Project R-9052

An architectural research of the conversion of traditional craft villages into co-villages in peri-urban areas in Vietnam: sustainable development in urbanization (Research)

In recent year, due to Vietnam's urbanization and industrialization processes, traditional craft villages in periurban areas face a loss of cultural identity. Traditional craftsmanship as living heritage includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants. Unesco emphasized that living heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization. Besides that, a new model of a sustainable community, so called eco-villages, is explored in this research. The research will focus on craft villages to become self-sufficient and self-reliant as eco-village and how they can contribute to awareness of craftsmanship as intangible heritage. The objective of the research is to i) identify characteristics of traditional craft villages as local features, atmosphere, economic, product conditions, needs of the community ii) find out and compare potential targets of traditional craft villages: products, tourism, shopping and agriculture in Vietnam; iii) clarify the specific conditions/variables for suitable eco-village model for sustainable development in Vietnam and iv) develop concepts and a set of design parameters for an ecovillage. An empirical study of two villages located in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh city in the south of Vietnam. Strategic method that adopt economy, ecology and human values will be the input of a designerly research, based on theoretical concepts.

01 January 2019 - 04 December 2020