Nguyen Hoang Manh

Dear Mr. Manh, could you share with us about how COVID-19 influenced MIA Design Studio in the past 2 years?

Nguyen Hoang Manh: To us, it was not very much affected at the beginning. Not until Mid-May last year, when the Covid-19 outbreak was at its peak in Saigon, we still thought that we would be able to come back to the office by the end of the month. However, the social

distancing period turned out to last till 4 months after. We were not very well-prepared for this scenario so many of our staff couldn’t manage to work remotely.

In architecture, it is necessary to work directly in person with others. We were like fish out of water in the first month of quarantine, working online was so strange for us. However, after 3 months, even though it was not as good as we had expected, our office work seemed to be much improved. We did not have the opportunity to visit the construction site, nor did the office have any source of income. During those tough months, our investors were having difficulty, causing us to be negatively affected.

After the mentioned period, how would you feel towards life, work as well as architectural perspective?  

In 2020, there was countless news about Europe about how serious the pandemic was. The number of deaths grew high day by day, there was also no decrease in positive cases… what I saw was just a small part. Only when living in Saigon in the mid-2021 period, did I really feel the fierceness of the COVID-19.

Mental issue was one of the most velvet things I could see. Never did I imagine that I could only stay put in one place for months. To say being imprisoned might be a bit dreadful but that sort of feeling isn’t much of a difference. I had myself optimistic still, positive still to encourage me and everyone at the office. Anyway, the work at that time was no longer meaningful, but thanks to it, we were able to interact and be less stressed. 

At this time, the house was the last leaning shoulder for me. Having time to stay at home helped me see how important the quality of a living space is. Half of the Sky House was designed for nature-interaction, it is devoted to the sun, wind, water and tree, the rest is presented for family activities. This place truly represents an oasis to us.

As Sky House received an award at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in December 2021, what did this mean for MIA at the time?

This was our first time receiving an award at WAF. We have been submitting entries annually, but we do not think much about prizes though. We wanted to see how our thinking at the moment compares to the world. We were fortunate to win in the housing category, the winning project was the Sky House which I stayed in during the last outbreak. Was something I found very interesting!

Having heard the news of the award, our people at the office were very content because it was during a tough period, everyone received such great encouragement from the international architectural community. In addition to our luck, I do believe that the WAF jury recognised and appreciated our project.

Regarding the concept, which you have said before in this high density of construction society, “Do less to Get more”, when you spare a space for nature, you will get something more than just it. Would you feel it more right in this pandemic context? Could you give us more about the point of view above in the architecture that you are pursuing? 

My “Do less to Get more” is similar to the quote of Architect Mies van der Rohe – “Less is More”. 

To me, architecture is a living body, the architect itself should actively insert spaces rather than building four walls like a box, especially in this urban society with skyscrapers, high density of construction as well as new housing areas. This could help the construction and people who live in to be at ease. The gaps , sometimes, play a bigger role than usable spaces. It is the best function for a house when there are gaps in between. 

When designing a project, if the space inside and outside is identical on the same materials, high level, etc., then we can no longer tell the difference between internal and external elements. When the light, tree, and water combine, the feeling of living indoors is like living in nature. This is the best healing factor, particularly during the pandemic.

Although it was bad during this period, it also gave me chances to take a look back at my concept when I spent my time only in this house. By interacting with every corner of it, I could find the pros and cons of my own design. I could clearly feel the changes in weather, the daylight hours, how the trees grow, how the kitchen is used from the sketch note I drew to its reality, then the laundry area. Even when you have to grow vegetables on the roof to source your own food, watering and fertilising the small garden also requires thought out… When interacting and operating your house, you can really understand the gain and loss. I think the concept of 50% for nature, 50% for function, and the transitional space between inside and outside is extremely necessary.

A project designed by MIA Design Studio in Phu Quoc island, Vietnam

How could you blend the quintessence of traditional architecture with contemporary design in the architecture of MIA Design Studio? 

Being creative means thinking of something new, we cannot replicate the old ones but absolutely can inherit the existing values. To me, new means contemporary. This is the nature of being an architect. 

Standing in front of a heritage or an old building, we need to understand and appreciate the historical elements, the context it was born into, construction techniques and the materials that our forefathers had processed through details. We can express this kind of understanding into our designing projects at the moment. 

There are many traditional architectural works that have existed for a long time, in fact, there is almost no negative impact on people’s lives and the landscape as well as the natural environment. Do you think the traditional architectural approach is sustainable? 

I believe that redefining the word “tradition” is the foremost thing to do. We should not think of it as just decorational aspects. People usually mention “Losing Identities” or “Awakening Traditions”. Does the word “Tradition” itself sleep away? Why should we wake it ? We have been communicating in Vietnamese, haven’t we? We are still staying with our families, having typical meals all along…

That is Tradition. It exists, obviously! 

What do you care most about when starting a project? 

In my opinion, it is important to firstly prepare for the project before starting to design. This is the phrase when you get to know more about investors, to understand their needs, whether we see eye to eye, otherwise the project would not be good. When there is a good fit, it is great if the clients are listening. From a working perspective, if they come to me and share what they want, I will be the person to solve their needs through architectural solutions. 

The second important thing is knowing the autochthony of where the project will take place. We have to carefully observe every bit of the correlation of the project’s area with the surroundings. Along with the needs of the investor, their habits and their requirements for daily activities, then we can give them our thoughts and design ideas. 

We have a Research and Survey team at MIA to advise the design team, we try to give out multiple perspectives to ensure that everyone involved with the project understands the two factors mentioned above.

Inside MIA Design Studio

Light and shadow have always been important materials to MIA’s works. I could see clearly you have a very serious

approach to these factors not only in architectural aspects, materials but also in the emotions of each project. Is that how you want to bring nature into your works?

Architects, in general, always consider the light when designing a house, not only me. The difference is that I envision how the place would be like when I bring light into it, making it truly subtle. The artistry and moderation of the light should be well considered and calculated.

More often than not, I take advantage of both front and rear lights actively, regardless of the place’s context. Then, I try to bring in an extra light spot at the heart of the place so that it carries some personal vitality or spirit . 

In order to bring in more light to the living space, I utilise natural elements like trees, water in combination with handling the vertical or horizontal directions of the opening light, thereby creating light beams , harmonise with the place itself. All these techniques are familiar with architects in general. The only difference is how we create objective reflection in an artistic way. Where there is light, there is shadow. Which is very fascinating!

As an architect living in Vietnam, what do you think about the current rise of buildings lately? Is it necessary for buildings to reach that high? 

Regarding heights, we should look at different perspectives. From an investor’s point of view, they often try to optimise the profits and the cost for their high-rise real estate projects. The increase of Floor Area Ratio (FAR), especially in prime locations, is a legitimate requirement to them.

From the state management perspective, the authorities must find a way to harmonise the population density with the infrastructure. In Singapore, people live in high buildings so that they can have more space. On the other hand, in Hong Kong, the living density is way too thick.

To architects, I think deep down inside our hearts and if we have the authority, there are not many of us who would change and interfere harshly in the development of the city by creating higher buildings on the condition that the infrastructure has not been adequately adapted.

From the perspective of an architect, how would you deal with the requirements of people’s living in reality? What is the most important thing in a living space to you?

It is the space that is the most vital key. If we have 100m2 Gross Floor Area, there are uncountable plans for it. As I have mentioned earlier, most architects would build up higher. A living space for us, humans, needs air and a life-giving vibe. If there is no vitality, no one wants to come ‘home’ anymore.

Having worked in this field for years and approached world architecture, what do you think about Vietnamese architecture at this point? In the next 20-50 years, how should we approach architecture?

Sustainable architecture has been an interesting subject for not only Vietnamese architects but also the world. We should look at it from many angles: autochthony, place, space, time, designing mindset so that the place can last for long without being demolished. The building must truly match with the location and the residents.

In the long run, we need to pay more attention to some unexpected issues and natural disasters, just like in the last outbreak in Saigon. We should have had a more sustainable concept. For example, each house should have a terrace, or at least a small balcony so that whenever we were in need, we could grow ourselves some greens when food is scarce.

There are many positive signs in the current Vietnamese architecture. In the past 10 years, many architects have accomplished terrific achievements, which inspires the society and also the architecture industry. By participating in international contests, our Vietnamese architects have had chances to reach out directly to other countries and have earned our prizes without any support from third parties. This has opened up a really fascinating playground for all architects in order to prove their competency and by this leverage creativity of our architects in Vietnam.

Pavilion in Hochiminh City, Vietnam. Design: MIA Design Studio

At MIA, you are very outstanding because of all your concerns about Research and Develop in the office. Why do you take it that serious and how are the results of these R&D activities in practice?

As an architecture firm, I am very much into researching deep down to the core value of what we are working on. From that, we could sketch out something beautifully right, instead of making something without a soul. Personally or generally, acknowledgement is a thing that one earns. 

Throughout the years, we should take a moment to look back on what we have earned, have done; this is the whole idea of R&D. With R&D department, similar to a chemical reaction, our daily work tasks could be done on time and efficiently, like a flow. It usually costs very little expense, yet practical and progressively renewing. At MIA, we have discussions on a daily basis, these exchanges of views from different generations seem very hustle and we all feel excited about it.

We frequently organise some internal contests and bring in various of researching topics. From here, outstandings projects will be exhibited in our office so that we could learn from each other. Many of R&D results on materials and designing methods are brought in our actual works. Everyone understands clearly the nature of each project and the propriety that we see eye to eye after all research.

Is there any architect that influences the way you work or your concept?

Frankly, I do a lot of things. I would handle things to “embed” or “hide” many details in our work, try to introduce succinct and concise architecture. Architecture must be profound and pure, especially, it must be real. Tadao Ando is the one who impressed me and attunes to me.

The architecture of Tadao Ando is not decoration, nor having layers on his projects, it is about the naked essence of human’s needs. I would compare his architecture to a beautiful woman, make-up is a surplus on her radiantly stunning bare face.

Have you ever thought about your future projects and general architecture in the future?

Not, until I actually do something, I will think and imagine how it should be. One thing I can say for sure is I am going to continue what I have been working on and improving after each of my projects.

What is the project you have always wanted to do? And why?

In general, most architects begin with small projects like houses and scale up by time and experience. The next step that most of us want to enrol in is creating places related to education or religion. At the moment, I hope I could build a school and in the future it would be a contemporary temple for Vietnamese.

After all those years working as an architect, what is in you has changed and what will not?

My thought and working style consistently change day after day along with my experiences. I have realised that in these recent 3-4 years, MIA has had many applauding improvement in both work and career. Even though we have not received many projects, whichever we have brought out consists of certain care and preparation, exact to the nature of architecture. In the long run, this is the way we should do architecture. 

For the part that has remained the same, I am still me. I do sports after work, have drinks sometimes, just so.

What would you do if you were not an architect?

I will build houses then sell them, buy more land and build house to sell.

Thank you very much!