HEAT REDUCING ARCHITECTURE
10 Aug 2017
The landscape architecture of this cleverly designed educational facility in Hanoi produces “microclimates” that enhance the cooling mechanisms of the building to provide a more inhabitable environment for students.
VTN Architects has revealed plans for a new training complex for Vietnam’s largest mobile network operator located within a training centre campus at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, 30 km outside of the capital city of Hanoi. Currently under construction, the Viettel Academy Education Center has been designed as a “cooling microclimate” with short-term residential accommodation aimed at creating a quiet, peaceful space for the company’s new trainees to focus on their studies away from the distraction of the city. 
The Education Centre consists of 12 programmatically-arranged blocks connected via multiple levels of circulation paths, including an expansive upper story concrete ‘sky walk’ that serves as a park space and helps to shield spaces below from sunlight. Coupled with a series of ‘overflow pools’ on the ground level, the buildings are able to produce a reduced-temperature microclimate within both indoor and outdoor spaces, a necessity in the hot tropical climate of Hanoi. 
The blocks range in size from two storeys to five storeys, accommodating classrooms, meeting rooms, halls, and offices. Between the volumes, ground-level and hanging gardens create a friendly atmosphere both horizontally and vertically and provide a relaxing space for students to gather during breaks. 
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