Architectural and planning solutions for sustainable cities in Vietnam

Many creative ideas have been raised and discussed among local and foreign experts at a webinar with the theme “Architectural solutions for ecological urban cities” held on January 15.

Delegates attend the webinar. Photo: Khanh Khanh

Speaking at the webinar, jointly held by the Vietnam Association of Architects and Dulux Professional, Chairman of the association Phan Dang Son highlighted the role of architectural approaches in ecological urban cities.

“There is a growing demand for developing green and ecological urban cities in Vietnam. Supporting this ambition is one of our commitments made in 2012," he added.

Currently, the process of urbanization and excessive exploitation and improvement of nature has led to a series of consequences for cities. On the other hand, the revolution in digital technology and smart technology is developing like a storm, making Vietnam is a fast-growing economy in Asia with great potential to build large-scale urban cities including ecological ones. 

Son underlined this strong growth is leading to how to balance development with the impact on the natural environment, as well as requiring creative solutions from many fields such as architectural design and construction materials.

In that situation, ecological urban areas with outstanding features such as green space, green environmental quality, the harmony of urban ecology, and natural ecosystem are identified as an inevitable need for improving the quality of living space and environment according to the criteria of green, healthy and sustainable development.

Through sharing at the workshop, industry experts have clarified how to reach environmental goals, efficiently use energy, reduce human impact on the environment amongst other topics.

Some comments agreed building an ecological urban area needs to be paid attention to. This is the urban land use planning to ensure the harmony between technical and social infrastructure with green space and water surface. 

The system of trees and water surface not only helps to regulate the air but also creates a landscape and increases the aesthetics of the city. However, ecological urban areas also need to have their own criteria and principles for planning as well as architecture, according to delegates.

My Lan Nguyen, General Director of Decorative Paints, AkzoNobel Vietnam said it is an inevitable trend to build ecological urban cities, especially in the coming years as environmental issues have become more pressing as evidenced by the discussions at COP26. 

“We have constantly made investments in research to produce innovative paints and coatings with sustainable features for project channels, as well as made commitments to the development of ecological urban cities,” she added.

“Through this webinar, we hope to create a forum for experts to share their experiences and perspectives, from which we could achieve essential solutions for Vietnam’s urban cities.”