Winner: Civic building of the year 2019. Viettel Academy is an educational centre within a training campus near Hanoi, Vietnam by Vo Trong Nghia Architects.
The campus provides short-term accommodation and training courses for the staff of Vietnamese telecommunications group Viettel. With a cooling microclimate, the campus buildings are surrounded by lakes and abundant green space. The educational centre consists of 12 blocks, ranging from two to five storeys high, accommodating classrooms, meeting rooms, halls, and offices. These blocks are connected by multi-level circulation paths, offering views and quiet areas for studying, and are surrounded by a pool, which helps to regulate its microclimate.

A lightweight concrete roof covers the majority of semi-outdoor spaces, sheltering them from rain and limiting direct sunlight, whilst also functioning as sky walk. The centre's central location within the campus makes it accessible from the housing and other facilities. The project has been designed to create a quiet and peaceful space for the Viettel trainees to focus on their studies away from the nearby busy city.

Judges comments: Judges said that this project is “incredibly experiential, and architecturally very clever and well-calibrated”. They also added that the “juxtaposition of circulation, courtyard and building is very well articulated,” and that it’s “simply great architecture”.

Architect: Vo Trong Nghia Architects
Project: Viettel Academy
Winner of: Civic building of the year
Read more: Vo Trong Nghia Architects