules, a knitting technique that enables the material to span large distances and environmentally friendly traditional treatments such as mud-soaking and smoking. In Bamboo Architecture we see how these methods have been applied in award-winning, groundbreaking projects such as the Wind and Water Café, Diamond Island Community Center, and the majestic Vedana Restaurant, alongside an illuminating introduction by Masaaki Iwamoto and an interview with the studio principal Vo Trong Nghia who offers an inspiring vision for the future of natural, green architecture.

◆Green Architecture: Vo Trong Nghia & The Work of VTN Architects -9781946226464

“Vietnamese cities have lost their tropical beauty. They have turned into concrete jungles just like Bangkok or Jakarta.” Vo Trong Nghia In a context of rapid urbanization and environmental crisis, Vietnam, like many other countries across the world, requires innovative new architectural solutions to improve the lives of its urban residents. Green Architecture showcases the multi-faceted responses to these challenges conceived by the award winning studio VTN Architects, led by Vo Trong Nghia, in which the emphasis is placed on bringing greenery back to cities in a holistic and sustainable manner. Through detailed illustrated breakdowns of a series of building projects such as The Babylon Hotel, House for Trees and Nanoco Headquarters, as well as several schools, educational institutions and apartment buildings, and enlightening texts including an interview with the architect, this book explores how Vo Trong Nghia and his team draw on their experience and philosophy to help restore the connection between architecture and nature. “Green architecture means being friendly with the environment, not just planting trees,” Nghia says, and in these pages we see those sentiments reflected in the flow and design of his buildings, which transcend functionality to foster a sense of community in a way that is drawing admiration and setting an example across Southeast Asia and much further afield.