Vegetable Trellis / Cong Sinh Architects

Curated by ArchDaily

Architects: Cong Sinh Architects
Year: 2016
Photographs:Hiroyuki Oki
Manufacturers: Dong Nai, Ha Tien 1 Cement, Hoa Sen Group
Contractor: Thanh An Interior & Construction Co.Ltd

Text description provided by the architects. Today, the target for hunger reduction is on a global scale. In Asia Pacific, 12% of the population is in bad health because of a lack of food, and just in Vietnam from 2014 to 2016, this number is 11%, which means that 10.3 million people are underfed.

Global climate change has been influencing the agricultural productivity in many areas. Especially in Vietnam today, sea level rise, droughts and salt marsh usually occur in Southern provinces. The aforementioned problems have greatly affected the national food security, which requires us to have appropriate and practical solutions.

The project is the service area beside an auto care center. The visitors of this area and the clients of the center can sit and have a rest here, where part of the food is from the vegetables that are planted in the project. There is a lot of information and knowledge about many types of vegetables available for everyone. Visitors are guided and will have a chance to plant the vegetables right here. They’ll also be inspired to grow these plants at their houses.

The idea is quite simple: we created a vegetable trellis covering the space for activities below to provide a cool and fresh microclimate, which is a very familiar picture in every Vietnamese people’s subconscious mind.

The project was built with the aim of reducing climate change. When the construction came into operation, reality has showed that the space is very clean because the air is filtered by a vegetable trellis above. This is a really energy-efficient project as almost only sunlight is used the whole time the center is open every day (6AM - 6PM). Besides, every space is well-ventilated and we don’t need to use air conditioners.

The design of the ground floor is completely open, which helps connect the spaces indoors and outdoors. So, they can be used flexibly and without limits. This space is a multifunctional one which can become a park, public space, restaurant, a coffee shop or a wedding and convention center, etc.

The construction uses eco-friendly materials. The ground floor is tiled with many concrete planks to make it easier for rainwater to penetrate into the ground. This will help decrease flooding in the area.

With a simple and useful idea, the architects desire to inspire people to grow vegetables at their homes, not just in Vietnam but also in many other countries around the world.