FARMING ARCHITECTS VỚI LIÊN HOAN KIẾN TRÚC THẾ GIỚI TẠI BERLIN- ĐỨC WAF 2018

DỰ ÁN BAN CÔNG SINH THÁI CỦA FARMING ARCHITECTS ĐÃ VINH DỰ LỌT VÀO CHUNG KẾT LIÊN HOAN KIẾN TRÚC THỂ GIỚI TẠI BERLIN- ĐỨC NĂM 2018

Wake up spaces: ECO- Balcony, Hanoi, Vietnam, Farming Architects

– Hanoi after the 1975, (the end of the war with USA) undertake a rapid and uncontrolled urbanization growth. Its population increase from 880 thousand to 7.5 millions of people, and the need of welcome the new inhabitant came at the expenses of green and public spaces leaving Hanoi today to be a true concrete jungle Hanoi city is in great need to update and increase its infrastructure and new project are actually taking place, but these projects are destroying the legacy between nature and its citizen, eradicating a already depleted aspect of the city: Its GREEN.

– In 2016 to allow the construction of an elevated rail line (the first in Hanoi) 170, 150 years old tree were cut down. The population protested vigorously against the cutting of the natural heritage but the government for the sake of profit did not modified its plan.

– Balconies in Hanoi are neglected spaces as noises, dusts, air pollution, and high heat, create an unhealthy environment for its inhabitant. ECO- Balcony aims to act as a boundary between the atmospheric condition in Hanoi and the living space in the house allowing inhabitant to regain the use of an otherwise waste space.

– Acting as filter that mitigate the issue relate with the atmosphere in the city, air filtering plants are place on the outside layer of the structure to facilitate a reduction of the pollution, dust and noises getting inside the house. Those plants also help to screen out the direct Sunlight avoiding an increase of temperature of the internal spaces. This allow for a bigger balcony opening reducing the needs of artificial light during the day, common problem with most Vietnamese dark houses. Water features help by heat exchange to lower the temperature of hot air and decrease the uses of air-condition.

– Aquaponics is a system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment.

Excretions from the fish being raised accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. The water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down by nitrifying bacteria initially into nitrites and subsequently into Nitrates, which are utilized by the plants as nutrients, and the water is then recirculate back to the aquaculture system. Aquaponic systems do not discharge water, but instead recirculate and reuse water very effectively. The system relies on the relationship between the animals and the plants to maintain a stable aquatic environment that experience a minimum of fluctuation in ambient nutrient and oxygen levels. The system is designed with energy conservation in mind, using renewable energy (solar panel) and a reduced number of pumps by letting the water flow downwards as much as possible.

– Eco Balcony uses a language deriving from the use of its main materials: metal reinforcement rod for concrete. This material is widely available in Vietnam and uses a simple technique of welding to create the structure.This technique is accessible to all Vietnamese, and give the freedom to create a flexible and adaptable structure that can be easily implemented to all the different sites. The structure also works as a space organizer where different feature, from lighting to planted box can be easily implemented giving a wide range of customization to suit people needs. This customization capability fit well with the cultural aspect of Vietnamese people: “do it yourself” approach. ECO- balcony is only 5m², definitely not a big space, but this small neglected space is present in all the houses in Hanoi, therefore it could have a big impact in the cityscape. We wish the spread of this small intervention could create a more eco friendly Hanoi city