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University : UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE HO CHI MINH CITY
Tutor(s) : MA.ARCH. TRAN DINH NAM – MA.ARCH. VU TIEN AN
Project Description
OVERVIEW
Locations: Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Function: Traditional Herbal Medicine Research and Applied Institute
In the middle of a vast primeval forest, the Traditional Herbal Medicine Research and Applied Institute plays an important role as a center specializing in research on traditional medicinal plants as well as regeneration, restoration and recovering lost remedies from rare ancient documents, considering in the current context when precious and long-standing remedies of traditional medicine are at risk of being lost and disappearing. In addition, the Research Institute is also a special place for diverse treatment and healing spaces using Traditional Herbal Medicine methods with typical architectural and interior space designs combined with medicinal gardens to create a complex of relaxed, stress-free green spaces, meeting the physical and mental recovery needs of many different people.
TOPIC ANALYSIS
In our history, the traditional herbal medicine has researched and created many valuable remedies, but they are still not popular with the people and many are lost during the progress of rapid development and modernization . We have researched and discovered many valuable remedies, however 80% are only passed down in folklore, have not reached the people and are at risk of being lost if not brought into the research environment – experimental modulation.
Therefore, the general vision is to design a center specializing in research on traditional medicinal plants and herbs and recreating precious, lost remedies, and conducting clinical trials to apply the remedies to patients. Moreover, the center complex has models of “healing” therapy and health care spaces typical of traditional herbal medicine and pharmacy methods, each treatment method helps people recover and healing both physically and mentally.
PROJECT SITE
The land has an area of about 62,000 square meters, located in the Can Gio district, one side is adjacent to a small residential area and the other side is adjacent to the Long Tau River. The land is located in the surrounding context surrounded by the massive primeval forest of Huyen Can Gio, and is located at the intersection of 3 main areas: Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast Region, Mekong Delta Region.
The site location was chosen on an existing abandoned vacant land, with wild weeds and dry land, adjacent but not in a natural forest area. Therefore, it eliminates the possibility that a part of Can Gio’s biodiversity primeval forest will be destroyed and demolished during the construction process.
The reason the site was chosen in Can Gio District is that the biodiversity primary forest here is home to more than 500 species of traditional medicinal plants with many different life forms, including many precious medicinal plant species that need to be introduced into research and cultivation, ensuring that the site is located “next to” but not “in” the diverse primeval forest of Can Gio for the purpose of easily serving the process of experts researching medicinal plant species in practice, and at the same time does not harm the surrounding natural environment.
“THE CONNECTED STRIPS” AND MAIN FAÇADE DESIGN
The shape of the land was reworked by taking advantage of the natural factor of the site which is the river next to the project to create natural mangrove medicinal plants and herb cultivation environments along the riverbank, instead of having to create an artificial mangrove garden.
On the overall site plan, the project’s functional blocks are scattered with almost a height of 1 floor to have the easiest access to green areas. In order to ensure seamless traffic inside the building, the functional blocks are connected by the main idea of ”The Connected Strip”.
Not only serving the project with the function of lab blocks for cultivating and processing medicinal herbs, “The Connected Strip” also acts as a viewing highlight and main facade for the project. To solve the challenge of the building’s appearance causing conflict with the surrounding natural context, the materials and structure of “The Connected Strip” have been processed to create the best effect. The facade material used is semi-transparent metal and eco-friendly panels, allowing you to partially see the “hanging gardens” and activities inside the “The Connected Strip”, while not being too obvious or prominent in the middle of the building’s background is the surrounding Can Gio primeval forest.
The desired effect is a façade that almost instantly disappears, dissolving into the surrounding green context. In addition, “The Connected Strip” also uses the traditional folding doors of Asian architecture, which are both convenient for natural light and ventilation for the medicinal herb-cultivated labs inside, suitable for tropical climates, and creating a highlight for the facade of the building instead of just a boring metal panel running throughout.
“THE RING” AND “THE BABYLONIAN GARDEN”
Inspired by the ancient Babylonian garden, “The Babylon of the Herbal” is a place where medicinal plants and herbs gardens with many different life forms are the main characters of the story, arranged in a variety of multi-dimensional approaches, not limited to just lying on the ground.
4 main types of medicinal plants and herbs gardens representing 4 basic life forms of local medicinal plants method, arranged into a unified project through different architectural forms, and connected by a round path which is called “ The Ring”:
MANGROVE MEDICINAL PLANT GARDEN
MIXED MEDICINAL PLANT GARDEN
GREENHOUSE FOR SYMBIOTIC MEDICINAL PLANT CULTIVATION
MEDICINAL HERBS CULTIVATED LABS
The project and landscape design orientation is to limit the amount of concrete leveling, and instead have a high density of trees and natural ponds to “revive” the land from a dry land site into a fertile one. The medicinal gardens combined with natural ponds and other green areas in the building create a natural drainage system when the rainy season comes, thereby limiting flooding and water fluctuations in the building. “Revitalizing” the land is not only about physical renovation but also about the spirit and atmosphere of the place. The land becomes useful to the community, not only as a place for experts and researchers, but the main desire is to create a green space among the Can Gio Primeval forest so people can come here for treatment and healing both their mind and body through traditional herbal medicine methods
Established in 2012, Tamayouz Excellence Award is an unaffiliated, independent initiative that aims to advance the profession of architecture academically and professionally. Tamayouz is dedicated to supporting aspirational and transformative projects that tackle local and global challenges and that are informed by a holistic understanding of context.