Designed by G8A Architects, the campus embodies innovation with its diverse programs seamlessly interconnected by an Academic loop. At its core lies a multi-function building, serving as the heart of the campus.
With a focus on fostering creativity and connectivity, the Singapore International School in Hai Phong promises to be a leading through-train Education and Training provider in the city.

The project embodies the theme of “Pizza through Vietnamese Heritage”, one of the three of the series, and unveils a sophisticated exploration of traditional floating habitats. This architectural narrative transcends mere dining spaces, evolving into a profound discourse on cultural identity and spatial experience.

Catering to both kindergarten and primary education with its ten classrooms, the school embraces a vibrant chromatic palette, strategically employed to foster an environment conducive to creativity.

Designed with a “corridor-less” layout, the classrooms are seamlessly connected along a recreational promenade, catering to the needs of all children. This spatial arrangement encourages interaction and exploration, promoting a sense of community within the school environment.

Photograph by Duy Thanh

Envisioned as an evolutive organism planned to grow in three set phases. The cellular yard typology” continues from the learnings of earlier projects, such as High-Tech Landscape and Concrete Lace. This progressive series explores village typology observed in traditional Vietnamese living, offering shared space that responds to the growing needs of the community to reconnect with each other.

Masterplan and concept completed in 2017, first phase built in 2019, second and final phase expected to be completed in 2024.

Pictures by Newtecons, Hiroyuki Oki and G8A.

Situated lakeside just north of Geneva, the Villa, originally constructed in the 80s, and its 19th century annex, were in dire need of renovation. The transformation’s main focus reviewed energy consumption and offers adjustments that reintegrate the home into the unique landscape bordering the Leman Lake.

In collaboration with CollinFontaine Architectes.

Photograph by Think Utopia.

G8A Architects is pleased to announce Laurence Savy and Nguyen Duy Tan as new partners. This marks the beginning of a new generation at G8A Architects, as the firm continues to innovate and push the boundaries of architecture in Switzerland, Vietnam, and Singapore.
Alongside Manuel Der Hagopian and Grégoire Du Pasquier, Laurence Savy and Nguyen Duy Tan will bring forth vital and exhilarating reinforcement for G8A’s well-established expertise and architecture between East and West.

Erik’s talk, titled “Hot Air”, was amazingly inspiring-“a story where he has pushed for the integration of design and decarbonization in adapted reuse projects in Singapore’.

SAIGON TALKS are a series of presentations curated and co-organized by G8A Architects where invited specialists offer their insights on topics that influence or are influenced by the practice of architecture.

Thanks to all our partners who have supported us throughout this year and made this series of lectures possible: Dai Hoc Kien truc Ho Chi Minh for hosting the event; our partner Boydens Engineering; Wink Hotel Saigon Centre, who welcomed our speakers during their stay in HCMC; and Ashui.com for being our official media.

Initiated by the Hanoi Architects Association, a series of talks, including “Affordable and Social Housing: A Journey between East and West”, put into perspective different social housing models. Current G8A experiences in Singapore, Switzerland, China, and Vietnam have been presented.
In this episode, Manuel Der Hagopian shares with architects, developers, and agencies the challenges and opportunities, in a dynamic Vietnam context, of social housing, a subject that has been forgotten by architecture in Vietnam since the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 31st, 1991.

The effort, to break the generic row house block found in courtside Geneva, starts from inside with a vertical enclosure that traverses all levels, from the second floor to liveable basement area, which allows each of the eight individual houses to benefit from an abundance of natural light and dilatation of space throughout the all house.
The unfolded outdoor double height loggia treated as a common feature to both groups of four houses interferes intimately with the existing trees on site, while dialoguing at the territorial scale with the genius loci, the Mont Saleve.

G8A founding partner, Manuel Der Hagopian’s talk, titled The Village – Contemporary Appropriation of Heritage at Symposium “Future Heritage Constructing: Heritage Through Spatial Making & Mapping”, part of Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design, an event organized by RMIT University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

On 7th October, Grégoire DuPasquier, partner of G8A Architects, joined the grand opening of the Core 5 new factory in DEEP C Industrial Park of Hai Phong. Together, with Indochina Kajima, we achieved to answer some of the constraining issues of industrial projects.

G8A proposes to concentrate human activities fronting the street and open them as much as possible to the new green spine. The perspective is broken by undulating the road and playing with building setbacks. It gives the opportunity to plant trees and reduce parking.

Villages in the Sky is exploring a new sustainable vertical living organization for the Sub-Tropical Climate of Shenzhen.

Climate, Nature, Affordability, City and Community are the five pillars behind this design proposal that recognizes the power of society and culture, that aims to create a new model not only permeable to the community around it but charged with positive public symbolic value and identity public housing for the whole city.

Villages in the Sky can be seen as a sincere and honest interpretation of Shenzhen Urban Village, and its admirable public character trait.

“The new Public housing for South” is a community oriented scaled organism conceived as an affordable system made up of mini villages, incorporating garden where nature can be enjoyed by inhabitants. A limited of elements accommodates an array of facilities and public spaces, an inclusive organism opens to city and adaptable to the climate.

While affordable housing development is critical to alleviate the pressures on cities, designing and implementing these housing solutions across the country requires a lot of support from the government. The time is also now for architects, urban planners, and engineers to implement new design strategies for mass housing in Vietnam; it’s critical time to invest more significantly in exploring the new design model for Affordable Urban Housing in tropical Vietnam.

In that context, Manuel Der Hagopian and Nguyen Duy Tan from G8A Architects have launched the first studio of a series called Sustainable Urban Villages at Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh City. The Studio proposed to explore new possibilities for Utopic Social Housing in the tropically dense Mekong Delta region.

Strassenbahn Netzwerk, located on the central plaza, aims to connect all three buildings that form the piece urbaine: the affordable housing block, the office building that was completed by G8A in 2016, and the ETH school building that is a renovated heritage building.

The sporadic nature of the cables allows the span between the three buildings to create a well-shaded area on the plaza for activities and social meetings between users, a multifunctional public space that acts as a sustainable shelter.

On 22/04/2023, G8A Partner and Co-founder, Manuel Der Hagopian, presented his vision for future of Social and Affordable Housing in Vietnam at the Academy of Urban and Construction Managers, Hanoi, Vietnam. With experiences from Switzerland and Singapore, his speech emphasized the importance of planning, architecture, climate condition to develop a suitable and unique model of social housing in Vietnam. He highlighted as well the need of creating political momentum to answer to this core challenge for Vietnam!

Manuel urged the Australian sector to embrace thoughtful horizontal densification, arguing the benefits of community and sustainability. Observing the historical stigma of social housing in Australia, he pointed to the reverse in Singapore – where 80 per cent of the population live in social housing – and are so proud of it, it’s printed on the local currency.

The proposal submitted by G8A Architects and LOCALARCHITECTURE ranked 6th among 55 entries in the architectural competition “Academic UniHub – University of Neuchâtel”. The project is developed by the Republic and Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland with the intention of serving as a symbol of Neuchâtel’s ambition for excellence in teaching, research and innovation. The site of approximately 8,500 m2 brings together new classrooms, a learning center, a large 700-seat auditorium, as well as administrative spaces.

Congratulations to Bureau Berrel Krautler Architekten for the 1st prize!

G8A’s third project for the famous Pizza 4P’s restaurant group proposes a new experience of “eat a Pizza in a Forest”. After the mystical experience of the pine forest and the wild one of the native forest, both located in HCMC, this new exploration of the “Northern Vietnamese Forest” combines together the traditional stilt wooden house, surrounded by curved planters, at the image of the rice fields of the North of Vietnam.

Special thanks to all speakers: Amy Pope (Deputy Director General at IOM), Antonio Hodgers (Conseiller d’Etat), Francisca Elisabeth Mendez Escobar (Permanent Representative of Mexico to UN Office at Geneva), Michael Emery (Head of HR at IOM), Barbara Tirone (Competition Organizer) and Christophe Favre (Project director at IOM) for all the organization of the competition.
It was an honor as well to meet Mrs. Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Vietnam in Switzerland.
The exhibition will be open until December 2nd at CICG – International Conference Centre Geneva.

Together with Rollimarchini Architects, G8A won the Dezeen Awards 2022 Business Building of the year for the Jakob Factory in HCMC, Vietnam.

This award is one of the 11 architecture winners as decided by an esteemed international panel of judges (such as Sou Fujimoto, Rossana Hu or Hans Ulrich Obrist). This year’s award attracted over 5’400 entries from 90 countries around the world.

“Jakob Saigon factory” by Rollimarchini and G8A stood out against 359 exciting projects participated and were honored among 11 winners of the Arc Award 2022 for the best buildings of the year. The award ceremony was held on 9 November in Trafo Baden hall.

G8A Architects, in collaboration with LOCALARCHITECTURE, is proud to announce the winner award of the international architecture competition held by IOM (International Organization for Migration) to develop its new headquarters building in Geneva. We specially thank our consultants for their amazing collaboration on the project :  Transsolar KlimaEngineering, Schnetzer Puskas and Husler & Associates.

In the occasion of the Grand Opening of Ho Chi Minh Office Relocation of Boydens Engineering, G8A/Manuel Der Hagopian moderate the talk on the future of HCMC with outstanding experts:

Dirk Boydesn – CEO – Boydens Engineering Vietnam

Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan – Head of General Planning Division, HCMC DPA

Michiel Riedijk – CEO – Neutelings Riedijk Architects

Nguyen Hoang Manh – CEO – MIA Design Studio

Jakob Factory Saigon enters the last week of public voting for this year’s “Industry and Business” category of the Swiss architecture competition the Arc Award, one of the most important awards honoring the best buildings every year. Since the first call for entries in 2012, the Arc Award has developed into a recognized seal of quality and is a highly endowed Swiss architecture prize. Three independent expert juries select the winners in different categories, projects are also up for public nominaiton. Click HERE to participate

“La Table Hanoia” represent the architectural legacy of a colonialist past in harmony with the cultural heritage of Vietnamese craft. Now open in central Hanoi, the space revisits lacquer craft, paying witness to the design philosophy of the Hanoia brand.

The bar, safeguarded in its original location, stands iconic and central, bringing dynamic social energy to the space. This core element is sheltered under a series of green arches, molded of bespoke handcrafted lacquer.

As part of Marchifest 2022, G8A’s Lake Imprint will be unveiled along with ten other newly completed designs proposed by a range of Vietnamese architectural agencies. Responding to the theme “Architecture – Nature” the project proposes to reflect – through architectural intervention – on the impermanent nature of our environment. The Lang Nhot Lake, life source of the area of Dien Khanh ebbs and swells with time, subject to seasonal variations and human influence.

Lake Imprint offers a place for contemplation, a physical connection with the lakes water and a time to (re)think of our relation as architects with nature.

As part of the “Housing Dynamics and Revival” stream of the 12th Annual Affordable Housing Projects event, G8A will present a conference focussed on community engagement. The presentation will discuss the delivery of safe, connected and thriving communities, creating definable identities for housing projects, clarifying the diversity to be implemented within housing estates, and solutions for a mixed pattern city. The talk will be followed by site visits to Punggol Waterway Terraces and GreenRidges.

On the island state of Singapore live giants. These utopian constructs – massive structures built post-independence – sought to shape civil perfection. Born of architectural, political and social ideologies these buildings exist today as a backdrop to the human scale.

How did Singaporeans appropriate these projects? What does it mean to walk among these giants?

Through this exhibition curated by G8A, photographer KHOOGJ examines the truth of urban existence on ground level.

In collaboration with the Maison de l’Architecture of Genève and the Singapore-ETH Centre Future Cities Laboratory, Equatorial Utopia is now open unil the 12th of June at the Pavillon Sicli.

Open Tuesday to Friday 12-7PM, 11-5PM over weekends and with special nocturnal openings each Thursday until 9:30PM. Regular guided tours are also avaliable , offered by architects of the Maison de l’Architecture committee.

For more information: ma-ge.ch/evenement/equatorial-utopia

March sees the launch of Marchifest, the first architecture pavilion festival in Vietnam. Eleven projects that will be unveiled in May, during a full weekend of activities surrounding the theme “Architecture – Nature”
G8A proposes “Lake Imprint” a place for contemplation, a physical connection with the lakes water and a time to (re)think of our relation as architects with nature. The project offers to reflect – through architectural intervention – on the impermanent nature of our environment.

G8A’s first project for the infamous Pizza 4ps group proposes a mystical experience, transplanting an eerie forest ambiance into the stark mall context. By transporting the user into a highly organic and tactile space, the project questions the artificiality of these shopping environments.

The open plan is segmented by a variety of columns crafted of recycled wood. These column “trees” reintroduce curved and imprecise movements, common in natural environments, into the dense and consumerist space.

Announcing the first event of the year at TB80 Space “Le Concours Suisse, a culture of architecture” organised in conjunction with the #SwissWeeks2022 of the Embassy of Switzerland Singapore.
Curated by the l’Association Le Concours Suisse the exhibition gives the general public an insight into the spirit of Swiss competition.
For those in Singapore please feel welcome to book your viewing via rsvp@g8a-architects.com or the TB80 Space facebook page.

Dear friends of G8A,

An agitated year passes and we look forward to new beginnings in this Year of the Tiger. Wishing you and your families health, wealth, and happiness as we embark on this next year together!

Best regards,

The G8A team

For the second year running G8A is in the running for “Building of the Year” at the ASHUI Awards to be announced in January, 2022.

Part of a new industrial zone in the outskirts of Saigon, Concrete Waves will be judged on values of Aesthetics, Creativity and Sustainability. This latest project for FPT will be completed in three phases, developed from the learnings of earlier projects exploring the “yard typology” from a new perspective.

The Awards are currently up for public vote: ashui.com/awards

Dear friend,
Our offices are busy wrapping up 2021, with construction ongoing, interior designs finalized in time for the holiday season, and new masterplans that we look forward to developing in 2022.
From all of us at G8A, we wish you a safe festive season and a refreshing start to the New Year!

Recently inaugurated, the Geneva Room is a proud collaboration with The Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam, created in celebration of the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Symbolic of the strong cultural relations held since October 1971, the conference room is found in the newly constructed campus of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. This prestigious institution is the training ground for future diplomats, leaders, civil servants, journalists and business executives.

Developed for the Architectural Design students of Van Lang University, the lecture seeks to create a platform for discussion, promotion and development of contemporary architecture.

Presenting the architectural practice of G8A in our processes and observations of the seemingly contradictory context of contrast and cohesion. A series of dualities or apparent paradoxes, are illustrated by selected projects built in the past 20 years between Switzerland, Vietnam and Singapore. Watch the full presentation here: LINK

As part of the exhibition “A Day in The Life of Le Corbusier” supported by Foundation Le Corbusier at the Alliance Française de Singapour architects Rene Tan, Manuel Der Hagopian and Maria Boey will convene to present “Le Corbusier: A Legacy” sharing their practice within Singapore’s urban landscape. The session will be moderated by Erwin Viray (SUTD) on the 21^st of October.

For more information please see the exhibition program: see here

Presenting the practice of G8A, and our observations of the seemingly contradictory notions of contrast and cohesion, the webinar presented on the 13^th of October was developed for the final year Architectural Design students of Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh City.

A series of dualities or apparent paradoxes, were illustrated by selected G8A projects, designed and built in the past 20 years between Switzerland, Vietnam and Singapore.

Thank you to Van Lang University for the opportunity to share our work!

The landmark Waterway Terraces I and II have set the standard for housing developments along the waterway. Inspired by the rice fields of Asia, its unique form, which takes the advantage of natural light and ventilation, also gives the precinct its distinctive identity.

Experience gained in the planning process, together with rigorous testing in large-scale, real world settings, make Punggol Town a replicable model for master-planned communities, both nationally and globally.

From October 1 to 31, Archifest 2021 (#AF21) is centered around the premise that Architecture is everywhere. The annual festival based from Singapore, is organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and this year’s theme – Design Evidence – is an inquisitive attitude towards the way architects relate the complex parameters of our world.

G8A will feature in two virtual exhibitions with built works and a thematic video exploring the Equatorial Utopia exhibition concepts.

Full program here: archifest.sg

Nestled lakeside just north of Geneva “Bellevue Villa” has been given the green light for construction to commence. Placed on a stretch of harbour side properties, the family abode with residential annexe is set to begin its alterations in October. The refurbishment design transforms the 1980s structure with a renewed contemporary identity and narrative, profiting from an expansive view onto Geneva Lake and the surrounding mountainscape.

The Bac Ninh IT Hub is strategically positioned to communicate with the surrounding industries and cultural landscape, becoming an IT transfer platform for regional development. The masterplan offers all-onsite facilities to harbor a comfortable living and working environment for the development and production teams of the future.

With a strong focus on an inclusive common network, the project hopes to foster a sense of community and shared innovation.

The outskirts of Geneva enter autumn as construction continues for villa complex Family Fold.

The highly versatile concrete precast elements are now in place defining each villa space, offering an open scenario onto the surrounding landscape. Each villa highlights its verticality with abundant natural light traversing all levels from second floor to livable lower basement area.

Wonderful to meet in person the Swiss Vice-President Ignazio Cassis on his recent visit to Hanoi, marking the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. In 1971, Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to establish official diplomatic relations with Vietnam and currently we are happy to be working on the design of the “Geneva Room”, for the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam campus, commemorating the Swiss – Vietnam relations.
Thank you to the Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam for their support for this project.

The renovation project led by Berrel Kräutler Architekten in Zurich will revisit the original design of the Swiss Embassy in Singapore completed in 1983. Singaporean photographer Guo Jie Khoo is tasked under the guidance of G8A to document the physical and metaphorical process of the change and exploring the design intention through image.

The photographic works will be composed after completion with a focus on four themes: Progressive Continuity, Evolving Identities, Dry Tropical Design and Focused Innovation.

Quy Nhon, with a population of under 500’000 is the coastal capital of the Bình Định Province of central Vietnam. Historically, the city focused on agriculture and fishing however in recent years there has been a significant shift towards tourism taking advantage of the picturesque coastline.

After previously proposing The Parks project, G8A returns to the region with a new partnership and proposal for the hospitality sector. Researching the local attributes and learning from the area’s rich history of trade.

Curated by G8A the Panoramic Utopian Singapore photography series displays aerial views of selected Singaporean built projects. Typically defined as “an unbroken view of a whole region surrounding an observer” these panoramic views isolate specific architectural accomplishments, built from the 1970s until today.  Each visionary project demonstrates the utopian dimension of architecture in Singapore, and have had significant impact on the discourse on architecture and urban design in Southeast Asia and beyond.

“The Building” is awarded to the project that marks a new direction in the future of architecture, as well as its capacity to respond to its local place and culture. Jakob Factory is the only industrial production project included in this year’s shortlist, and we are happy to promote the importance of architectural design in the development of sustainable solutions for a highly environmentally impactful industry of our region.

The Award presentation will be held on the 5^th of August. More information here: indeawards.com/category/the-building-2021

G8A’s family villa “Tropical Chalet” in Danang, Vietnam was recently covered in the national TV series “Nét Xanh Trong Kiến Trúc Nay” with a guided tour by Grégoire Du Pasquier. The visit describes the building’s relationship with the surrounding natural elements, its porosity welcoming exterior elements of sunlight, cross ventilation and panoramic views into the communal areas while allowing for comfortable shelters in private areas.

Thank you VTV3, watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gxf6FAG

With an influx of projects in the South and an expanding team to house, we are happy to move into a larger and more comfortable office space in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City. The central location places us in the hub of the urban sprawl, but with strategic views across low-rise rooftops we enjoy an airy atmosphere with welcoming natural light.
If interested in joining our team, please send your CV and portfolio to: hr@g8a-architects.com

Spanning over 98 hectares the Legacy Riverside development sets out to welcome a new generation of young Vietnamese families looking for environments of stronger cultural relevance. Forty kilometers from central Hanoi, the concept balances natural landscape, architecture, technological and ecological solutions.

G8A will contribute to the project with propositions of a museum, clubhouses, a hotel, meditation center, multi-sport facility, school, kindergarten & introduces a vibrant cultural landscape with an engaging topography, local wild vegetation with integrated lakes and rivers.

This month will see the opening of the 17th Venice Biennale of Architecture, one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Along with our partners the  Maison de l’Architecture and the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory, we are proud to see included the antenna exhibition of “Equatorial Utopia: 50 Years of Visionary Architecture in Singapore”,  programmed as part of the European Cultural Center’s thematic “Time Space Existence“.

The exhibition will be open until the 21^st of November 2021 at the Palazzo Bembo, also with an online program.

The Cities in Mind podcast concerns cities, technology, innovation and the people behind them. In Episode 06, G8A was invited to discuss innovations in public housing design in Southeast Asia, looking at the examples from Singapore and Vietnam.

In order to explore the interlinkages between public housing production, architectural breakthroughs and collective identity building, Manuel Der Hagopian discusses the iconic Punggol Waterway Terraces, G8A’s public housing complex in Singapore.

Listen to the full episode here: podcast.ausha.co/cities-in-mind

G8A’s first project for the infamous Pizza 4ps proposes a forest experience, offering the possibility of a new nature in the shopping mall environment. The free plan is segmented by a variety of columns crafted of recycled wood and a sparkling carpet of tiles composed from repurposed plates. These “transplanted recycled trees” set the scene for a new experience in a mystical forest, nestled in the a highly dense, consumerist space.

Over the past fifty years, Singapore has grown from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’ and now a ‘City in Nature’. This development is necessary to resist climate change, to which the archipelago is particularly exposed.

The Equatorial Utopia exhibition – developed by the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory (FCL), the G8A Architecture & Urban Planning office and the Maison de l’Architecture de Genève – is an immersion through these macroscopic climate strategies and devices. – written by Camille Claessens-Vallet

With all windows now in place, the Oerlikon Gem in northern Zurich is now closed to the elements and interior works can begin. Adjacent to the architectural department of ETH Zürich, the project was conceptualised in direct dialogue with the Neu Oerlikon building, both are a celebration of the area’s rich heritage of its glory years of the 19th century, when it was a primordial industrial and trade hub.

With a neutral spatial distribution that places private working zones towards the exterior of the plan, a central area is liberated to allow a platform for group work, meetings and social connection. The first in the series of co-working spaces designed in collaboration with Wink Hotels and Toong, “Street Station #1” brings the energy of Ho Chi Minh City’s bustling streets into the hotel, creating a practical yet dynamic working space for guests.

The series “The Architectural Moment” by Sébastien Löffler aims to revisit, through the medium of photography, what Le Corbusier termed as “objects of poetic reaction” placing in relation to each object-image a modern icon of architecture. Here, our interest in the photographed objects hints at a cyclical relation between tradition to modernity.

The exhibition will open to public on weekends and only by appointment at TB80, G8A’s event space in Singapore from the 1^st of April to the 16^th of May 2021.

Please contact facebook.com/TB80space for viewing appointments.

On the outskirts of Geneva, construction continues for Family Fold set to welcome its first residents towards the end of this year. Proposing innovative spatial distribution and efficient energy usage methods, the living spaces offer residents a zero consumption environment full of natural light.

Family Fold responds to the challenges facing designers today to maintain quality of life & a sense of community in new zones that are projected to welcome a higher number of occupants, all while limiting energy usage & environmental repercussions.

Due to a growing number of projects, G8A is looking to expand the Ho Chi Minh City team. We are currently looking to fill both Senior and Junior Architect positions. Working closely with Directors and project leaders of G8A, both positions are full time and we are currently reviewing portfolios.

For more information on the job requirements please refer to our job listings: https://g8a-architects.com/jobs/

All queries can be forwarded to hr@g8a-architect.com

To our dear friends and colleagues,

We wish you a rich year of new beginnings, strong health, and meaningful developments in this Zodiac year of the Buffalo.

As a year of challenges passes, we are optimistic for a positive period ahead,

Best regards,

The G8A team

Since relocating the Singapore office site in late 2019, G8A has been happy to run a variety of activities through the platform TB80 Space, a hybrid event and social space nestled in Tiong Bahru; the first social housing complex of Singapore. With exhibitions, dinners, pop-up sales and thematic discussions, TB80 Space hopes to become a center of exchange for the design community.

For upcoming events follow the fanpage here.

This Thursday the 28th of January at 6PM (GMT+7) we are looking forward to host the first HANOI TALKS of the year “Urban design for a healthy Hanoi“.

Looking forward to welcoming Think Playgrounds and HealthBridge, two organizations that have developed specific strategies to address urban design issues in Hanoi, that affect public health from micro to macro scales.

Please connect via facebook (facebook.com/G8Aarchitects) to watch the presentation online or feel welcome to attend in person at the G8A Hanoi office: 16B Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho

Upon invitation by the Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam, G8A will propose the design of the “Geneva Room” a multipurpose conference space in one of Hanoi’s new training centers for international relations delegates.

The space used to discuss the and present the representation of the Vietnamese State in the international arena will be reconstructed with a series of Swiss mountain portraits, effectively filling the room with an alpine panorama.

Taking out Building of the Year and Green Build of the Year at the yearly ASHUI Awards, Jakob Factory excelled in criteria of Aesthetics, Creativity, Sustainability, Efficiency and Application. G8A’s collaboration with rollimarchini is proud to be recognised as a highly distinctive and innovative production space set to be a reference for sustainable tropical architecture in Vietnam and the great SEA region.

For a tour around the project with Partner Grégoire Du Pasquier follow THIS LINK to the latest episode of VTV3’s Nét Xanh Trong Kiến Trúc Nay.

Preparations for phase two of Concrete Lace, the office complex inspired by local, traditional North Vietnamese village features, will extend the 2016 built design in order to accommodate a growing team. As a key project in the development of the “sustainable ruin” philosophy, the external layer acts as a key element of the building, integrating climbing trees, and acting as green protection against the sun.

The intended extension will function as a logistically autonomous building however its integration into the existing village can be seen, according to the point of view, as one with the previous volume.

We, along with our partners at the Maison de l’Architecture and the Singapore-ETH Future Cities Laboratory, regret to announce that the exhibition “EQUATORIAL UTOPIA: 50 Years of Visionary Architecture in Singapore”, scheduled for January 2021, has been postponed until spring 2022.

The satellite exhibition presented at the Venice Biennale 2021, remains for now unchanged however due to the current context and the uncertain climate regarding the start of next year, we see ourselves obliged to postpone the event in Switzerland. We will keep you informed of the specific dates as soon as possible.

“Marguerite” submitted for the open competition for a socio-medical residency center received 5th prize this month. Taking advantage of a magnificent site, a green plot of oak with a gently sloping orchard, the residence and gardens are complementary elements, an interpenetration of the outside and inside world of an elderly residence.

The gardens, controlled and protected outdoor spaces where residents spend a lot of time, are an essential part of the project, just as important as the building, its alter architectural ego.

The annual Awards “aims to heighten the appreciation and patronage of good architectural design from both the architectural fraternity as well as the general public.” GreenRidges in partnership with LAUD Architects was awarded the merit award, from the organisers: The Jury appreciates that the car park is topped by a generous communal landscape that is a continuous and convenient link to all blocks in the development, enabling both vehicular and pedestrian circulation, and creating a pleasant walking experience for the latter.

The “Home Truly” publication was published as part of the Housing Development Board of Singapore’s 60th anniversary celebration. Established on 1 February 1960 during our nation’s housing crisis, today HDB flats are home to over 80% of Singapore’s resident population, with about 90% of these resident households proudly owning their home.

The free Home Truly e-book edition aims to assist first homebuyers in their search for a comfortable living space. Punggol Waterway Terraces covers the edition and is featured as an example of a modern sustainable lifestyle for Singaporeans that look towards a family future home.

The Geneva Lake, shared between France and Switzerland is one of the largest bodies of water in Western Europe. Nestled in the “Petit Lac” the municipality of Bellevue is populated by less than 4000, and with sweeping views across the lake mass and mountains G8A’s latest villa project embraces the dramatic landscape context.

Placed directly on the lake the future inhabitants of the property can look forward to a nature-led lifestyle with a family villa integrated into the landscape.

This month G8A’s landscape and facilities design for Hoa Binh Wellness Commune was recognized as best “Best Commercial Landscape Architectural Design” as part of the 6th Annual PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards, recognising excellence in property development throughout Vietnam.
The country’s leading real estate awards was held in Ho Chi Minh City, with builders from northern to southern Vietnam converged to celebrate the nation’s rising crop of integrated township developments, master planned communities, mixed-use sites, and new urban areas.

G8A’s latest built project Tropical Chalet, completed over the summer is now set to welcome the family owners. The four-bedroom villa’s key feature, the brick moucharabieh façade, in combination with the recessed gallery creates a certain transparency that welcomes exterior elements of sunlight, cross ventilation and panoramic views into the communal areas.

Materials were chosen not only for their sturdiness and climate resistance, particularly bricks with their high insulation qualities. But also, their minimal and natural aesthetic, once again blending with the surrounding landscape.

With the theme “Architecture Saving OUR World”, the annual Singaporean event Archifest proposes to examine not grand architecture or the magnificence of architecture, but new ideas and responsible designs that benefit our ecology and humanity – climate change, public health, social equity and cultural continuity.

Hosted by the Singapore Institute of Architects, G8A will participate in the event showcasing five projects in five key cities across the globe. The online exhibition visible from the 25th of September until the 31st of October, 2020.

As the City of Geneva grows, the search for sustainable and luminous living areas becomes essential. The Family Fold project offers its future residents a zero-consumption concept that highlights renewable energy technology without sacrificing living comfort. Within each villa is placed a vertical green interior patio that traverses from basement to first floor, providing an abundance of natural light and smooth communication between the programs, all while optimizing energy usage and creating synergy between the curated spaces.

Earlier this year saw the completion of Jakob Factory, the culmination of an innovative partnership combining three Swiss design companies in a sustainable manufacturing initiative in South Vietnam.

In the search to propose an environmentally friendly alternative to the typically horizontally-spread manufacturing structures, Trubschachen-born Jakob Rope Systems, rollimarchini architekten from Bern and G8A, propose a densification strategy, stacking the usable zones vertically on superimposed slats. This robust design avoids unnecessary ground usage, creating a user positive project set to become an example for tropical industrial design.

With a sprawling ground floor presented as a multipurpose gallery and event showroom, the new office space to occupy central Ho Chi Minh City is completed with a double height rooftop terrace offering an outstanding view over Saigon’s urban core.

The working areas, covering eight floors are wrapped with a façade based on a modular passive shading design system, advancing sustainable technologies and comfortable conditions for all users.

Since the French occupation Vietnam has developed a strong café culture throughout the country with young and old alike embracing coffee haunts in all of their forms.

As urban baristas perfect their art, spatial design is of prime concern with roasters needing specialized spaces to welcome sophisticated guests. G8A has been asked to develop the architectural branding for a new space in central Hanoi, taking advantage of the deep plot typology to draw a narrative connecting the urban streetscape to the open terraced garden.

Showcasing selected projects from 1970 to the present, Equatorial Utopia: 50 Years of Visionary Architecture in Singapore portrays how visionary architecture and urban design in Singapore, often with strong Western influences, have been tempered, adapted, and transformed by the socio-cultural, economic, climatic and political conditions of the location.

The exhibition will open at the Pavillon Sicli of Geneva from the 13.1.21 – 17.2.21 with an antenna project presented at the 17^th Venice Biennale of Architecture opening May 2021.

Set to be completed this autumn is the latest in the G8A co-working design series “Street Station”, bringing the energy of Ho Chi Minh City’s bustling streets into the first Wink Hotel currently in construction in District 1. The project continues on from previous collaborations with Toong; Jungle Station and Chromatic Station, this time encouraging a strong relationship to context, the typology visually encouraging synergy within the urban landscape.

The malleable space gladly welcomes the dynamic work ethos of Wink, the new Vietnamese hospitality brand that takes a bold approach to affordable luxury in the region. The headquarter office reflects the effervescence of the organization, efficient yet creative, and highly flexible in order to accommodate a range of activities from group meetings, workshops, social events and individual work-times. With enclosed meeting rooms and an open-cross central space holding the majority of the office’s activities.

G8A’s think tank 8+ has previously concerned itself with research projects focused on urban development in Asia. Typical Block Plan, New Sustainable Housing Mass and High Density Seafront Housing all question the greater mechanisms that influence urban design and the architectural lessons and possibilities that can be borne from that.
“Collective Affordable Housing in Vietnam” extends the thematic towards the specifics of Vietnamese urban development and its influence on housing options for low-income earners.

With the road network now defined we can observe the appearance of the Hoa Binh Wellness Commune masterplan. On the 60-hectare site G8A is tasked to design the facilities, landscape and villa modules, the new precinct aiming to offer residents a self-sustaining and sustainable ecosystem.

Composed of three specific landscape identities, each zone shows specific character creating special legibility and a human-scale experience to the vast site.

As construction continues with caution in Zurich, we celebrate the installation of the 2’400 pre-fab elements composing the walls, ceilings and columns of the Oerlikon Gem. The estimated 3’400 tons of concrete manufactured by Concrete Rudolph have been meticulously placed displaying Swiss precision and technical dedication.

The project now moves onto the next phase of façade installation, closing the building to the elements.

G8A’s concept design for a new sustainable office prototype combines two densification massing strategies to allow a full integration into the tropical climate of Ho Chi Minh City. The porous typology, blending double stacked typical floor plans with a central garden-atrium, hollows a large-scale central bio-chasm optimizing natural ventilation. This central eco-system composed of creepers and integrated planters filters the passing air, the organic lungs of the building creating a Breathing Architecture.

Created in Switzerland the Jillian Perfume brand prides itself on the hours of research spent refining their new, unique scents and collections. Recently opened in central Saigon, G8A designed their first physical point of sale, embodying the brands aesthetics and values.

The independent furniture structure reflects an “atelier” feel, the floating table volume presented as a hybrid space showcasing products, integrating a testing area, the sales point and a small raw material garden.

Placed on the outskirts of Geneva, the Family Fold neighborhood develops design strategies for the densification of Swiss court-side villa areas.

Set to begin construction in May, the two clusters of four villas offer future inhabitants an vertical green interior patio that traverses from basement to first floor, providing an abundance of natural light and smooth communication between the programs, all while optimizing energy usage, with the winter months gaining energy. This offers residents a zero-consumption concept through renewable energy technologies contributing to a more sustainable future.

Open now until the 15^th of May, the “Dense+Green Cities” exhibition at the National Design Centre celebrates the Future Cities Laboratory research publication of the same name, exploring the interaction between buildings and the city as ecological systems in terms of the concept, planning, design, technology, and experience.

The dimensions of “green building” are discussed by international experts through essays, and presented through analytical drawings. G8A’s Punggol Waterway Terraces is featured as an analysed case study for design sustainability in Singapore.

Over 60 hectares of property the Legacy Hill master plan, 40 kilometers from central Hanoi, will be home to a multi-generational Vietnamese families seeking a spacious green environment without sacrificing access to contemporary facilities. G8A is finalising the concept design for the project’s landscape and public facilities such as schools, sporting areas, hotels, community and entertainment centres. Putting forward values of sustainable living the natural flora species are celebrated as well as a focus on family activity spaces promoting sustainability philosophies.

We are happy to announce the opening of G8A’s Master Planning division with the arrival of expert Nguyen Khanh Duy. Holding graduate diplomas from Ho Chi Minh City, Paris and Montreal and over 11 years of experience working in highly acclaimed offices in France, Switzerland and Vietnam. Duy is strongly dedicated to effective Master Planning having already complemented the G8A team with his implication in the Ho Chi Minh City East Innovation District competition project, and his specific knowledge of the Vietnamese and European architectural contexts.

Covering over 10,000m2 of land, the proposed resort site covers two separate areas surrounded by a lush natural reserve, the infamous landscape of mountainous greenery found in between the major tourist destinations of Mai Chau and Ninh Binh.

For the presently untouched landscape of rice fields and wild forest, G8A begins the concept development phase of the project, exploring how to integrate with minimal impact a holistic experience of nature.

Following on from the Jungle Station project in Ho Chi Minh City, G8A and Toong once again come together with the recently opened Chromatic Station in central Hanoi. By opening a chasm of light linking the floors vertically, the project encourages fluid mobility and a connected environment, providing the users a colorful and active work space.

Users are able to meander between the espresso bar, events hall, debate booth, conversation corner, concept library, digital rest-space…all in easy connection to their central working area.

Recently opened in Hanoi, Organic Cafe goes against the trend of compressing building density, playing with contrasts to propose a resilient microcosm within the urban context. Composed of two lots; an existing seven storey tube house and a low-rise steel structure, the project draws its design references from traditional shophouse that provid natural ventilation and lighting across a horizontal organisation, their density broken up by intermittently distributed open plazas.

These design principles are reinterpreted by the use of vertical voids allowing for natural ventilation, lighting and comfortable social spaces.

Released last month by Birkhäuser Publishers, “Dense+Green Cities” presents research conducted by the Singapore-ETH Centre Future Cities Laboratory (FCL). Punggol Waterway Terraces is included as a unique benchmark case study in an effort to understand and evaluate some of the most recent and innovative Dense+Green Cities in Asia, the Americas and Europe. This new publication questions; “In which ways does a “green building” contribute to the ecology of its surroundings? And how can ecologically designed urban districts, with their green and blue networks, link up with the elements and technologies of building design?”

G8A’s latest collaboration with FPT Software saw the recent opening of Concrete Waves on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. Building on the learnings of earlier projects, High Tech Landscape & Concrete Lace, this latest proposition explores the “yard typology” from a new perspective.

The building benefits from a rational floor plan and an exterior load bearing structure, smartly maximizing the floor layout and providing flexible interior space. Circulation paths inhabit the margins of the floor plans and users enjoy well shaded community areas on each level.

Last month saw the opening of “Building on Art: The 1st exhibition of Le Corbusier’s art in Singapore” also the first in the exhibition series co-curated by G8A and celebrating the opening of TB80 Space, Singapore’s new event and social meeting point. Showcasing a unique selection of the infamous Modernist’s artworks, the event is a first for Singapore. Co-curated with PLACART (Zurich) and kindly supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore and Space Furniture.

Please contact TB80 Space via facebook for more details.

In a joint venture with KCAP Architects&Planners, ARUP and Dreiseitl Studio Ramboll, G8A has been awarded the 2^nd prize in the international competition for a new “Highly Interactive Innovation District (HIID)” in the eastern part of Ho Chi Minh City. The HCMC East Innovation District Masterplan offers a holistic vision for the short and the long-term development for the 220.000 km² territory East of Ho Chi Minh City. The proposal provides a robust framework for urban transformation structured by the built and the natural ecosystem.

We congratulate Sasaki for winning the first prize!

As part of the global master plan for the Hoa Lac High-Tech park “Infinity Village” is the third of a series of “villages” distributed around a central park. In the form of two interlocking asymmetrical rings, each construction phase implements 35’000m2.

The project explores in-between space in the context of a sub-tropical climate, the exterior loop corridors are a secondary access designed as comfortable community space, giving users easy access to the unique “cloud yard” landscaping and shaded terraces.

The project goes forward with the submission of the final elements of the detailed design, soon moving on-site!

Vinh Long, located in an area of dynamic economic growth, has great potential to become an attractive and innovative city of Vietnam. Inspired by the success of previous international developments, G8A proposes to turn the Southern Vietnamese township’s administration center into a zone of lifestyle diversity, promoting sustainable growth with a long-term vision while proposing a healthy living environment for today.

Highlighting the sunny weather, direct relation to the Mekong River, & connection to the ubiquitous nature, allows these elements to act as social connectors, public spaces creators & sustainability platforms.

For G8A’s first SAIGON TALKS event “Spatial sensitivity & contemporary design” we are happy to present two very different perspectives on contemporary design practice welcoming architect Shunri Nishizawa, founder of NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS & Rachel Jahja, Associate Lecturer at RMIT University Vietnam. Together we will discuss issues facing the contemporary architecture and interior industry and how designers can find opportunities to respond to these, bringing forth positive change to spatial experience.

For event information please follow the event on facebook

With the first community of tenants settling into their new spaces this month, The Alps Residences is now officially completed. Surrounding the interior courtyard block the two residencies compose a unique iconic cascading skyline, referencing the Swiss Alps after which the project was named.

The buildings bring a new “spatial opening” dynamic to the reservoir views, breaking the scale with tight and open areas. The central community space as “mountain lake”, reaches all sides of the blocks, flowing through different pools & public facilities; a social condenser linking the precinct & enhancing the sense of community with modern activities for all ages.

This month the Minister for National Development, Mr Lawrence Wong, presented the 2019 Awards to recognise HDB’s industry partners for their contributions in developing well-designed and quality contemporary homes. Topping the prestigious category of Built Housing the recently completed GreenRidges was said to stand out for its unique architectural features and is an excellent example of the new generation of public housing design.

The first HDB housing precinct to be completed in Tampines North, GreenRidges is designed to offer abundant community spaces and connect residents to greenery, in keeping with the vision of Tampines North as “Budding Communities within a Green Tapestry”.

Found on the upper floors of an office complex in central Hanoi is G8A’s newest co-working project Chromatic Station, set to open its doors next month. Stacking four horizontal agoras linked by a vertical chasm of light, creates a strongly interconnected typology. Fluid exchange is encouraged between the different platforms, with a carpet of colored glass booths filling the open platforms and creating a visual connection and common sensitivity between the floors.

Here G8A and Toong propose an energetic diversity of program tinting the space with an iridescent atmosphere.

This Tuesday the 20^th of August, G8A is happy to present the latest HANOI TALKS event questioning our relationship as individuals and communities with public space. To open the discussion, we invite Michal Teague, Design Studies Lecturer at RMIT University Vietnam, & Nejc Kugler, urban designer & researcher hailing from Ljubljana.

Through project examples and contextual research, they will discuss views and issues surrounding the use, design, perceptions and connections between humans and contemporary urban space.

This summer sees G8A develop the program for TB80 Space, a new architectural meeting space in Bukit Merah, South Singapore. Serving as an exchange hub and professional meeting spot the contemporary space will welcome intimate events and unique encounters for architects, designers, creative developers and strategic thinkers.

With renovations in progress the site designs separate working, meeting and social atmospheres creating a comfortably progressive space for innovation and development.

As construction takes leaps forward during the summer months of coastal Vietnam, we see the structure rise and scale mock-ups completed, perfecting the brick façade and moucharabieh wall-screens that feature as key to the intimacy of Tropical Chalet.

Materials were chosen not only for their sturdiness and climate resistance, particularly bricks with their high insulation qualities. But also, their minimal and natural aesthetic blending with the surrounding landscape.

The Bridge now houses the teams of several luxury brands with staff settling into their new working environment. Topologically located between warehouse and logistic service buildings, the structure stands enigmatically in the center of Old Hanoi.

The building is a series of platforms lifted by two cores of concrete; one containing the circulation paths and main services, the second being the support for all documentation the so called “the memory wall”. The sensation of space brings forth the particularity of the building, in stark contrast to the surrounding density, the office platforms open on both sides to large windows creating unobstructed panoramic views across each floor.

G8A is pleased to share the video series “Contrast and Cohesion”, a sequence of works embracing design through architecture, contemporary dance, videography, original score & costume. The videos parallel key projects of the G8A portfolio, with each creative contributor invited to reflect & reinterpret G8A’s architectural propositions. In situ movements, visuals and sounds were then created in reaction to the architectural intentions.

To view full versions please follow the links:

Contrast and Cohesion – Punggol Waterway Terraces

Contrast and Cohesion – The Birds

Contrast and Cohesion – Concrete Lace

Set within a tropical climate, Concrete Waves is the latest project developed for FPT Software in Ho Chi Minh City. Part of the new urban industrial zone, the program grows from the learning of earlier projects exploring the “yard typology” from a new perspective. Concrete Waves benefits from a rational floor plan and an exterior load bearing structure to maximize the floor layout and providing flexible space solutions.

Circulation paths exist on the margins of the plan and social areas with double-height sky gardens can be found at each level with the concrete pre-cast elements manipulating the orientation of the sun shading to craft a comfortable environment for the working community.

Last month celebrated the opening of the latest retail space in the “Hanoia Concept” series, a new exploration of typology for luxury brand Hanoia. After having revamped an old Northern Vietnamese shop-house, a colonial heritage boutique and a tube house in the dense center of Ho Chi Minh City, G8A now completes Hanoia Noi Bai in the international airport terminal.

Following the materiality explored in the previously established retail spaces, G8A uses bricks, dark stone tiling, silk cording, and natural brut elements placed in contrast with details of polished brass and bright lacquer, to create an intimate and luxurious setting.

This Friday the 28th of June, G8A is happy to launch the Contrast and Cohesion monograph with Park Books at specialist bookstore Never Stop Reading. Following on from March’s Asia edition during Singapore Design Week, the book release event in Zurich celebrates the European distribution of the publication.

Founding partner Manuel der Hagopian will present recent international projects and talk about G8A’s evolution and working practice.

If in Switzerland, please feel welcome to join us at Spiegelgasse 18, Untere Zäune, 8001 Zürich, from 7 – 10 PM.

More than just a simple café, G8A proposes with partners Atelier VUUV an open, ecologically engaged environment goes against the architectural trend of compressing building density. Organic Café plays with contrasts to propose a resilient microcosm within the urban context.

Soon to welcome its first customers, the organic produce café restaurant and dry produce store draws its design references from traditional shophouse typologies, providing natural ventilation and lighting across a horizontal organization.

The community driven and human-scale design of GreenRidges is now flourishing as we see the first new inhabitants occupy the unique 1943-unit project precinct. As the Housing & Development Board of Singapore approaches its 60^th anniversary, we see the design principles of environmental and social sustainability advance even further. The defining design element of the GreenRidges project is the green tapestry network running the length of the site whilst also connecting vertically to public garden decks and defining the new communication network linking the inhabitants to the surrounding landscapes.

This month saw all partners of the Concrete Waves project celebrate the topping out ceremony, signaling the completion of the structural construction phase. Part of Ho Chi Minh City’s new industrial zone, Concrete Waves is the latest project for FPT, developed from the learnings of earlier projects exploring the “yard typology” from a new perspective.

The building benefits from a rational floor plan and an exterior load bearing structure, circulation paths exist on the margins, maximizing the floor layout and providing flexible interior space solutions.

Proposition for a luxury resort, the Luna Islands’ design draws inspiration from the poetry of such extraordinary places where the sky reconnects to the sea. The chosen site is found in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean and is spread over several of the 26 ring-shaped atolls that compose the tropical nation of The Maldives.

The project offers 4 and 5 star accommodation with unique facilities such as floating cinemas, water sports centers, and specialty restaurants and bars, integrated into the breathtaking views. Like a mirage, the perfect spheres of human geometry give over to the natural landscape of ages past.

Founding partner Manuel Der Hagopian will present G8A’s achievements, international projects and the recently released publication Contrast and Cohesion at the Future Cities Laboratory event series “Lunch Talks” on the 15^th of May. Several of G8A’s key projects are located in Singapore, which is something of a cultural halfway house and often referred to as a tropical Switzerland. The first book to document G8A’s successes to date, Contrast and Cohesion reflects the Swiss firm’s work in these starkly contrasting parts of the world.
Please register through the FCL webpage.

Timely progress for the Oerlikon Gem as piling continues onsite in northern Zurich. The L shape housing block of 110 units is conceptualized in direct dialogue with the Neu Oerlikon building, both projects are a celebration of the area’s strong and rich identity coming from its glory years of the 19th century when it was a primordial industrial and trade hub.

The two buildings form an ensemble and follow the same rules of “composition” though both keeping true to their own identity. With its facade of photovoltaic and perforated mesh panelling, the new housing building propose a contemporary and sustainable interpretation of industrial heritage.

Unforming Forming is the second publication in the series of editions that present the works of students of the Architecture and Sustainable Design Pillar of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Featured is the “High Density Seafront Housing” design studio offered by Manuel der Hagopian which explored the challenges and opportunities that arise when developing high density seafront housing in relation with the urban fabric of Singapore. Students were led through thematic exercises allowing them to explore future possibilities for the development of Tanjong Pagar, where Singapore’s famous port-relocation project will leave room for housing development in the previous industrial port zone.

Finishing touches are now being completed for the luxury-brand office complex The Bridge. Nestled in the center of bustling Hanoi, a sensation of space brings forth the particularity of the building with sweeping open areas representing synergy, transparency, and allowing for a maximum of flexibility of use.

Here, G8A applies an adaptive answer to the dense urban condition of Hanoi’s city centre with a dynamic and flexible space proposition, following in the lines of the “sustainable ruin” concept previously developed in Concrete Lace. Prioritizing the climatic answer, the spatial relationship, the exoskeleton constructive logic but also a strong expression of identity that allows for future adaptation.

The Alps Residencies nears completion in the new iconic precinct of Tampines in Singapore. Inspired by the traditional European “courtyard block”, the contemporary project is composed of two “L” shaped masses. Their unique cascading skyline referencing the mountainous regions of Switzerland allow for a multitude of visual narratives from viewpoints of each orientation.

The modern landscaped deck, as “mountain lake” is occupied by pools, greenery, shaded areas, wellness and kids’ corners. The central community space reaches all sides of the blocks, flowing through different pools and public facilities; a social condenser linking the entire precinct.

This spring welcomes the beginning of construction for Tropical Chalet, the family villa fortunate of a unique placement on the coastal region of central Vietnam. The four-bedroom composition develops a harmonious cohabitation for the family, the design narrative allowing for comfortable areas of sharing as well as areas of calm privacy.
The angular massing of the building integrated into a large surrounding garden respects the native context and breaths a cooling and placid atmosphere for the family to enjoy.

After an exciting edition in Singapore earlier this month the HANOI TALKS are back on Vietnamese soil in April, this time with a new dynamic format. On Wednesday the 10th we open the platform to two guests presenting their respective research, followed by an opening of the conversation between presenters and audience.
The event will focus on Post-war Vietnamese Architecture with California based Professor and researcher Christina Schwenkel and architect and urban planning specialist Emmanuel Cerise.
Follow our facebook page for more event information.

Multi-purpose event hall The Square proposes a deep level of community placemaking central to the Vietnamese village typology concept.
Nestled in the crux of Infinity Village, “Fville 3” of the Hoa Lac high-tech park masterplan, the low elevation of the project permits the solid structure to discretely integrate into the surrounding scenery. By keeping an open horizontal visual transparency at ground level, users retain a direct interaction with surrounding landscape, also promoting a fluidity of access from all directions. G8A is moving forward in detail design phase of the proposition, a key composition of the FPT new town.

Construction taking leaps forward for Jakob Factory in Ho Chi Minh City. The steel manufacturing site represents the first expansion to Asia for the Swiss-born company. With a 100% naturally ventilated workspace, the project boasts a highly eco-friendly design, encouraging sustainable practice in the region.
The project further develops the partnership with Jakob and is proposed in collaboration with Bern based rollimarchini architects.

With the concept design approved for a multi-level creative hub in the center of Hanoi, G8A responds to the challenge of creating identity by offering horizontal and vertical spatial connections.
The four storey co-working space covers the upper levels of the inner-city office block with sweeping urban views. By opening up the space with a central atrium, natural light flows through the site welcoming fluid movement and encouraging social and professional inter-actions.

March in northern Zurich will see the first stages of construction for the 110 unit housing block the “Oerlikon Gem”. The L shaped structure, adjacent to the architectural department of ETH Zürich, was conceptualised in direct dialogue with the recently completed Neu Oerlikon building.
The new urban block composed by the two projects will house an elevated public plaza in the middle of the plot, and the green belt set to surround the building will welcome users to the generous community garden overlooking the site. Finally, with a perforated and metallic facade, G8A proposes to reconnect with the site’s industrial past.

From the 1st to the 20th of March, the new Contrast and Cohesion exhibition presents the spatial and conceptual qualities of G8A’s architectural design projects through video installation, photography & visual documentation. The exhibition opens the conversation to interesting cross-creative collaboration, a cornerstone in the working practice of G8A.
Co-curated with architects WY-TO, the show will last the length of the Singapore Design Week & is put forward to celebrate the new release of the “Contrast and Cohesion” publication. Join us this Friday the 1st of March from 6-9PM in Singapore for the opening celebrations!

The first book to document G8A’s architectural achievements to date, Contrast and Cohesion reflects the Swiss firm’s work in these starkly contrasting parts of the world; Singapore the Tropical Switzerland and Hanoi the anti-Geneva. Featuring twenty-seven of the firm’s projects through drawings, photographs, plans, and descriptive texts, the new book also brings together essays that expand on the different concerns and challenges that accompany the creation of design and architecture in Central Europe and Southeast Asia.

Join us for the official release on the 14th of March at the Contrast and Cohesion exhibition, presented as part of Singapore Design Week 2019.

For more information please consult the event page here.

The Canal Park @ Dover project offers to develop unique context specific typologies, shaping an open, connected and active public realm. The vibrant new urban footprint generates an attractive place for the area whilst accommodating new community-based activities such as a primary school, commercial facilities, health institutions and neighborhood parks.
The master plan offers a modern innovative urban form which not only uplifts traditional HDB designs, but also provides a distinct identity to the new district, supporting the vision for a well-connected, socially sustainable and environmentally cohesive precinct.
Short-listed competition developed in partnership with: AGA Architects, KCAP Architects & Planner, ICN Design International, ARUP & AECOM Singapore.

On behalf of G8A we would like to thank you for the shared support during this past year of the dog. As we enter the New Year of the pig we wish you a fruitful, healthy and happy future.
Looking forward to the exciting projects to come.

Best regards,
G8A Team

In recognition of their incalculable contribution to the progress and promise of G8A, we are pleased to announce the promotion of: Armand Devillard to the role of Director in the Singapore office, Andrea Archanco promoted to Associate in the Ho Chi Minh office and Ninh Quynh Tram engaging in the role of Associate / Business Development Manager in Hanoi. With collectively 19 years supporting G8A, we are looking very much forward to a continued collaboration with these valued individuals.

As a part of G8A’s think tank “8+”, which is dedicated to research and development, the HANOI TALKS series continued to spark interest in 2018 with seven invited speakers plus a special edition of “The Competition” film in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Specialists were given a platform to share and challenge their thematic of choice offering insight on topics that influence or are influenced by the practice of Architecture.

After some months of occupancy Concrete Lace is welcoming a steady take-over of vines and creepers flourishing along the angled columns. As part of the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park master plan, the project is inspired by traditional North Vietnamese village typology. The external layer acts as a key sustainable element of the building, integrating climbing trees, and acting as protection against the sun. Its density and thickness has been carefully adapted from different orientations and facade exposure.

Progress continues for The Alps Residencies, the 600+ unit complex nestled in the most iconic precincts of the Tampines area in Singapore. As we move forward in the construction phase the chiseling skyline, reminiscent of the Swiss Alps from which the project takes reference, becomes welcomingly apparent. By playing with a strong iconic skyline, the buildings bring a “spatial opening” dynamic to the reservoir views, breaking the scale with tight & open areas within the whole precinct.

Punggol Waterway Terraces is one of six projects studied by the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) for the research project ‘Dense and Green Building Typologies’, in collaboration with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). A milestone in the study sees the release of the feature publication “…a systematic review of the environmental, social, economic and design benefits of dense and green building types in high-density urban contexts and discuss how these can support higher population densities, higher standards of environmental sustainability and enhanced live ability in future cities.”

Currently under construction “The Bridge” is set to house the teams of several luxury brands in the middle of a high-density zone in central Hanoi.

The project is composed of two main cores of concrete, one containing the circulation paths and main services of the building, the second being the support for all documentation, so called “the memory wall”. In-between can be found an open space, free of any columns, open widely on both sides to large windows creating an unobstructed panorama across each floor.

Luxury Vietnamese design brand Hanoia’s first multi-level concept store opened this month in Saigon. The group is taking full advantage of the opportunity to represent their image with a crafted architectural design that guides the visitor through a series of different ambiences. The lower level focuses on contemporary craft aesthetics while the upper floor proposes a reiteration of Hanoia’s innovative atelier process.
This latest project represents a continued collaboration with G8A, having previously designed the flagship Hanoia House project in 2016 & the Hanoia Metropole store opened earlier in 2018.

Archifest is an annual festival for the city of Singapore to celebrate architecture & the built environment. This year’s Singapore Institution of Architects Conference ‘Design for Life’ focuses on the sub-themes of people, environment and time as the key crucial components of good design. The SIA Archifest is a platform for all walks of life to discuss, debate and deliberate architectural issues. This key event will generate an exchange of ideas and ideologies from experts and thought leaders worldwide through presentations and panel discussions that will dive deep into the ways of how architecture can create an impact on our daily lives.

Award winning Spanish documentary “The Competition” covers the tense developments that characterize architectural contests. Featuring the offices of Jean Nouvel, Frank Gehry, Dominique Perrault, Zaha Hadid & Norman Foster as they prepare their presentations for the future National Museum of Art of Andorra.

G8A assisted in organizing the film premieres in both HCMC & Hanoi, the screenings being followed by panel discussions with Director Mr. Angel Borrego Cubero, G8A Partner Gregoire du Pasquier & Director Nicolas Moser. More information:

www.the-competition.net

In the effort to densify the private residential zones in Switzerland, G8A proposes an environmentally sustainable design solution that harbors a strong sense of community. Family Fold offers its future users integrated elements that comfortably create family villas of zero-energy consumption. Each of the eight units enjoys optimized living spaces and with a vertical enclosure that traverses all levels, from second floor to livable basement area, profit from an abundance of natural light no matter their placement on the site.

Plissee is the result of a collaborative research practice that combines the unique technical and theoretical backgrounds of artist Laurent Barnavon & G8A.

Laurent’s mastery of folding techniques is the result of a youth inspired by Vietnamese origami-making siblings & a specialist education in metalwork where he continued to develop his process of changing technical aspects of materials through the act of folding.

Acting as applied product developers for Plissee G8A’s ability to develop Laurent’s vision into objects of spatial quality results in this unique collection of adaptable luminous volumes.

This Thursday 6^th of September Manuel Der Hagopian will be presenting “Natural Design for high-density environments” at the Seedstars World conference:

“The Urban Living event will gather entrepreneurs, investors, urban planners, city enthusiasts, and the most influential thought leaders from Thailand and the region to encourage discussions around the best uses of this new wealth of city data and the latest technological innovations in order to take decisions that impact urban living socioeconomic outcomes and improve the quality of life of all citizens.”

For more information please visit the organizers website:

https://www.seedstarsworld.com/eve…/Ananda-Urban-Living-2018

The Ambokka project offers a narrative based on elevation and enlightenment, promoting a spiritual and sustainable experience in the heart of Sri Lanka. From the gate of the domain, visitors enter through a wild, overrun woodland. Passing mysterious pavilions, they are lead to the height of the hill where an endless panorama reaches out over the island. This journey through the wood’s enclosure and obscurity contrasted with the open panorama of the hotel merges views organically within the landscape.

Site preparation commencing for the “Organic Café” project in Hanoi, Vietnam. The mixed-program space will include inviting open plazas, a restaurant and café, a dry produce and exhibition area, all promoting organic and sustainable lifestyle practices. The use of vertical voids allows for natural ventilation, abundant lighting and comfortable social and commercial spaces. Designed elevated plantations, vertical greenery and small herb gardens promotes the concepts of cyclic, sustainable ecosystems. *Partners: Atelier VUUV

Now officially presented by the Housing & Development Board in Singapore “Tampines GreenVines” is a creative assortment of three centered clusters, each independent and co-hesive. The project is in Singapore’s Tampines area and part of an overall strategy to de-velop the location with sustainable residential schemes that place high value on unifying green and dense housing typology.
At its essence, Tampines GreenVines is part of G8A’s portfolio which alongside Punggol Waterway Terraces & Green Ridges, forms a narrative that is led by strategic contextual design unifying green and dense housing typologies.

G8A celebrates the beginning of construction for the future Jakob Factory in Ho Chi Minh City. Based on passive climatic strategies adapted to the tropical region the design aims to be a pioneer in Vietnam, with a 100% naturally ventilated space. The smart green facade envelope has lush hanging geotextile planters that offer a new dimension to sustainable design.

The project marks an important international expansion for Jakob, the innovative Swiss steel manufacturing company, and furthers its already existing partnership with G8A.

As construction continues in Geneva for the residential project “The Twin-Lah”, apparitions of the Singaporean influence become more visible. Since the very first sketches, the requirements of the client led the narration and process through which the house was designed. Living at that time in Singapore, one of his main wishes was to bring a piece of his hometown to Switzerland. Here with name “The Twin-Lah” we wink at the colloquial Singaporean dialect Singlish; a mix of English, Malay, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese and Tamil.

To be permanently housed in G8A’s “Jungle Station” in Ho Chi Minh City, French artist Laurent Barnavon’s installation “Reflection” combines techniques of origami and kirigami. The laser-cut reflective Inox reproduces and alters the surrounding space representing the dual sense of the work’s title.

Beginning and completing the building’s perspective with these feature walls both opens and concludes the architectural dialogue. Here an interesting discussion is offered between G8A’s architectural design “Jungle Station” and Barnavon’s “Reflection”.

On the 21^st of June, G8A was privileged to host ASA Studio’s Design Director Dr. Thanh for his presentation “Vertical Illumination” presenting not only a brief history of lighting design but also the importance of lighting as a design element used to maximize spatial quality, visual comfort, and energy efficiency.

For the full presentation connect to the live-stream video series via the G8A facebook page.

Construction soon to commence for a mixed program community space in Northern Hanoi designed by G8A in partnership with Atelier VUUV .
In opposition to habitual design trends that focus on increasing built density, the building plays with contrasts to propose a resilient microcosm within the urban context. The game of spatial and material dissimilarities generates a sustainable system, flexible and adaptable to the varied needs of the users.

The Quang Ninh Development project covers 150 hectares of elevated landscape nestled on the hillside overlooking Halong Bay. The region mythical for it’s turquoise waters and limestone islets is protected under UNESCO heritage attracting local and international tourists year-round. The masterplan seeks to further highlight the natural qualities of the landscape, respecting existing topology & integrating all the qualities of a green city.
Highlighted in the design is a controlled traffic and soft-mobility system. This, used in parallel with controlled density, facilitates the connections between residential & recreational spaces offered throughout the community.

Future Cities Laboratory brings iconic ‘green’ buildings in Singapore to the most renowned architectural event on the international stage – the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale.

The presentation of these green buildings goes beyond their physical attributes, providing insights into their design, environmental, economic, and social impacts. ‘Dense and Green Building Typologies: Architecture as Urban Ecosystem’ opened this month as part of the ‘Time Space Existence’ exhibition hosted by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) at Palazzo Mora in Venice.

G8A was pleased to welcome Danielle Labbé, Canadian architect and urban planning specialist, to present at the 12^th HANOI TALKS. This presentation provided a cartographic portrait of large-scale land redevelopments (known as “new urban areas” or khu do thi moi – KDTM) on the periphery of Hanoi. Her lecture “The New Urban Areas of Hanoi: Spatial Dynamics & Territorial Issues”, along with a collection of past presentations can be viewed via the G8A facebook page.

Thank you to the National University of Civil Engineering for inviting Partner Grégoire Du Pasquier to be part of today’s final year critique panel. The students of the Francophonie department have only four months to prepare their projects to be presented before the jury, their last task before graduation. Congratulations to the students for completing such a heavy mission and especially those who have been selected to enter the national student competition and the recipients of the scholarships to further their education at l’INSA in Strasbourg.

An important phase of construction is nearing completion for The Alps Residencies complex in Singapore. The 626 unit project is in the ideal location of Tampines, we will soon enter into the completion phase of the project set to house residents in 2019.

Named after the strong iconic skyline, reminiscent of miniature of the Swiss Alps mountains, the project is a reinterpretation of European open courtyard typology with each storey steeped with green roof terraces.

In the core of Ho Chi Minh City and enclosed in the center of a large factory complex; “Jungle Station” the entirely refurbished printing factory officially opened this week. The conception of a tropical environment responds not only to the logistical complications of shared program condensation but also reflects on the intangible experience of shared space.

Co-working programs must effectively combine the positives of both public and private arenas offering the professional users an efficient resource platform whilst also encouraging social interactions.

G8A Partner Grégoire du Pasquier has this week been invited to present at the “Making Green Growth Work: Perspectives from Switzerland and Vietnam” and the “Smart City: Inspiring to build the cities of the future” forums in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. With the presence of Federal Councillor Madame Doris Leuthard, and jointly organized by the Embassy of Switzerland and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam to provide a platform for government officials, development experts and the private sector to examine the positive impacts of green growth and smart city technology and their potential for evolution in Vietnam.

On the 3rd of April Partner Manuel Der Hagopian will be presenting alongside a selected panel of international specialists in the stream “Urban Regeneration and Inclusive Development” for the 9th affordable housing projects symposium. Manuel will be discussing the current challenges of high-density housing projects and the strengthening demand for architectural design to become a vehicle for community development.
The annual event organised by the Marcus Evans Group in Singapore promotes a four day program including a series of conferences and professional workshops.

Another milestone as we celebrated the beginning of the “Concrete Waves” construction process with the groundbreaking ceremony held last month. This marks the beginning of phase one of three on the new FPT Software offices. Upon completion the 35,000 meter square project is set to house some 7’000 employees becoming a cornerstone for the software developing company.

As the year of the Rooster comes to an end, we thank you for your kind support and look forward to another year of achievements together. May your family, friends and dear colleagues pass a happy, healthy and prosperous year of the Dog.

Sincerely,
G8A Team.

The Hanoia brand opens its new store suitably located in a place rooted in history on Ly Thai To Street within the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. Hanoia is well known for its high-quality and meticulously handcrafted lacquer products, that echo Vietnamese tradition. The project is fivefold: envelope heritage, promote traditional craftmanship, mix traditional and contemporary materials, create a feature wall and a striking visual connection to Metropole’s beautiful spanning elevation, ensuring Hanoia stands out amongst the other international brands.

After 10 years of accomplishments between East and West, we are delighted to share our brand-new identity which celebrates our past achievements and continued growth.

For the 2017 Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects Excellence Awards, Punggol Waterway Terrace’s design takes away this year’s gold award in the residential category. The awards showcase the best of Singapore’s landscape architects, setting new benchmarks in design and celebrating best practices, also serving as a platform to elevate Singapore’s City in a Garden vision.

Located in the North-West of Hanoi, the masterplan of “cultural island” endeavours to be one of the most environmentally sustainable of Hanoi’s new developments. The project responds simultaneously to the need to densify the area whilst offering local inhabitants inclusive public spaces merged with sporting and cultural facilities.

This week, Director Nicolas Moser was invited to share group8asia’s latest synopsis “Architainability” at the Vietnam Green Building Council seminar Health and Comfort in Residential Design in Ho Chi Minh City. The presentation focuses on the responsibility of architectural practice to create context relevant, sustainable designs to promote wellbeing today and for future generations.

Concept design for the new Fsoft office building has been approved. Taking advantage of its prominent location between the Central and Summer Park the project develops a unique “infinity” shape that marries the landscape of the park to the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park masterplan, both designed by group8asia. The building typology developed in High Tech Landscape and Concrete Lace, inspired by traditional craft villages in the region of Hanoi, is pushed one step further by exploring the concept of an “infinite” courtyard.

On the 30th of August partner Manuel der Hagopian was invited to present at the Dense and Green Building Typologies: Architecture as Urban Ecosystem conference organised by the Singapore University of Technology and Design and the Future Cities Laboratory hosted by the URA. The Symposium bought together important stakeholders, including policy makers, planners, developers, architects and landscape architects, to discuss how dense and green building typologies can contribute to developing compact yet highly liveable future cities.

As part of the International Union of Architects’ World Congress event to be held in Seoul this September, group8asia will be presenting the residency projects Gordon Bennett and Punggol Waterway Terraces in order to highlight the foundations of the agency’s practice. This presentation puts forward the added value in knowledge transfer from Europe to Asia whilst valorising local context and developing concepts further in each project.

Designed as a sensitive object that responds to its context and to the background of its owner, this project appears as the storytelling of a Singaporean The Twin-Lah which moved and settled at the foot of the Mont-Blanc. Currently under construction, the façade prototype is a reflection of the detailed and intense research that has created a distinctive pattern for the external expression of the Pink House, developed in collaboration with collinfontaine.

Can you imagine a building where people and spaces are linked together by nature? Winning second prize, the proposal developed in collaboration with AGA for the future PSA Headquarters redefines the Singaporean skyline. A role model for an Integrated Liveable City development the iconic project harnesses the ideals of Work, Learn and Play. Highly efficient and connected spaces are sensitive to the human scale and the building responds to the unique duality between harbour and sea.

Group8asia has been awarded the project to develop a masterplan for a 500 ha artificial peninsula in Dragon Hill Do Son, Haiphong. The masterplan creates a sense of place with diverse programs that reinvigorate its green tourism heritage and respond to the region’s needs. Activities are designed to run through all four seasons, addressing the needs of the local population and the ever increasing number of visitors.

Following on from past sustainable design studios at the Singapore University of Technology and Design “New Sustainable Housing Mass” and “Industrial Shelter”, this year’s “High Density Seafront Housing” studio, led by group8asia partner Manuel Der Hagopian and assisted by associate Armand Devillard, has been completed. The studio book consists of strategically designed student projects and thoughtfully researched case studies that complement the hard work and dedication throughout the studio.

After having won the international competition last year for the hotel, residential and commercial project “The Parks”, group8asia Co-Founder Grégoire Du Pasquier has been invited to host a conference at the Ho Chi Minh University of Architecture. Using the Quy Nhon project as reference Mr. Du Pasquier will be exploring different theories and practice surrounding the combination of nature and architecture.

An important milestone in the development of Sustainable Design as the Singapore University of Technology and Design publish the works of their first cycle of students in the ASD program. To inspire the students in their formative years, group8asia co-founder Manuel der Hagopian with the assistance of associate Armand Devillard led the experimental studios questioning New Sustainable Housing Mass and Industrial Shelter.

As populations age, innovative solutions are needed to not only house older generations but also to enable them to continue leading fulfilling lives. These concepts are the baseline for The Twin Gardens project developed in partnership with local consultant Sung-Taeg Nam. group8asia’s proposal integrates both a retirement centre and senior citizens learning hub in a layout that allows for maximum communication in a village-style environment.

Manuel der Hagopian, co-founder and partner at group8asia, will be presenting at TEDxBaDinh on Sunday April 16th. His talk will focus on the increase in global demand and the problematics architects face when designing suitable solutions in unfamiliar cultural, climatic and geographic contexts. Sharing design strategies from projects in Vietnam, Singapore and Switzerland that helped address specific context.

Designed by architect David Jameson and located adjacent to the Marriott hotel, sit two stacked shaped villas for which group8asia has developed the concept design of the facades. Both equally beautiful in their intricate configuration, the facades have been conceived with a play of louvers, which subtly balance the internal complexity with the external simplicity.

Group8asia and Aedas have been awarded the coveted SG Mark 2017 Special Mention for Punggol Waterway Terraces I & II. The project has embodied the benefits of: empathy, value, inspiration, ethics and responsibility, sustainability and progress to deserve the award.

Established by the Singapore-ETH Centre, at the Swiss Technology Impact Platform (STIP) focuses on bringing together small and medium sized Swiss companies to explore interesting ways to contribute to sustainable urban development in Asia. Manuel Der Hagopian, partner at group8asia, participated along with other like-minded business, to discuss the challenges and potential opportunities offered in the region.

Last week saw the midterm studio critiques at SUTD for the “High Density Seafront Housing” studio led by group8asia partner Manuel Der Hagopian and juried by Yann Follain, architect at Wy-To and Patrick Bingham-Hall, architectural photographer, writer and editor (Pesaro Publishing). Students presented abstract models based on their chosen Asian poems, these will be a foundation for final architectural projects.

Group8asia is pleased to announce four new associates to the team: (from left) Duong Bao Trung, Nguyen Duy Tan, Phan The Ngoc and Le Hai Anh. They have all been highly instrumental in the many achievements of group8asia and will continue to engage with the founding partners and directors to ensure growth and success.

Thank you for all your support in 2016, it has been essential to our success and we are proud of our collaborative achievements. As we move into the auspicious year of the Rooster, we wish all our clients and partners good fortune in 2017! We look forward to another successful year.

To celebrate our last decade working in Europe and Asia, we invite you to view our short video. Meet our empowered teams that are passionate about communicating ideas and creating innovative solutions. Understand our work culture that spans across time and geographical zones of Switzerland, Vietnam and Singapore.

Following the success of previous Sustainable Design Studios at SUTD “New Sustainable Housing Mass – Singapore” and “Industrial Shelter – Zurich” Manuel Der Hagopian, partner at group8asia, has been invited to head a new studio for 2017. This year the project is located back in Singapore, observing the challenges and opportunities for high density seafront housing.

Located in Ho Chi Minh City, at the High Tech Park, the Centre for Research & Product development building will consist of offices, training areas and facilities. The proposal focuses on the notion of interconnectivity between working spaces and the natural environment. The interlocked design has a three-phased approach, first will welcome 4’000 staff.

The flagship of Hanoi, a well-known Vietnamese premium luxury brand, has opened its door on 38 Hang Dao. The old structure is a witness to the buildings historical past, while the lacquer products are a contemporary expression of a “new” Hanoi craftsmanship. The project is a beautiful narrative of how the old and new can occupy parallel space.

Manuel Der Hagopian, a Partner at group8asia, will be presenting at the World Architecture Festival on November 16th. The topic of discussion is centred on the Punggol Waterway Terraces I & II and how the design thinking is relevant to the current sensitivities in Europe.

In collaboration with NEY & Partners, “The Parks” project has been awarded 1st prize for the new Hoa Sen Tower competition in Quy Nhon. The project aims to become an opportunity to rethink the way to develop sea shores in Vietnam. It also includes existing components of Quy Nhon environment and nature in the design. Two sky bridges linking two residential and hotel towers are used as social and natural condensers that hold the two towers together.

In the “silicon-valley” area of North Vietnam, just 40km from the centre of Hanoi, the beautifully landscape park will be the heart of Hoa Lac high-tech development. The masterplan engages with contextual water conditions and relinks with natural design.

Collin Fontaine and group8asia have received the building permit for the Pink House. The client, who has spent a large part of his life in Asia, wanted the concept for the twin villas to be inspired by traditional Singaporean Shophouse design.

The Alps Residences, a 626 unit residential complex in Singapore, has been granted with Gold Award for the BCA BIM Awards 2016, Project Category. Congratulations to the entire team for this success.

Further to getting the Punggol Waterway Terraces I & II on the Singapore $50 note, the project has just won the HDB Design Award 2016 (Housing). Congratulations to the whole design team for pushing boundaries of sustainable mass housing design in a tropical climate.

Somerset West Point, an interior design and landscape project is now under construction, innovating the use of local raw materials to achieve a new luxury experience. Uniquely the project diminishes external noise to create a distinctive ambience, whilst the triple height, brick layered ‘Constellation Wall’ adds intrigue.

“Industrial Shelter” pavilion designed by Joel Yap, Sustainable Design Studio student at SUTD, has been selected and will be built on the public plaza of Neunbrunnen Strasse housing project, Oerlikon. The design celebrates the interdependence between structural poles and tensile cables that reminisce contextual history.

Building on the success of last year’s studio “New Sustainable Housing Mass”, this year the focus was “Industrial Shelter”, at the Sustainable Design Studio hosted by SUTD (Singapore University of Technology and Design) and led by Manuel Der Hagopian (Partner, group8asia).

Group8asia has completed the design stage for the new flagship store in Hanoi for a well-known Vietnamese premium retail brand, that will be located in a traditional communal shophouse in the heart of the city. The design philosophy is rooted in harmoniously integrating artisanal creativity of the brand to the beautiful traditional architecture

Group8asia is pleased to announce Armand Devillard as new associate and the nomination of two directors, Nicolas Moser and Laurence Savy at the head of Hanoi office. They have all been highly instrumental in the past few years and will continue to engage with the founding partners, Manuel Der Hagopian and Grégoire Du Pasquier, to ensure growth and success of group8asia.

The proposal is rooted in context, reflecting cityscape and public activity. These reflections celebrate Raffles Place in its complete reality; busy commuters, hoppers and socialisers enjoying the open public space. The project takes into account sustainable design and has taken care to specify materials that can be reused efficiently. Alice, the protagonist in this narrative, experiences Raffles Place through an emotional and physical journey. Ultimately, she discovers the moment, away from the chaos, when reality becomes blurred and daydreams in serenity.

Group8asia has been awarded 3rd prize for the Nodeul Dream Island international competition. The island is seen as a living organism that can grow, adapt, react and transform itself into a wide range of configurations to serve cultural, commercial and social functions. The Green Dots project aims to become a prototype that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.

Group8asia has been awarded 1st prize for the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Operation Centre competition. Redefining the Hanoi skyline, the unique design offers unparalleled views of the vibrant city. The mixed use building, also described as ‘Vertical Green City’, will harmoniously integrate architecture and landscape. More than 70’000m2 space for offices and apartments is spread through blocks that are fragmented by sky gardens and lush green terraces.

The “Architecture as a Theatre” exhibition will be held in Hanoi on 23rd June; organised by group8asia and photographer Régis Golay in collaboration with Nanoco Gallery (built by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Vietnam). Golay’s works, which are a collection of group8asia’s projects, showcase intense compositions that beckon us to ponder and to marvel at his creative process. Through his photos, magic unfolds and gives us a glimpse into a world that is often hidden in plain sight.

Together with rollimarchini architects, group8asia has designed the Jakob Saigon factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The design is true to its Swiss roots based on two principles, efficiency and aesthetics. The project aims to be a pioneer in Vietnam, with a 100% naturally ventilated factory. Based on passive climatic strategies, adapted to tropical region, the design has developed a porous facade. The smart green envelope has lush hanging geotextile planters that offer a new dimension to sustainable design.

The Alps condominium will soon be under construction in Tampines, Singapore. The design, rooted in the ‘Swiss Alps’ concept, seamlessly connects the more than 600 unit buildings to the landscape. The skyline of the residences is formed in reference to the mountains. Details and concepts, worked out by physical models, reimagine views within the whole precinct by investigating spaces between tight and open areas.

A recent exhibition “architecture as a theatre” was held in Saigon, organised by group8asia and photographer Régis Golay in collaboration with DIA Project gallery. Golay’s works, which are a collection of group8asia’s projects, showcase intense compositions that beckon us to ponder and to marvel at his creative process.

One of the main project goals were to keep the building integrative, to fit like a piece of a puzzle, in the master plan of Zurich Nord. The scheme maintains the industrial character of its context, but adds an elegant touch through design and colours.

Awarded project punggol waterway terraces, holder of green mark platinum certification, is now completed. First pictures from renowned photographer Patrick Bingham-Hall released on our website.

Hoa Lac High Tech Park’s Project Management Unit has revealed to the public the new approved masterplan designed by group8asia for the future hoa lac technologic park. The masterplan of 65ha proposes sustainable strategies able to bring identity and flexibility to one of Vietnam’s largest hightech park area.

Group8asia unveils the proposal for the Saigon River Cliffs competition held by CapitaLand Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Saigon River Cliffs development defines itself as a new landmark, linking the city to the qualities of the waterfront. The playful skyline is offering harmonious declivities and summits, allowing the whole cluster to enjoy the qualities of its surroundings, and react to possible future evolutions.

Group8asia unveils the proposal for the second part of Tampines North neighnorhood competition held by HDB (Housing Developement Board) in Singapore. The Sky Forest @ Tampines North development is in line with the overall urban design guideline, the entire leaf concept of the masterplan is manifested with the main stem being the lushly planted boulevard park branching out to the green tapestries that run through the precinct.

The interior design of the public spaces of FPT University in Hanoi is now completed. These communal spaces, interpreted as “Room Of Knowledges” offer to the student the perfect place to work, to meet and to share.

Manuel Der Hagopian will give a lecture on the 2nd of March at the occasion of the FCL (Future Cities Laboratory) Lunch talk at the SINGAPORE – ETH CENTER. Driven by the Singaporean history of public housing, group8asia proposes an exploration through the specific context of the Punggol Waterway Terraces project’s process. FCL Lunch Talks are open to all. Please register here.

Manuel Der Hagopian is invited as guest professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) for the first semester of 2016. The studio «Industrial Shelter» proposes to explore the cracks of the post-industrial context of Oerlikon area in Zurich as potential social value. The program will be manifested under the form of a public multifunctional and sustainable «shelter».

At the beginning of January 2015, group8asia Singapore office will be relocated at 22 Gemmill Lane #03-02, Singapore 069257.