Architecture Portfolio - Doan Nguyen by Nguyễn Quốc Đoàn

PORTFOLIO

DOAN NGUYEN

Central Hub Saigon

Gra duation project // High-rise (Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, Enscape, Photoshop)

Reviving Certosa

Studio Project // Student Apartment (Rhinoceros, D5 Render, Photoshop, Illustrator)

A Drive-Thru Market

Competition // Public Space (Rhinoceros, D5 Render, Photoshop, Illustrator)

The Flow

Competition // Public Space (Rhinoceros, Enscape, Photoshop)

GRADUATION PROJECT

CENTRAL HUB SAIGON

Massive high-rises have long been recognized as symbols of wealth. But are there more values these giants can offer for the cities? This project is an asymmetrical compound that re-assess the identity of a high-rise building, as it has to deal with a particular challenging site.

MENTOR:

Arch. Do Quoc Hiep

Arch. Le Thi Ho Vi

LOCATION: CBD Zone, District 1, HCMC, Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON), VIETNAM, is the largest city in the country, situated in the South. Not only being the primary economic center of Vietnam, it is also an emerging international destination, with popular landmarks related to remnants of its history in its architecture.

THE HERITAGE OF SAIGON

“Hat Boi” or Vietnamese Opera, is a form of performance stem from ancient theatrical royal music. Though belonging to Royal Court at first, this recreational activity gradually set foot in folk culture and bloomed as a public pleasure. The performances usually take place in local temples during the “Ky Yen” festival, a ceremony in which people pray for peace and wholesome harvesting seasons. Nowadays, this activity gradually fades away from public acknowledgment, as much as its venues.

PROGRAM CONCEPT

Originally planned for a high-rise office, the site features a 100-year-old temple, which is serves as the spiritual home of traditional music performers in Saigon’s oldest area. To integrate the temple into the new development, I took a unique approach inspired by projects like the Elbphilharmonie and Hearst Tower, creating a “living museum” that restores the cultural hub’s spirit and attracts businesses seeking a historic location. The temple’s enduring presence brings a sense of timelessness and cultural charm to the building, making it a unique addition to the skyline.

MANIFESTO

1. PODIUM AND TOWER

A basic massing extruded from available footprints after considering setbacks, maximum height, construction boundary and FAR.

2. MASS AND VOID

The office tower and the auditorium are the largest structures in the building, linked by atriums and walkway wide enough for exhibition.

3. GEOMETRY DUALITY

The roof for the podium and the outer skin of the tower share an organic form constrast to the symmetrical geometry of the massing.

4. TRANSPARENCY

An open ground floor for cultural activities should revive the long lost spirit of a cultural hub and welcome people into the building.

Converting historic buildings into new roles and purposes is an effective way to preserve them. It allows younger generations to experience and understand the lifestyle of the past more vividly than through books, making it relevant to all ages.

The building silhouette combines a symmetrical, monolithic tower with a fluid-like podium roof. The roof design is reminiscent of sunshades used in outdoor opera performances of the past and now shelters a new 600-seat auditorium. Though the architectural language may seem primitive, modern structures are needed to achieve the large spans and precise curvatures.

The approach was not arbitrary, but rather a response to the site’s constraints: a triangular plot bordered by three main roads, next to Central Park Saigon. Vertical structures were positioned to balance the visual weight and density, preserving the temple’s original direction. The design invites light and people into a green-filled core space, creating an extension of the park.

To preserve the current temple, the ground floor needed to be cleared. To accommodate this, only a small number of vertical cores were placed on the ground floor. On upper floors, large-span structures like diagrids and composite floors were utilized to support the building’s weight while maintaining its aesthetic visual quality.

A double-skin façade with light shelves and exterior structures tcan reduce direct sunlight while maintaining a well-lit workspace and reducing glare in Saigon’s tropical climate.

The Auditorium at night

The Central Atrium

Street views in the morning

RE-IMAGINE CERTOSA

The glamorous, over-touristed side of Venice sometimes makes people forget about the natural heritage the lagoon offers. Just a few hundred meters from the historic center, many other islands have still managed to preserve their tranquility and local values. Could these places become new starting points to revive life in the lagoon?

MENTOR:

Arch. Andrea Iorio

Arch. Luigi Latini Arch. Sandro Marpillero

LOCATION: Venice, Italy

MEMBERS: Nguyen Quoc Doan (Architecture/Landscape) Ngo Minh Hieu (Structure) (Loredana Baholli (Urban Analysis)

The Venetian Lagoon is rich with a unique biosphere and a long history of settlement. However, the city is grappling with a housing crisis due to the tourism boom and the rise of Airbnb. This shift is pushing many long-term residents out of the city. While Venice is fortunately not yet another Coney Island, bringing back residents, especially the youth, is crucial to keeping the city vibrant and alive.

Though a long-term solution is still uncertain, we propose addressing the student housing crisis in Venice as a first step. Students represent a unique category of residents. They spend significantly more time in the city than the average tourist and are therefore more invested in their surroundings. Moreover, as predominantly young people, they infuse the area with energy and vitality.

Instead of constructing new housing on the main island, we suggest utilizing nearby islands, such as Certosa Island, for student accommodation. The challenge lies in overcoming the limitations of island living, which we can address by enhancing transportation networks and providing ample facilities. Additionally, living in a more natural environment, students will learn to coexist with the lagoon’s wildlife and appreciate the lagoon as a living habitat, rather than just an open-air museum. Who knows, they might even choose to make this place their permanent home in the future.

Certosa, as a fragment of the lagoon system

Our aim is to weave these traces into a cohesive narrative while integrating our building elements into the new network of Certosa. We have chosen to establish a simple threshold along the densely built northern edge of the island, aligning with an existing diagonal route. This approach seeks to activate the island’s edge as a vibrant hub of activity, particularly benefiting the young students who will reside here. At the same time, they are always welcome to explore the adjacent meadow and forest, which have been preserved in their natural state.

COMMUNITY

Throughout history, there have been many traces of human presence on the island, from the early monks’ gardens to wartime bunkers. Despite their differences, they share a common purpose: bringing life and activity to this desolate area in the middle of the Venetian lagoon. On this island, each structure seems to follow its own grid, its own sense of order, as if attempting to navigate the vastness of nature. These small clusters reflect the importance of community-focused architecture, serving as a reminder that even here, they bring a sense of normalcy and belonging to life.

COMPRESSION

The compression of space is not just a functional decision. By limiting the construction area, we create an atmosphere that contrasts with the vastness of the ground, sky, and the continuous expansion of the wall. This makes the shelters in this area evoke a sense of home and comfort amidst the openness. The idea of compression and openness is inspired by the small framing gates in the wall, which serve as a fascinating cornerstone for shaping the island’s ambiance and activities.

MASSING

The housing complex accommodates around 100-120 students, which is an appropriate number for the size of the island. The initial volume runs along the water’s edge, offering views toward Venice.

COURTYARD

The initial massing did not respond well to the shape of the lot, so a form more reminiscent of the lot’s outline was chosen to be closer to the main route. A large courtyard was excavated in the center to ensure sunlight reaches all edges of the building. This courtyard typology also reflts the concept of a ‘campo, encouraging communication among residents.

ACCESSIBILITY

The building is not a closed com-pound. Residents and visitors are welcome to move freely through the open ground floor and courtyard, as well as access the public terrace on the roof-top. However, the setback from the main route remains significant. Instead of extending the ground to follow the building’s shape, I chose to define a more interesting pathway that lightly touches the main route and leads to the vertical core. The zigzag form of the pathway slows down movement, encouraging people to appreciate the surrounding natural beauty, which is framed by thin black columns.

CROSS SECTION , 1:150

The Garden

Living room

The old wall

Balcony Bedroom

The Garden

A DRIVE-THRU MARKET

Saigon’s markets have always been a hub of community life. But now, it’s rare to enjoy a peaceful walk to the market without the noise and fumes of motorbikes. The humble Ba Chieu market in my neighborhood inspired me to reimagine the market of the future, where people could go shopping on bicycles, promoting a healthier lifestyle and harkening back to a time when markets were more about community and culture than commercialism.

LOCATION: Binh Thanh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

MEMBERS: Nguyen Quoc Doan (3d, Ideation, Diagrams) Hoang Yen Nhi (Collages, Analysises)

Typology

Ba Chieu market, like many other historic market halls in Saigon, not only functions as a bustling marketplace but also holds architectural significance within the city’s history, showcasing modernist elements in its structure and façade.

ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT

THE OLD MARKET

The area is 160 meters length and 25 meters width. Market activities are at ground level and level 1.

THE STRUCTURE

Multiple concrete plane frames support the shingle roof at 12-meter level, create a spacious space for market activities underneath.

THE ENTRANCE

After disposing all the temporary stalls, the gates on longer side of the market hall become more visible.

THE RIBBON FACADE

The current structure supports a new bicycle lane wrapping around the market, creating more accessibility to the shops on the first floor.

THE INTERIOR SPACE

All the shop will be rearranged into three clear zones of business instead of spreading randomly across the floors.

LET’S BIKE!

The cyclists can now reach the rooftop level of the market and enjoy the view towards the scenic surrounding area.

Situation

The Ba Chieu market hall, which was once a bustling marketplace, has been reduced to a mere storage space over the years. The prevalence of people making purchases on their motorcycles has led to the building being surrounded by temporary kiosks, noise, and exhaust fumes, resulting in a disconnection from its status as one of the region’s most important cultural landmarks

THE FLOW

Saigon’s connection with its water vessels, the Saigon River, goes beyond just physical terms. Its culture, history, and development have all been nourished by this flowing body of water. As a bridge crosses the river, it serves as a symbolic vessel for the people of Saigon, with each individual crossing becoming another flow that intertwines with the city’s rich history and culture. And what if they stop for a moment in the middle of “The flow”, what they will see?

LOCATION: District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam MEMBERS: Nguyen Quoc Doan (3d, Ideation, Diagrams) Hoang Yen Nhi (Collages, Analysises)

ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT

The twisting nature of the canal served as a source of inspiration, leading to the creation of a uniquely curvaceous bridge design. The resulting spaces possess a serene and tranquil ambiance, evocative of the calming flow of a river. This image translates into a gentle lift on the facade, create a visual point for both the people on the bridge and the people on the canal.

The project aims to revitalize an existing bridge on the Ruot Ngua canal, situated in a historically significant area of Saigon that was once a thriving trading hub for merchants from neighboring Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore (then Malaysia). However, as a road was constructed alongside the canal, people gradually lost their connection to the water and the site’s cultural value.

INSPIRATION

Taking inspiration from a famous bridge in Hoi An, which was transformed into a pagoda, the team proposes converting the bridge in this area into a communal space for gathering and appreciating the scenic view. The cover structure with openings on both ends and the middle offers shelter from Saigon’s weather while also promoting engagement with the scenic environment.