It is an assessment of architects about Vietnamese present architecture. According to them, energy consumption level in buildings, especially apartment buildings and buildings for public purposes accounts for more than 25 percent of total energy consumption. This percentage has rapidly increased in the recent years.

Toward a “Green Architecture”

The reason for this situation is that investors do not pay attention to energy conservation methods and their advantages to the socio-economic development. According to the architect Nguyen Tan Van, the chairman of the Vietnam Architect Association, we are not clearly aware of “green architecture” benefits. Therefore, when building, investors do not take advantages of natural conditions and the ancestors’ experiences in the field of construction in tropical region. We need to create a friendlier architecture.

The head quarter of the Chau Doc Township People’s Committee is the only construction work for the government agencies that won the BCI Green Design Award 2010 rewarded by BCI Asia Company. Thanks to utilizing solar rays, this construction work does not use lamps for 70 percent of time. This is a useful construction work in the situation of serious electricity lack. It is a pity because the number of these construction works is very little.

In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City only, there are hundreds of new urban zones and apartment buildings have been constructed and come into use. However, investors do not pay attention to methods to save energy and their benefits to the socioeconomic development. Construction works for public purposes such as government agencies’ buildings, schools and hospitals have been constructed based on low quality architecture and poor technology, therefore they do not use energy effectively.

Architect Nguyen Tan Van said that “Green architecture” not just implies green trees. It refers to a convenient and airy space for users. In addition, a green construction work must be considered an artwork which contributes to the city’s beauty.

There are still many difficulties

Recently, to meet demand of consumers, investors have started to focus on “green architecture”. However, there are many difficulties to have a green architecture because it does not match investors’ profits. In the context that land price is very high, investors use small land for greeneries. In addition, when designing, they do not pay attention to utilize solar rays and natural wind. They just focus on how to utilize all land to build offices and apartments and to save materials. People in many apartment buildings have to use fan, lamps and air-conditioners all days. Separate houses share the same situation.

At present, the market is lack of environmentally friendly construction materials. The government does not pay attention to encouraging people to use environmentally friendly construction materials and invest in technologies for producing these products. Therefore, factories that manufacture these materials have low productivity and poor product varieties. As a result, the price of these materials is very high and does not meet consumers’ demands.

In addition, in the field of planning and project management, there is still difference between architecture and urban development. When implementing urban development projects, investors do not pay attention to energy efficiency. In addition, the government has not issued concrete regulations on assessing construction works’ quality, granting construction license and saving energy.

In the Vietnamese standard system, in terms of construction materials, there are 31 regulations on cement and the additives, 24 regulations on sand and stone, 42 on bricks, 57 on concrete and mortar, 23 on wood, 28 on metals, 25 on glass, 4 on roofing materials, and 17 on fire-proof materials.

These regulations cover most of construction materials. However, the government does not have details standard system toward conserving energy and natural resources. Other countries’ experiences show that if we build energy conservation construction works, we can save 20-30 percent of energy consumed in this sector.

 By Thuy  Hang