HÀ NỘI —  Architect Đoan Thanh Ha’s new book gives readers a different perspective on his projects as well as the concept “Architecture for People”.

Houses & People (Đoan Thanh Ha: Nha cửa & Con người) has been compiled to disseminate the concept “Architecture for People”, emphasising social responsibility among architects and introducing this issue to students of architecture.

The book tells the stories of how 25 buildings and projects have been designed and carried out by Ha.

It also includes a series of writings published in professional journals and the mass media, with comments and evaluations of leading Vietnamese experts in architectural argument and criticism, such as Professor Hoang Đạo Kính, Architect Nguyễn Luận, Architect Nguyễn Văn Tất, Dr Architect Phó Đuc Tung and Associate Professor Khuất Tan Hưng.

It was introduced at a seminar on Sunday at the French Cultural Center (L’Espace) in Ha Noi.

At the event, Ha thanked those who helped him complete the book and expressed his views on his field.

“If we consider architecture as a part of nature, it should blend in with the place where it belongs. Also, it needs to be environmentally friendly and responsible to society and the community,” he said.

“For me, architecture is a process of realising abstract ideas into a concrete spatial structure, which needs to include a vision of future life so that it is not constrained and can be transcended from all limits.”

Đoan Thanh Ha, 42, was born in Bắc Ninh Province. He graduated in Architecture Ha Noi University of Architecture in 2002.

The first design he ever built is his parents’ current house. He graduated with a Master’s degree in 2007 and founded H&P Architects with his colleague Trần Ngọc Phương in 2009.

During his career, Ha has received about 30 national and international awards for architectural works and projects, including the 2018 2A Continental Architectural Award and the 2018 Red Dot Award. — VNS