Special edition  » Green development

As Vietnam is actively responding climate change, it is essential to attach much importance to green architecture when planning urban areas in the country, writes Professor Dang Hung Vo, former vice minister of Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Professor Dang Hung Vo

Green architecture is a broad term that refers to the creation or restructuring of buildings, rural residential areas and urban areas so they have a minimal impact on the environment. In other words, green architecture could be understood as sustainable architecture that focuses on improving the efficient usage of natural resources liked energy, water and materials to reduce the threat to the surrounding environment.

The ongoing climate change threat has made the concept of green architecture become of great interest to many people. But in fact, there is no common international criteria for green architecture. Some green architecture associations like Green Star in Australia, HQE in France, BREEAM in United Kingdom and GBAS in China are studying green architecture criteria. International organisations also issue criteria on the relation between construction projects, environment and climate change. Those include IPD Environment Code, which measures the environment performance of buildings and ISO/TS 21931:2006 that provides a general framework for improving the quality and comparability of methods for assessing the environmental performance of buildings.

In Vietnam, to be one of the most affected countries by climate change, green architecture development and natural resources usage should be considered carefully.

I. Using land resource

Till 2006, the total residential land in Vietnam was 602,671 hectares and the population is more than 85 million. In which, residential land in rural area was 496,012ha for 62 million people and residential land in urban area was 106,659ha for 23 million people. Thus, the population density in rural area is 80 square metres per person and in urban area is 46.4 per square metes per person. The population density is just a reference number, but the importance is using land to create living environment to meet green architecture criteria.

Besides the urban area living space, it is essential to create space for developing industry and service sectors. By 2005, the total land for non-agricultural industry and service in the country was 151ha. In which, 51,000ha was industrial parks, 58,000ha was for non-agricultural manufacturing and trading, 19,000ha was for mining and 22,600ha was for construction materials manufacturing. Total non-agricultural manufacturing and trading land could double in 2010.

For residential land and non-agricultural manufacturing and trading land, people should use it in an environmentally friendly way. In terms of green architecture, land should not be considered as an asset in real estate market. It should be considered as a natural resource in the relationship with water, energy usage, ecosystems and with environment.

In Vietnam, the efficient usage of land that is suitable to green architecture criteria should focus on the following measures:

1. The most importance in using land is to choose positions for residential land and non-agricultural manufacturing and trading land.

a. The positions must be located in high places where are suitable to avoid natural disaster. In case the height of those places is not higher than the worst historical food, there must be suitable drainage solutions in the places.

b. Implementing a survey to find out the possibility of environment pollution. The pollution could be caused by nature or humans. The natural cause could be radiation minerals, toxic gases and poisoned water and artificial cause is toxic chemicals and wastes left after using or war.

c. To study geographic positions of the residential land to make sure it is suitable to the development terrain. The residential land must be sustainable and have circulation of air and water. These are factors of geomancy are very important, but also easy to make a selection mistake. In fact, most of people believe in geomancy and it plays an important role in land usage. However, there have been no clear knowledge and convincing science argument for geomancy.

2. Choosing a position based on the efficient land usage at buildings and construction works is a factor which should be specified in architecture ideas, including the following factors:

a. The position could take full natural advantages and ecosystems to create an appropriate living environment. Taking full natural advantages like flora and fauna and water surface to create a useful relationship between human and environment. To avoid damaging the ecosystem and water surface that could negative impacts on humans.

b. Architectural design for buildings should be considered to use full natural advantage such as rain, sunshine, wind to ensure sunshine and ventilation in buildings. A reasonable water supply and drainage system is designed to make the living space friendlier with nature.

c. Reducing the need of energy to the lowest level at the buildings and using the energy exploit from natural resources. At present, there is a criterion to reduce energy supplied from outside residential areas to zero. There are two ways to do it. Firstly, reducing the energy demand by taking the advantage of sunshine, creating appropriate ventilation and using insulating materials. Secondly, using local renewable energy like geothermy, solar power and wind power.

d. Besides taking the natural advantages, building a waste treatment system is an important work. We all know that treating waste at residential areas is a difficult and urgent mater. In Vietnam, waste in big cities is the main reason causing dead rivers and streams, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There have been many solutions introduced to treat waste, but biological solution could be the best one. The biological solution not only treats waste without pollution but also creates energy serving the local demand.

II. Using water resource

Land is an area to build living spaces for humans, but water is a condition to define the living quality. Furthermore, water always has direct impact on human lives. For water resources, it is necessary to pay attention to two issues. Water used for the demand of community and water for the operation of houses, manufacturing and trading bases.

1. Water used for the demand of community has four criteria. Firstly, water source supplying for the demand must meet in both quality and quantity. Secondly, the drainage solution must be feasible that does not impact on the surrounding environment. Thirdly, waste water must be recycled in residential areas. The last, water is a part of landscape, also a part of ecosystem and important factor in geomancy. Currently, people are smoothing water surface in most of residential areas in Vietnam to enlarge construction site, it is easy to see this action at new urban areas in big cities. This is the worst water usage. Smoothing water surface could negative impact on environment and create disaster for human. For example, the food situations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been impacting on local residents. Smoothing water surface also damage the advantage of land in geomancy term. In many countries, people has been focusing on recycling water to save water source, but in Vietnam, recycling water is just a new concept and people remain wasting water in many areas.

2. Water used for the operation of buildings and manufacturing bases in urban areas and industrial parks must be considered in a different light. First of all, there should be a feasible solution to save water using for the purposes like shower and washing, cleaning, cooling and non-agricultural manufacturing. We can reduce the waste water by using used water for other purposes.

Secondly, water is a part of natural landscape in residential areas and it also impact on geomancy of the buildings.

II. Using air resource.

Actually, air resources hav3 not been appreciated in Vietnam as the average income is at low level and people have difficulty in finding living places. According to eastern philosophy, breathing demand is more important than drinking and eating demands and the toxic air could harm people more directly and rapidly than toxic water. Thus, air usage should also be considered to suitable for the community and for each building.

1. Using air resources has three aspects. Firstly, air must be ensured quality and its refresh capacity. Before choosing position to build residential areas, it is needed to study the local sunshine, wind and rain. Secondly, air resources at residential areas should have capacity to create energy serving the local demand. Thirdly, wind also is an important part of geomancy.

2. Using air resource is usually attached importance in natural light and ventilation solution and setting building suitable to local sunshine, rain and wind situation. In terms of green architecture, people are saving energy by taking the advantages of solar power, wind power and geothermy.

Conclusion

People’s lives cannot divide from nature. The solution to harmonise human and nature is a philosophic principle of green architecture. The reciprocal influence between human and nature is the natural resource usage serving for the rising demand of human. And this relationship should be considered before implementing green architecture.