Hanoi master plan 2030: first report to the Vietnamese government I’ve spent the most part of the March and April preparing the first formal report to the Vietnamese government for the project I am working on for JINA Architects: The Hanoi Capital Construction Master Plan to 2030 and Vision to 2050. This is a project…
The walkable Hanoi: a half-day tour
A half-day walk through Hanoi Hanoi is a walkable city. You would never know this with all the traffic overflowing in the streets. Of course the locals will prefer to ride their scooters. It’s actually dangerous to cross the streets when you are overwhelmed by bicycle motorcycle, automobiles and bus traffic coming from all directions,…
Hanoi and its love of motorcycles
Motorcycles in Hanoi This is a complex issue. The first thing that overwhelms you when you arrive in Hanoi for the first time is the motorcycles. The noise. The chaos. They are everywhere. And remember to look both ways before crossing the street. Sitting in a car in stuck in morning rush hour traffic I…
Postcards from Central Vietnam
Old Town, Hoi An, Vietnam I took a weekend trip to central Vietnam a few weeks ago. We arrived in Da Nang and took a taxi south to Hoi An. Hoi An seems to be known for 2 things: beach resorts and its Old Town designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Maybe I…
Counter-Histories of Sustainability
In issue #18 of Volume, Panayiota Pyla writes in an article, Counter-Histories of Sustainability: As the meanings and goals of sustainability are debated by architects and academics because the planets problems are real and architecture has its share of responsibility we must also remember a lesson from the history of architecture: a great…
Hanoi: Think Different
Panorama view from 25th floor of Hanoi Towers * Hanoi Panorama The view from the penthouse suite balcony of the Somerset Grand Hanoi, a.k.a Hanoi Towers is pretty amazing. We’ve been looking for more economic alternatives for accommodations in Hanoi since we’ll visiting and working in Hanoi on a regular basis for the next year…
Autumn Colors of Korea
Autumn in Namhan-San-Seong Autumn is by far the most spectacular season in Korea, in my opinion. Since the 70% of Korea is mountainous, the transformation of color is quite dramatic. These photos were taken in Namhan-San-Seong Park, located about half-an-hour from Bundang where I live. Growing up in Korea, going to visit Namhan-San-Seong always seemed…
Apple Store Hanoi
Apple Retail Store in Hanoi On my latest trip to Hanoi, I discovered the Apple Store here. I can’t image Steve would have come to open this one personally.
Great Hanoi Business Cards
Great Hanoi business cards printed by MOO.com As part of the Master Urban Plan of the Expanded Hanoi Capital (a.k.a. “Great Hanoi”), we printed some business cards from MOO.com. I chose photos from our last trip to Hanoi (no need to worry about copyright there). I purposefully chose images about the current urban condition, monuments,…
Hanoi, First Impressions
Hanoi, Vietnam As part of my new job at JINA Architects, I visited Hanoi, Ha Phong and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam in late August. I wasn’t able to post about it since the Vietnamese government had yet to formally announce the winner of the international competition to formulate a new Master Urban Plan…