Vo Trong Nghia: Building Nature

In a time when sustainability is ever more critical and an increasing number of solutions are coming from countries in the midst of building booms, such as Vietnam, this twovolume monograph celebrates the career of Vietnam’s leading architect and a major proponent of sustainable solutions.

Two volumes, Green and Bamboo, show Võ’s commitment to ecological practices and his predilection for bamboo as a material. In the former, flora is never far from view, and is often a key component of a building, whether public or private. The latter’s large spans and voluminous spaces demonstrate both the capacity of the material to meet contemporary needs and Võ’s stunning nexus of traditional and contemporary. Text by the architect and introductions by Philip Jodidio provide context on this oeuvre and each project, with plans, elevations and large-format photography demonstrating a way forward through attention to environment and vernacular.