Nestled in the crux of Infinity Village, “Fville 3” of the Hoa-Lac high-tech park masterplan, Living Shelter promotes the deep level of community placemaking central to the Vietnamese village typology concept. The robust structure creates a comfortable shelter from sub-tropical weather conditions, creating a welcoming environment for all users.

The project can be perceived as three operations that address the local context of climatic and social needs. Firstly, to sink the ground-level, allowing the project to be discreetly placed. Then elevating an architectural structure using triangular supports, the sturdiest of geometry to create a flexible space. This plaza is then enveloped with layers of perforated metal, creating levels of varied density to effectively protect against climatic conditions.

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.

The openness of the G8A proposal allows the breeze to pass through the building for effective cross-ventilation. In this way, the public areas become functional and comfortable, a tropical space with greenery, natural light and fresh air, giving an alternative to the common propositions of enclosed and internalized air-conditioned spaces.

By simultaneously protecting and opening the space a highly flexible program is given to the community. The reference to rural Vietnamese community houses is evident through this solid and expressive structure becoming a social and activity meeting point for the community. The flexibility of the space goes beyond the welcoming of today’s users’ activities and looks forward to possible futures. Following the line of the Sustainable Ruin concept developed by G8A, Living Shelter proposes a sustainable design allowing for maximal program evolution.