World Architecture Festival: in this movie we filmed, architect Vo Trong Nghia explains how the house he designed with a vertical garden on its facade incorporates natural daylighting and ventilation systems that are invaluable in Vietnam, which experiences heavy rain and high temperatures, but often suffers day-long power shortages.
Named Stacking Green, the building won the award in the house category at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore earlier this month and is located in Ho Chi Minh City.
"In Vietnam we have many problems with energy and electricity, it can stop many times a day," Nghia tells Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs. During these times light is able to filter into the house through the inner wall of glazing, but the twelve layers of plants in front prevent direct sunlight from passing through and increasing the internal temperature.
Natural ventilation also comes through this planted facade. "To invite wind into the house you open a window and then the air goes through the vertical garden," he says. "Even when it is raining you can open the windows."
Nghia also discusses how Vietnam is "developing so quick," but shouldn't fall into the easy trap of following the architectural styles of western countries. "The climate is totally different, yet we almost do the same thing," he says, before explaining why he designed this house for the continuous "hot summer" rather than for the changing seasons of Europe.
Read more about Stacking Green in our earlier story, or see more stories about Vo Trong Nghia.
We’ve filmed a series of interviews with award winners at the World Architecture Festival. See all the movies we’ve published so far, including our interview with architect Chris Wilkinson about the World Building of the Year.
See all our stories about WAF 2012 »