Green Schools - A New Trend in Vietnam
Green Schools - A New Trend in Vietnam
Many experts believe that green schools are becoming a sustainable development trend in education and a current trend in real estate investment.
Recently, the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) awarded the gold-level LOTUS certification for the completion phase to the Genesis Preschool and Primary School, a project by Capital House Group in Tay Ho Tay Urban Area, Hanoi, on the new Nguyen Van Huyen Street.
The LOTUS gold-level certification is given by VGBC to high-end projects with strict scrutiny and assessment. Prior to this, Genesis School had already received the LOTUS design phase certification. Genesis School is the first green school in Vietnam to be LOTUS certified.
Genesis School officially received the LOTUS Gold certification with notable green features: 60.9% reduction in energy usage due to the efficiency of the building envelope design, air conditioning system, and solar energy panels; 47.9% reduction in water usage; Harvesting rainwater to meet landscape irrigation needs, accounting for approximately 11.45% of the total water usage of the project; Greenery covering 39.2% of the land area, including 835 m2 of green roofs; Low VOC content in paints, coatings, and flooring; 94% of usable space with good-quality views of the landscape and gardens; Training program aimed at implementing 8 out of 17 United Nations sustainable development goals.
The Dạ Hợp Education System recently inaugurated its new facility in Hoa Binh after nearly 3 years of conceiving ideas, implementing construction, and completion. This is considered the first unit in Hoa Binh province to pursue the philosophy of happy education, based on the "multiple intelligences" theory, combining a modern, scientific training program with international standards while firmly adhering to the cultural values of ethnic groups.
Inspired by the game "Dragon Snake Rises to the Clouds" and the patterns on the headscarves of Muong girls, the school's design includes three interconnected buildings, 34 classrooms, and a system of practical rooms, talent rooms, STEM classrooms, a theater, a year-round swimming pool, Taekwondo training room, a self-service cafeteria with an Asian-European style, indoor and outdoor sports areas, a mini football field, and an aquarium garden, ensuring functionality for learning, training, and recreation.
Architect Hoàng Thúc Hào, sharing the design inspiration for Dạ Hợp School, said: "I believe that a structure rising is like a flower of the land, it must harmonize with space and support humanity. Dạ Hợp School takes inspiration from the rhythmic undulations of Hoa Binh's hills, combined with the cultural background and people of this place.
You will see the whole school simulates the homeland where the children live, like winding mountainous roads that continuously change without a starting point or ending point. Preschool and primary school children are at an age where they both learn and play, so I designed spaces that prioritize movement, running, and jumping. Any corner, from the corridors and classrooms to the playgrounds, allows children to play freely, regardless of the weather changes. Happy architecture is architecture for people, and the school and I hope the school is a safe place, a home for the childhood of the students.
Mr. Đỗ Viết Chiến, Secretary-General of the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA), former Director of the Urban Development Department, stated that the Government has long been interested in green development, and in recent years, there has been increasing attention to green projects in Vietnam.
According to Đỗ Viết Chiến's analysis, given the current conditions, green schools are still modest, and there is no clear system for their development. In which, conditions related to policy mechanisms, standards, regulations covering consulting design, planning recognition of projects, management, and operation after the projects operate in Vietnam are still very new and lack specific regulations.
Because of the benefits that green schools bring to children and the community, they all aim at the country's green goal. At that time, the problem of spending a lot or a little money is not a big issue. For project investors, making a green school is challenging, but if the entire infrastructure is green, it is a very good and easily recoverable investment.
