Vietnamese architect wins global award for work with ethnic, mountain communities

The 2025 award was presented to the 54-year-old vice president of the Vietnam Association of Architects and lecturer at the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering in Venice, Italy, May 7.

Vietnamese architect Hoang Thuc Hao (C) receives the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in Venice, Italy, May 7, 2025. Photo courtesy of Hao

Hao is widely regarded as a pioneer in humanistic and sustainable architecture in Vietnam.

His projects symbolize knowledge sharing and cultural respect with his sustainable projects in ethnic and mountain communities.

Over the past two decades he has developed community-centered architectural works that integrate nature and local cultures in many places between the rocky highlands of Ha Giang to the central regions.

At the awards ceremony, he said: "Architecture is not only about constructing buildings but also about shaping people and communities. We do not create architecture to satisfy the ego of the architect, but to connect, listen and co-create with society."

Born in Hanoi, Hao graduated from the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering in Vietnam in 1992 and the Politecnico di Torino in Italy in 2003.

In 2003 he founded the architectural firm 1+1>2, which focuses on supporting disadvantaged communities and promoting cultural diversity amid Vietnam’s rapid urbanization.

A professor in architecture and urban planning since 2003, he has delivered lectures at prestigious institutions around the world, including the Art Institute of Chicago, National University of Singapore, Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Yale University, Cornell University, and Tsinghua University.

Architect Hoang Thu Hao in a portrait photo on the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture website.

His long list of accolades includes the UIA Award in 1996, World Architecture Festival's Civic and Community Award in 2015, Vietnamese Architect of the Year in 2015, the Gold Prize at Vietnam Green Architecture in 2016, and the Vassilis Sgoutas Prize for Implemented Architecture Serving the Impoverished in 2017.

Hao’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development extends to various initiatives like serving as an executive board member of the Youth Union (1995–2019), vice-president of the Vietnam Association of Architects (2020–ongoing) and chief architect of the "Schools for Impoverished Children in Rural Areas" program (2014-).

He has led efforts to design and construct schools in the northern mountainous region and is the head of the Private Fund for Community Architecture from 2015.

This year the other winners of the award were from Morocco, Ecuador, Germany, France, and the U.S.

The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, established in 2006 by architect and scholar Jana Revedin, recognizes champions of sustainable development who adopt a participatory design approach to meet societal needs.