Delopus: As an award-winning practice that inspires numerous student architects as well as practising architects, how do you define architecture?

Arch Ho Khue: We like to define our architecture as two terms:

Architecture for the people: The user’s experience and sentiments are our top priority on every design project. We not only strive to fulfill the basic needs of the user but leap forward to create spaces that their users will connect to physically as well as emotionally, create an experience-oriented design for them.

Architecture for the environment: We have been pursuing green and sustainable architecture. We try our best to help nurture the existing green of a project by facilitating natural elements such as sunlight, wind, rain and plants into the built. This way it enables us to help the users love, interact and maintain a connection with the green around them. Besides, we consider every design project as a living breathing being. This makes us feel all the more responsible to society and put in our best foot forward to create those artistic living things.
 

Delopus: Did you have a mentor or someone who has had a major influence on you as a student of architecture?

Arch Ho Khue: At every stage in my life, I’ve had someone who has inspired me. These mentors have helped me to grow professionally and even enlighten me on the personal front. I’d like to tell you about one such teacher of mine, Ar Nguyen Bac Vu – the co-founder of ARDOR Architecture. She was the one who lit up the fire of passion for architecture inside me, she has inspired me to be a better architect in one too many ways.
 

Delopus: How do you think the culture and landscape of Vietnam have influenced in shaping the philosophy of your practice?

Arch Ho Khue: The way I see it, cultural aspects have a profound influence on any architect’s works. In my works, I make sure that it’s just not a collection of cultural elements. I draw inspiration from the environment, the people around and how the local climate affects the built form, basically the context. All these factors help us to come up with the most suited and optimal solution for the problem at hand. If all these go according to plan, then the built and unbuilt can exist in harmony and even carry the legacy forward.

Delopus: In your acclaimed project, the Modern Village Office for the landscape design you have incorporated both native plants and others like Banana plants etc., so what is the thought process behind the selection of plant species for your work?

Arch Ho Khue: It is the other way around; the plants determine what gets done around them. In the Modern Village Office project, the banana, bamboo and reed were all there since a very long time and even thriving there. So, we thought, why don’t we incorporate it into our work rather than getting rid of them? After all, they were here before us. Also, the existing trees and plants paint the imagery of a typical Vietnamese countryside and hence the idea of ‘Modern Village’ was born.

Delopus:Through your works like the Kite Village House, you talk about reducing costs and energy requirements using locally sourced materials and the local workforce, how important do you think it is that more and more architects follow this path?

Arch Ho Khue: In the case of Kite Village House, the sourcing of ideal materials was impractical since it was located on the outskirts of the town. Hence, we decided on two things to solve these problems of material sourcing and limited budget: Employing local workers and using locally available materials. Addition of skilled engineers and experienced supervisors to work with the local workers to ensure the quality of work.

I wouldn’t want to take sides on the matter of architects following a sort of trend. I believe each architect must have the necessary acumen to handle different types of projects, including but not limited to having a practical mindset and knowledge enough to be able to convince the client/investor to pick the most appropriate and efficient option for the project.

Delopus: In most of your projects, it is the strong intermingling of flora that completes and adds life to the built form. Like in the S House you talk about the concept of reconnecting people and nature. How do you go about this process while designing?

Arch Ho Khue: As we mentioned earlier, the first and foremost important aspect for us is the user experience, the human element of each project. And S House was not an exception. S House was one of our first design projects where we ventured out into the introduction of green into the spaces. The owner of S House is someone who nurtures a strong passion for both architecture and nature. Realizing this, we have integrated these two interests into the project. What could be better than your home reflecting your passion?

Delopus:The core aspect of your projects remains to ensure maximum natural light and ventilation as opposed to artificial means, naturally cool and comfortable spaces, do you think the popular practices in Vietnam cater enough to the climatic profile of the place?

Arch Ho Khue: We are not planning a 100% replacement with natural elements nor are we capable enough to fully compensate for the limitations of having an extreme climatic profile. We are just trying our level best to bring the freshness of the flora as much as possible into the design of the built form. This will contribute to the aesthetic value of any space; in addition, also help encourage more people to practice green living. If it gets widely accepted it will help reduce the effects of the harsh climate in Vietnam in particular and around the world in general.

Delopus: How do you balance functionality/practicality along with the aesthetic appeal for your projects as both are very neatly handled in your projects?
Arch Ho Khue: In my experience, I’ve realized it’s quite tricky to achieve this balance. I have tried to break this down into two steps,

- As I always say, the user must be the priority. So first and foremost, we solve the functional needs of the users and try to meet their requirements to the maximum.

- Then we can go on and let our creative juices flow. Now we can try adding artistic elements that we think might add to the experience of the users.

If this process is reversed, I don’t think it would gracefully survive the brunt of time. This process is truly an art and I believe architects are some of the most talented artists.

Delopus: As is the case in almost all of your projects, 80% of the design is shaped by the flora that has been very strategically chosen and placed. So how receptive are clients when it comes to the maintenance and nurturing of flora in these built spaces?

Arch Ho Khue: We always stay with our users throughout the process of using the green space they own; with a process and direction I can describe as:

- First, during the design process, we organize and arrange the array of plants in the most ideal way. Ensuring both aesthetics and convenience for the aftercare process.

- Next, we apply technological solutions to automate the daily care of those green areas. This greatly assists users in keeping their living spaces maintained efficiently.

- Last but not least, through these solutions, we try to be a source of inspiration, instil a love of plants in the users, help them feel close to nature and their own living space.

Delopus: As a practice that has won many awards and accolades from recognized institutions, how important do you think these felicitations and acclaim is to you?

Arch Ho Khue: Personally, the awards and recognitions from prestigious organizations mean a lot to me and I believe that’s the case with most architects. It reinforces our belief that the vision we have and the mission that we are pursuing are in fact in the right direction. It is also undeniably a great source of motivation for us.

Delopus: What do you think are the most important challenges faced by architects in the current times?

Arch Ho Khue: The biggest challenge that architects face today is their own passion and enthusiasm. I don’t think the profession gets the respect it deserves in many developing countries, leading to talented architects going unrecognized. Unlike in western countries in developing countries the cost of designing is still quite low, this demoralizes many professionals in the field. Ultimately leading to them losing their passion and either shifting careers or even worse, churning out superficial works that add zero value to the community.

Delopus: If you were to define your design ideology in a sentence what would it be? And what prompted you to take up this particular style of design that you are known for today?

Arch Ho Khue: “Architecture becomes our heritage”-- I always keep in mind that every design or work that we do today must add some long-lasting value to society otherwise it’s just worthless. Our work should reflect our efforts and that will be the legacy that we leave for the generations to come.

Delopus: What one piece of advice do you have for students and young professionals in the field of Architecture?

Arch Ho Khue: I have a couple of messages for young people who are pursuing this path:

- The acquisition of knowledge is very important. Facing an ever-changing modern world, what keeps us resilient to these changes is knowledge. We should not only focus on forging professional knowledge, but also pay attention to different areas of knowledge, which will contribute to diversifying our professional thinking.

- Always have a positive attitude towards everything and love the things around us. A relaxed attitude will help us get up easily when we fall as well as nurture our passion and enthusiasm to pursue what we really want.