TOOB Studio is a Hanoi-based architecture office, beginning with their focus on medium and large-scale housing projects. Later on, architect Nguyễn Hồng Quang and his partners have gradually expanded and taken part in some other categories in architecture.
The writer has followed and known about TOOB since its first days to the present. Recently, he has an opportunity to have a conversation with architect Nguyễn Hồng Quang about his practice and perceives when working on architecture in Vietnam.
Hello architect Nguyễn Hồng Quang, how was TOOB’s first days?
Nguyễn Hồng Quang: Looking back to the starting point, it was rough to all, what I found lucky was that there were always people and partners who worked together with me to create our concept and maintain this until today.
Architect Nguyễn Hồng Quang
Interview & Photo
Trần Trung Hiếu
Phạm Hà Thu
Location
TOOB Studio
After 9 years, have you recognised TOOB Studio’s changes? Are there any milestones of TOOB throughout this long period?
TOOB Studio has changed so much compared to its starting point, surely this has been oriented. Before starting any projects, we always have “evolutional” decisions, not “identical selections”, and we try to maintain this criterion in the process.
Trâu Quỳ House
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Triệu Chiến
Our milestone must be the first service complex that we realised last year. This project was a chance, a stimulation for us when we were at our limit.
Can you share some information about it?
‘Hạ Long House 02’ is our most recently completed project. Its location, which is very exceptional, is situated on a slope in the central traffic island of Hạ Long city. This slope lifts up the house creating a new position to the city, driving us to consider to create this house a destination, the investor was very much in agreement with this decision.
In addition, the project has to secure the owners private life and experiences in it.
Photo
Triệu Chiến
I really want to hear more about the reason why you accepted to design these projects and how was your attitude about it?
Like many other architecture offices’ starting point, we began mostly with housing projects.
A house is the fruit of a period of communication between architects and investors with the aim to create a space for a family to reside for a long time. And with the exceptional adaptability of Vietnamese people, everyone will love their house and their corner.
Meanwhile, public construction is designed to serve diverse audiences in a short period of time and people who use it can choose whether they want to have a bonding habit with it or not, this behaviour gives us very objective answers for the quality of a public construction.
If service projects could not be run well, despite objective or subjective reasons, it would be very bad for all parties. I have realised that the responsibility of an architect is massive.
Sometimes, we wonder, “Who are people that come to use the public construction? What can make them satisfied? With people who have different interests, what are mutual points between them and between architects and investors? What should be prioritised? Short-term emotional satisfaction or long-term advantage? Surely, the answer can only be by continuing to practise architecture everyday.
A space of a project that TOOB Studio designed in Hanoi, Vietnam
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Triệu Chiến
TOOB participated in the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2022 and you were very excited about this project. Could you share more about your desire after working on this project?
Hanoi has been recognised by UNESCO to be one among the network of the World Creative Cities. The Creative city’s 2022 event was the Creative Design Festival at Hoàn Kiếm lake area with the goal of universalising people.
The Creative Design Festival 2022 had an open topic and brought us many challenges. We decided to create a complex of architectural spaces serving artistic activities for the community, honouring the heritages of the area. Additionally, we expect that the voice of architects, artists and other departments would be friendlier together after this project; this creates the premise for future projects.
A construction in the Creative Design Festival 2022 at Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam
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Triệu Chiến
There are some opinions like ‘these kinds of activities are nothing fun, nor they help make Hoàn Kiếm lake more beautiful’, I think this thought is a result from many previous events. What do you think about contributing your opinion to the organiser? Should we hold any practical activities such as designing public toilets or rest stations?
To me personally, this lake has had its own beauty as always and it seems like we should “reduce rather than add”.
However, connecting the creative industry to people is one necessary action, and we have certain restrained designs so that people can feel the atmosphere of Hoàn Kiếm lake in a different way, or even bring new activities that unexist on normal days.
For us, the Creative Design Festival is an opportunity for me and everyone in the group to see a lot of things for the community, witness the perspective from the organisers, observe the possibilities and limitations of carrying out a public project in this very important cultural area. I believe that this programme will be more and more practical. If you want to plant a tree, you have to start with dealing with the soil first, I know that time will answer all questions.
A construction in the Creative Design Festival 2022 at Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam
Photo
Triệu Chiến
TOOB Studio
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Trần Trung Hiếu
You mention so much about time. Is TOOB pursuing a philosophy in its design? Or is it just simply a daily practice and figuring out its own way?
I think to have a philosophy or a certain mindset for design requires being through many periods, hypothesise, experience hypothesis, determine if this hypothesis is suitable to the time or not, is it still valuable when one of the key factors has changed? To have such affirmation, it needs a strong background knowledge and experience. The sooner you can affirm, the better you can concentrate your energy, but it also can be a drawback that frames your ability. More importantly, it is difficult to realise. At the moment, we are having many concerns and questions to answer, not even counting some questions that appear during the process.
TOOB Studio
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Trần Trung Hiếu
What is the most important thing in the process of designing architecture to you?
I would answer this question based on my personal experience at this moment, because each stage with different purposes will ask for different priorities.
Now, before starting any projects, we learn about many aspects that can create a base for us to give a view to our project. It is important to define a vision; a near vision would not make us step up in both perception and experience, a far one would be too much for everyone and hard to control. It is crucial to use intelligence to define the right vision according to your ability while keeping pure passion in your creation.
Is there anyone that influences your mindset and practice in architecture designing?
One of the greatest architecture teachers of the 20th century that I personally admire is architect Le Corbusier. He helped form the foundation of most modern architecture and urban planning, profounding many architectural theories (both continuing and disproving his previous ones). He has had a great influence on contemporarcy architecture.
He dedicated numerous admirable works to the world’s architecture. Saying this is because I was lucky enough to be able to visit directly at his construction. I could not really describe in words or pictures, it gives those who have the opportunity to be there, to have a privilege to feel his work.
Besides, I certainly learn a lot from the projects of fellow architects who are practising in Vietnam.
Architect Nguyễn Hồng Quang visitting a construction in Europe. Photo: TOOB Studio
Having visited many architectural works of world famous architects, how do you feel when standing there in person? Is there any relationship between the actual work and the images appearing in publications, books…?
Nowaday, because of the development of the internet and photographic tools, people tend to perceive information about an architectural work by images with reduced surrounding context and no content. From this, there will come some unbiased assessments.
When having the chance to experience the real things, there are constructions that really change the way I see architecture.
I gradually learn to reduce the impact of the visual and perceive the work in a more multi-dimensional way.
Observing the Serpentine pavilions and their creators, I have realised that each project even if they have different forms and beauties or even not meeting expectations, the crucial part is that they all have their own voices and deliver perspectives of each architect.
The important thing in the architectural development process is that they dare to do, dare to experiment, perhaps they care less about the others’ judgement that affects their thinking.
The next generation of architects will always inherit the lessons, the values and that is the way we – humans move forward.
Architect Nguyễn Hồng Quang visiting a construction designed by architect Le Corbusier. Photo: TOOB Studio
Do you have any interests other than architecture? Why?
I think in life, we all need experiences and interests in many different fields in order to support your views. Currently, I am doing some combat sports. In sport, self-effort is the key. You have to be consistent, whenever the breathing is irregular, too long or too fast, the following sequence of movements will be affected.
It is the same to practising architecture, keeping yourself a regular rhythm of work and composition is a prerequisite to help you go on a long journey with your career.
Thank you very much for your time!
