The rehabilitation of the socialist collective living quarter in Hanoi

POLITECNICO DI MILANO Scuola di Architettura e Società Master of Science in Architecture and Preservation

The Rehabilitation of the socialist collective living quarter in Hanoi.

CASE STUDY: NGUYEN CONG TRU QUarter

Supervisor: Prof. Lucchini Macro Co-Supervisor: Prof. Bogoni Barbara Student: Bui Phuong Ngoc ID: 832893 A.y. 2016-2017

POLITECNICO DI MILANO Scuola di Architettura e SocietĂ Master of Science in Architecture and Preservation

The Rehabilitation of the socialist collective living quarter in Hanoi.

CASE STUDY: NGUYEN CONG TRU QUarter

Trasformazione insediativa e recupero nei quartieri di Edilizia Popolare di Hanoi: il caso del quartiere KTT Nguyen Cong Tru

Supervisor: Prof. Lucchini Macro Co-Supervisor: Prof. Bogoni Barbara Student: Bui Phuong Ngoc ID: 832893 A.y. 2016-2017

content Abstract

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Introduction

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CHAPTER II: GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Vietnam 2. Hanoi 3. Characterizing the urban form of Hanoi through different periods of time 4. Urban planning and architecture result of Hanoi

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CHAPTER III: THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTERS “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI 1. Background of Socialist collective housing areas 2. The collective living quarter - "Khu tập thể" (KTT) in Hanoi

69 70 79

CHAPTER IV: SURVEY OF “KTT” NGUYEN CONG TRU DISTRICT 1. Identity - Historical and context analyses 2. Design guildlines in different scales 3. Survey methods and the evoluation

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CHAPTER V: REHABILITATION OF “KTT” NGUYEN CONG TRU DISTRICT Density Preservation Compound community Flexibility, adaptation, scalability

167 168 170 176 191

Conclusion Acknowledgement Bibliography

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abstract

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, has been examined as a place where the built environment is characterized by dynamic transformation. More than 1000 years of Chinese domination, almost 100 years of French colonization, and several decades of post-independence with support from the former Soviet Union have created distinct layers to the built environment of the city. Over two decades of Doi Moi (Economic Reform) and opening up to global market have led to the rapid transformation of the built environments, including “informal” building addition that seems to bring another urban coating to Hanoi.

This thesis presents one “cut” through Hanoi’s layered built environment. It looks at Hanoi’s old Soviet-style collective living quarter – locally called “ Khu Tap The” (KTT) which has been recognized as the proposed architectural heritage of the period 1954 – 1986.

The case study area is the old collective living quarter Nguyen Cong Tru, Hanoi - close to city center, first opened in 1963 with 6-ha-area which supported for 4200 residents, and now increase to 9300 people living in this area. 14 apartment blocks in this spontaneous residential area are over-populated and illegally dramatic changed due to informal building addition and interior renovation built

by owners themselves to adapt better their contemporary living requirements.

Today, with time, the area are facing choices and challenges, which whether are being renovated, complete new construction or demolition. Our choice of solutions for the design proposal, primarily based on the scale factor, the formation, transformation in both formal and informal ways, and the elements of intangible value, cultural value is unlikely to be considered. We not only redesign the KTT Nguyen Cong Tru to improve the quality of living for Hanoi citizens, but in an operative way, try to reestablish a harmonious relationship between the inherited and the newly-created in specific cultural context, contemporary activities and residence’s living habits, buildings and their surroundings, individual private areas and community spaces. The other goal is finding out the new ways for flexibility and scalability that fit the contemporary life condition as well as social needs. give the possibility to adapt the changes of users that occur in their life- the new sustainable ways of living.

Hanoi la capitale del Vietnam è stata studiata mettendo in luce la dinamicità delle trasformazioni dell’ambiente costruito. Più di 1000 anni di dominazione Cinese, almeno 100 di colonizzazione Francese e diversi decenni di indipendenza sotto l’egioda dell’Unione Sovietica hanno creato diversi layers nell’ambiente edificato della città. Oltre due decenni di Riforma Economica (DOI MOI) e l’apertura al mercato globale hanno portato a una rapida trasformazione dell’ambiente costruito, inclusi costruzioni informali, spesso sotto forma di addizioni a edifici preesistenti, che sembrano avere ricoperto Hanoi con un altro involucro urbano.

La tesi intende sezionare lo stratificato ambiente costruito di Hanoi. Prende in considerazione un tipo di quartiere di edilizia residenziale economica popolare in stile Sovietico chiamato localmente “ Khu Tap The” (KTT) a cui è stato attribuito un valore di testimonainza storica del patrimonio architettonico del periodo 1954-1986.

Il caso studio è l’ormai vetusto quartiere residenziale di edilizia popolare Nguyen Cong Tru vicino al centro di Hanoi, realizzato nel 1963 in un’area di 6 ha per 4200 abitanti che ora sono aumentati fino a divenire 9300. 14 edifici a blocco aperto sono oggi densamente abitati e trasformati attraverso ampliamenti, superfetazioni, e addizioni informali quanto illegali, per adattarli sia al maggior numero di abitanti che

alle necessità della vita moderna.

Oggi, con il tempo, l’area si trova ad affrontare scelte e sfide di rinnovamento, che potranno essere orientate anche verso interventi di demolizione nuova costruzione. É probabile che i valori culturali non siano presi in considerazione nelle trasformazioni reali. Per questo motivo le scelta di progetto attuate nell’ambito di questo lavoro tengono in considerazione problematiche legate alla scala dei manufatti, alla loro morfologia, alle trasformazione effettuate sia in modo formale che informale e agli elementi storici di valore intangibile.

Il lavoro proposto non si limita a progettare o riprogettare dei manufatti nel quartiere Nguyen Cong Tru per milgiorare genericamente la qualità della vita degli abitanti d Hanoi, ma intende ricostruire quel complesso di relazioni sociali, culturali tra la vita degli abitanti stessi e il costruito con lo scopo di ristabilire l’urbanità. Si intende quindi trovare dei punti di contatto tra memoria del vecchio quartiere, spazi privati e collettivi.

Un ulteriore obiettivo riguarda la ricerca della flessibilità nello spazio domestico in modo che le attuali esigenze degli abitanti e della loro differenti esigenze di socialità integrarsi al meglio con la progettazione degli alloggi.

CHAPTER I: Introduction

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION

HaNoi- the city of lakes, which is shaped by a mixed multiply layers of past, present, and future, is evident in a variety of Architecture styles from the old quarter influenced by Chinese domination, a spell of French Colonialism, a socialist city effected by Soviet union and modern urban areas. From a city with a population of 0,5 million people, an area of 152 km2 in 1954- post-war period, now it has grown to 7.5 million people, expanding the area of 3,300 km2 in 2015, becoming one of 20 largest city in the world with more than 3 million residents living in the inner city. Hanoi’s population density of 2300 people per square kilometer, 10 times higher than that in Southeast Asian cities and hundreds of times than in European cities.

This city has carried on a tremendous large-scale urban construction, especially in residential area. These architectures do not only meet the rapidly increasing housing needs of Hanoi residents, but also became an important factor in city’s special structure. The new urban areas with high-rise residential towers are currently considered one of the popular solutions, inspire of the fact that it brings many issues.

First and foremost, because of the lack of necessary infrastructure, these mega-communities began to exert pressure on the public institution of the inner city. The large-scale residential areas have resulted in transportation problems, disrupt transportation between the community and the city. And with the public service facilities, leisure activities are always available but they serve only the residents living there and unable to serve the rest of the city. They always have the form with a center courtyard surrounded by high-rises that disrupt the continuous flow of public green spaces of the city, and seem always small when compared with the need for leisure activities of their residents. The big center courtyard also separates automatically citizens who deserve to live together with their own kind, social class and characteristics. This

“blocked space” separate the inhabitants from the outside…

Furthermore, these style of residential architecture have the communities get difficulty to maintain their social and cultural spirit. The modern mega-residential areas also disrupt Hanoi traditional structure and spatial criteria, gradually result in a rigid and boring cityscape.

In addition to the high-rise housing type mentioned aboved, Hanoi has a different type of collective housing, named ‘Khu tap the’ (KTT), which came from the Socialist architecture during the transition from colonialism to Communism (1954 to 1986), facing its own problems.

Unlike new urban areas located in the perimeter area, most Soviet collective housing neighborhood are in the inner city where population is densely populated and observe a distinct urban fabric. After more than 50years, most of the old condominiums have been degraded and need to be redeveloped.

In our research, we will focus on analyzing this type of Hanoi collective housing, in order to find a new redevelopment solution that meets a variety of opposite approach, starting from cultural differences, from history and from traditions of the context to modern living standards. In addition, the issues made in existing urban areas of the city need to be avoided. The research areas we choose is the Soviet collective housing neighborhood Nguyen Cong Tru, one of the first Socialist collective quarters of Hanoi. This area is located in the inner city with a extremely complex context and high-density population.

Fig. 1.1: The end of a corridor in a ‘Khu tap the’ [ Credit: Author ]

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CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION

The chapter I is the introduction.

The chapter II of the thesis proposes a background general information of Hanoi city in the first part: the culture, history, geography, economy, transport and urban form developments. The second part of chapter II explores Hanoi housing typology which illustrates the variety of Hanoi housing architecture changing based on the historical period, and how these typologies and Hanoi living habits reflect together.

Chapter III focuses on how the theoretical and historical background of soviet microdistrict was researched to understand the foundation of this movement before it was applied to VietNam conditions. Next part shows the process how the Soviet perspective was chosen to urban planning in VietNam and the foundation of “ collective quarter� and model KTT in HaNoi. In chapter IV is the Socialist collective living quarter (KTT) in HaNoi with the survey area: KTT Nguyen Cong Tru District. The transformantions of this housing type from the original designing to new changes- result of informal building additions and interior renovation. The last part of chapter IV is the survey of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru- the most essential part to have fully observation before starting the design proposals.

In chapter V, after some references, the solutions for design proposals both in urban planning and Architecture building is given, based on different approaches including: Density, Preservation, compound Community, and Adaptation.

We conclude this thesis to ensures that the proposed approach is not only applicable to the casestudy area but also to the direction for dozens of other similar Sovietstyle living quarters in Hanoi.

Fig. 1.2: Vision of the project [ Credit: Author ]

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Fig. 2.1: Location of Vietnam in Southeast Asia and location of Hanoi city in North Vietnam. [ Credit: Author ]

CHAPTER II : GENERAL INFORMATION

VIETNAM

1. VIETNAM “Night When the word “Vietnam” is uttered, night springs to mind.”

- Hanoi BluesVietnam is a country located in the mainland region of South-east Asia. Its long history shows the unique culture tied to rice production and agricultural manufacture.

Agricultural life has made peasants sensitive to climate and natural conditions. Climatic adaptation is, therefore, part of the everyday activities of Vietnamese peasants, including their residential design and construction. Vietnam is currently experiencing one of the most intensive urban transitions in the world. In the next 25 years, its cities and towns are expected to grow at an average rate of 6% per year, increasing the national share of Vietnam’s urban population from 1/3 to 1/2 .(MOC2009) Having been seen as a poor country strongly suffering the devastation of the wars, Vietnam was unified and made a great transformation by initiating a series of economic and political reforms, which began Vietnam’s path towards integration into the world economy. It had not only established diplomatic relations with all nations, but also helped Vietnam’s economic growth rate be among the highest in the world.

The accepting nature of Vietnamese culture have been showing clearly in researches about Vietnamese language, architecture, cuisine, musical, life-style... , which fairly describe this country’s habit of absorbing and digesting cultures and filter only the best part from it. Therefore, once the chance prove to be beneficial, it will be spread out very quickly.

“There is no single Vietnamese tradition, no single Vietnamese people, and no single Vietnamese peasantry: the Vietnamese “traditional” values vary from region to region, even from village to village... the concept of “Vietnamese tradition” itself may be a construct created by power holders to legitimize their control of political authority”. _ Vasavakul, 1995 : 260 _

In addition, the the fluctuations of the political and economic policies have deeply affected the culture of Vietnam, which is already very diverse. Vietnam’s culture has developed over centuries from indigenous ancient Dong Son cultural with wet-rice agriculture as its economic base. The influences of Chinese origins, immigrant people such as the Cantonese, Hakka, Hainan cultures, and Western cultures, most notably France, Soviet Union and the United State, have become evident in Vietnam. The layers of different culture leaving traits in this country.

Previous page : Fig. 2.2: On the West Lake [ Credit: Author]

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Demographics Originating in what is now southern China and northern Vietnam, the Vietnamese people pushed southward over two millennium to occupy the entire eastern seacoast of the Indochinese Peninsula. Ethnic Vietnamese, or Viet (known officially as Kinh), live in the lowlands and speak the Vietnamese language. This group dominates much of the cultural and political landscape of Vietnam.

Culture Vietnam’s culture has developed over centuries from indigenous ancient Dong Son culture with wet rice agriculture as its economic base. Some elements of national culture have Chinese origins, drawing on elements of Confucianism and Taoism in its traditional polotical system and philosophy. Vietnamese society is structured around làng (ancestral villages); all Vietnamese mark a common ancestral anniversary on the tenth day of the third lunar month. The influences of immigrant peoples - such as the Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien affect popular culture. In recent centuries, the influences of Western cultures, most notably France and the United States, have become evident in Vietnam.

The traditional focuses of Vietnamese culture are humanity and harmony; family and community values are highly regarded. Vietnam reverses a number of key cultural symbols, such as the Vietnamese dragon, which is derived from crocodile and snake imagery; Vietnam’s National Father; Lac Long Quan, is depicted as a holy dragon. The “lac” -a holy bird representing Vietnam’s National Mother, Au Co - is another prominent symbol, while turtle and horse images are also revered.

VIETNAM

influences - especially those of Western origin - were shunned. However, since the 1990s, Vietnam has been a greater exposure to Southeast Asian, European and American culture and media.

Economical aspects Vietnam has been, for much of its history, a predominantly agricultural civilization based on wet-rice cultivation.

However, the Vietnam War destroyed much of the country’s agrarian economy, leading the post-war government to implement a planned economy to revitalise agriculture and industrialise the nation. The collectivization of farms, factories and economic capital was implemented, and millions of people were put to work in government programs. For a decade following the Vietnam War, Vietnam’s economy was plagued with inefficiency and corruption in state programs, poor quality and underproduction, and restrictions on economic activity. It also suffered from the post-war trade embargo instituted by the United States and most of Europe. These problems were compounded by the erosion of the Soviet bloc, which included Vietnam’s main trading partners, in the late 1980s.

After the war in 1975, Vietnam was unified under a communist government but remained impoverished and politically isolated. In 1986, the government initiated a series of economic and political reforms which began Vietnam’s path towards integration into the world economy. Since 2000, Vietnam’s economic growth rate has been among the highest in the world, and in 2011, it had the highest Global Growth Generators Index among 11 major economies. Its successful economic reforms resulted in its joining the World Trade Organization in 2007.

In the modern era, the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and cultural programs. For many decades, foreign cultural From top to bottom, left to right: Fig. 2.3: Hue - West entrance of Forbidden City. [ Credit: Author ] Fig. 2.4: A corner of modern city [Credit: Author] Fig. 2.5: Front door of house from Hoi An [ Credit: Author] Fig. 2.6: The facade of a ‘Khu Tap The’ [Credit: Author]

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HOUSING SITUATION IN VIETNAM Housing related fact and figures Recently, after several years of learning from other countries, Ho Chi Minh city alliance of Cooperative announced program “saving for house” that introduces new model for housing distribution: the “Housing cooperatives”. This program has been facilutated by central government. Assistance from the government is to provide site and service. This solution creates opportunity for low - income reasonable prices of a house.

Since 1990, there was 1500 social houses were built for low income people by HCMC government with total amount of 10 bil VND (588,000 USD). In addition, employer of some industrial park constructed 31 rental settlement for about 7980 workers.

It is anticipated that by 2010, HCMC need more than 70,000 flats for low - income household (10,000 of that is for rent ). The land for social housing is acquired by moving polluted industry, warehouse, etc ... that must be relocated. In addition, a solution for social housing was applied in HCMC that forced trade housing project must reserve 5% to 20% of serviced land for city’s housing projects. (Ministry of Construction, 2008 ) Hanoi will implement pilot projects phase 2008 to 2010 which will provide 500 renting flats and 400 flats for sell.

The target groups are mainly officers, state employees, military. The budget comes from central government. ( Ministry of Construction 2008 ) Housing Policy The tradition toward a market economy since 2000 boot out a new era of economic competition for urban space.

Vietnam land law since 1993 does not allow privately land ownership as it is officially the collective property of the people. However, the so called “land use rights”

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introduced through the law can be traded and serve as a socialist equivalent to the concept of land property.

Housing law was enacted late. Untill 29 November 2005 it was adopted by the Vietnamese national assembly and became effective on 1st July 2006. The law is the first law to set out a comprehensive legal framework for the ownership, lease, use and management of houses, including apartments, by local and foreign individuals and organisations.

Funding The housing law allows the developer to accept up to 70% of the value of the house lease or house purchase contract from a potential purchaser or lease, provided that the foundations for the house have been completed. Housing developers for low-income households will receive special incentives such as land rental exemptions and lower tax rates.

Mortgaging of houses A House owner has the right to mortgage the house as security for one or several obligations if the value of the house is higher than the total value of all obligations.

Mortgages can be granted only to one single credit institution that is permitted to operate in Vietnam.

Actors in housing delivery and their roles Central government Land and housing authority that belongs to Ministry of construction is the key actor at housing development.

Besides, on urban development, Vietnam institute for Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning (VIAP) is the key actor.

construct their house with their own resource and in many cases are illegal and inadequate qualities, in spontaneous settlement.

Local government People committee use Department of Construction as key actor in urban managerment and urban development.

Except Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there is no housing institution in local government.

Housing bank Nowadays, numbers of banks involve in housing development projects. However they are trade-benefit oriented and focus on mid and high income client. The join stock Vietnam’s Housing Development Bank (HDB) and Housing Bank of Mekong Delta (MHB) are key actors in housing for mid and low income household. Proposal of Urban Planning process with integration of Housing Development for the low-income population.

Private housing development companies With marketisation on housing distribution, the key actors are private housing development companies.

Housing cooperatives alliance Since 2005 model of Housing Cooperative for housing distributing has been introduced and applied in Vietnam.

Some pilot projects were implemented base on this model.

However, after 3 years, this actor could not extend its hand to broad low and mid income population.

Individual household Individual household is still a key actor in housing development, specially in housing settlement. The people

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VIETNAM

From top to bottom: Fig. 2.7: One of Vietnamese traditional house. [ Credit: Author ] Fig. 2.8: The Old quarter. [ Credit: Author ] Fig. 2.9: Street inside the city [ Credit: Author ]

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Fig. 2.10: Ancient gate to Imperial City, Hue [ Credit: Author]

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Fig. 2.11: Skyscrapter growing along streets in Hanoi [ Credit: Author]

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HANOI

2. HANOI Hanoi is seen as a city of human scale, a city of greenery and water, and fengshui (spiritual orientation on keeping balance between: water and earth, heaven and earth and people with people, people with natural. ) Hanoi is also perceived as a traditional city, which used to be the example in its cultural life for the rest of the country.

As an agricultural country traditionally associated with wet rice civilisation, like other Southeast Asian nations, the traditional cities in Vietnam (Hanoi is a typical city) with organizational forms create favorable conditions to maintain the presence of the village in the heart of town associated with irrigation systems, structural and fundamental space to facilitate the reception of residents from rural areas, while still allowing them to maintain the characteristics of urban community cohesion the student activity sheet, which is the special features of the social model villages.

In addition, for over 1000 years under the oppression of China, followed by two wars with France and the United State, the development of Hanoi present us the successive stages of the development process in every neighborhood.

There are multi-layered characters of culture of Hanoi, each floor is a inheritance from a political and cultural stage, which is the combination of the traditional identity and the cultural factors of the dominant countries.

“ As Henri Michaux once said in the book “Un barbare en Asie” (A barbarians in Asia): “Compared to Hanoi, the cities in Europe are empty and clean! Oh horrible.”. Hanoi is always lively, noisy, boisterous, just stopped only at night. At this time, wandering the streets has completely changed with the silence of the night that we no longer recognise, giving us a sense of magic. I feel like I am walking into a giant ant nest asleep. ” -Dominique Delaunay-

From the small city to the capital of Indochina area under the French colonial era, to the present, Hanoi has risen to be a super city and affirming its position - the political, cultural and economical centre of the nation. After the administrative boundary expansion in 08-2008, Hanoi now has 10 districts, 1 town and 18 sub-urban districts.

Fig. 2.13: Map of Hanoi city. [ Credit: Author]

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Geography Location, topography Hanoi is located in northern region of Vietnam, situated in the Vietnam’s Red River delta, nearly 90km (56mi) away from the coastal area. Hanoi contains three basic kind of terrain, which are the delta area, the midland area and mountainous zone. In general, the terrain is gradually lower from the north to the south and from the west to the east, with the average height ranging from 5 to 20 meters above the sea level. The hills and mountainous zones are located in the northern and western part of the city.

The highest peak is at Ba Vi with 1281 m, located in the western part of the region.

HANOI

register system.

Hanoi’s telephone numbers have been increased to 8 digits to cope with demand (October 2008). Subcribers telephone numbers have been changed in haphazard way; however, mobile phones and SIM cards are readily available in Vietnam, with pre-paid mobile phone credit available in all areas of Hanoi.

Climate

Districts Hanoi is divided into 12 urban districts, 1 district-level town and 17 rural districts.

Hanoi features a warm humid subtropical climate with plentiful precipitation. The city experiences the typical climate of northern Vietnam, where summers are hot and humid, and winters are, by national standards, relatively cold and dry. Hanoi averages 1,680 millimetres (66,1 in) of rainfall per year, the majority falling from May to September. The city is usually cloudy and foggy in winter, averaging only 1.5 hours of sunshine per day in February.

Demographics

Extreme temperatures have ranged from 2.7 *C to 40.4*C

Hanoi’s population is constantly growing (about 3.5% per year), a reflection of the fact that the city is both a major metropolitan area of Northern Vietnam, and also the country’s political centre. This population growth also puts a lot of pressure onto the infrastructure, some of which is antiquated and dates back from the early 20th century.

The number of Hanoians who settled down for more than three generations is likely to be very small house compared to the overall population of the city. Even in the Old Quarter, where commerce started hundreds years ago and was mostly a family business, many of the street-front stores nowadays are owned by merchants and retailers from other provinces. The original owner family may have either rented out the store and moved to live deeper inside the house, or just moved out of the neighbourhood altogether. The pace of change has especially escalated after the abandonment of central-planning economic policies, and relaxing of the district-based household Table 1 : Subdivision of Hanoi [Program of Urban Development in Hanoi, Vietnam (HAIDEP project) - JICA, Japan

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HANOI

Economy

Transport

Hanoi has the highest Human Development Index among the cities in Vietnam. According to a recent ranking

by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Hanoi will be the fastest growing city in the world in term of GDP growth from 2008 to 2025. In the year 2013, Hanoi has contributed 12.6% to GDP, exported 7.5% of total exports, contributed 17% of national budget and attracted 22% investment capital of Vietnam. The city’s nominal GDP at current price reached 451,213 billion VND (21.48 billion USD) in 2013, which made per capita GDP stand at 63.3 million VND (3,000 USD) . Industrial production in the city has experienced a rapid bloom since the 1990s, with average annual grow of 19.1 percent from 1991 - 1995, 15.9 percent from 1996 - 2000, and 20.9 percent during 2001 2003. The economic structure also underwent important shifts, with tourism, finance, and banking now playing an increasingly important role. Hanoi’s business districts are traditionally Hoan Kiem and the neighbourhood; and a newly developing Cau Giay and Tu Liem in the western part.

The main means of transport within Hanoi city are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Over the preceding decades, motorbikes have over taken bicycles as the main form of transportation. The increased number of motorcycles can cause gridlocks. To reduce them and the negative consequences for environment and health, the local government tries to increase public transportation.

Public buses run on many routes and fare can be purchased on the bus, with very cheap prices (20% for a journey where a taxi might cost $10) There are 2 metro lines under construction in Hanoi now.

The first one is expected to be operational in 2017, the second in 2018.

Similar to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi enjoys a rapidly developing real estate market. The current most notable new urban areas are central Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh, My Dinh, the luxurious zones of the Manor and Ciputra.

Person on their own or traveling in a pair who wish to make a fast trip around Hanoi, to avoid traffic jams or to travel at an irregular time or by of an irregular route, often use “xe ôm” (literally, “hug vehicle” ) motorbikes, which are unofficial, unregulated motorcycle taxis that involve the passenger sitting on the rear of a motorbike.

Motorbikes can also be rented from agents within the Old quarter of Hanoi.

Culture of Hanoi Hanoi the capital is a thousand year old land with a diverse culture. Long Bien bridge, Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple ... is the nostalgia and heritage in the heart of Hanoi.

Hanoi has been influenced by the local Vietnamese culture as well as that of the various colonial powers that once occupied it. The Chinese had control over the city at various points in history, and some of their cultural influences are evident. The French was colonial rulers of Vietnam for quite some time, and thus, their influence can also be seen here.

Tourism Hanoi is a very picturesque city, the leafy metropolis sometimes dubbed the “Paris of Asia”. With its free-fringed boulevards, more than two dozen lakes and thousands of French colonial-era buildings, Hanoi is a popular tourist attraction and one of only a few Asian capitals to retain its historic charm amid rapid modernization and population growth.

According to TripIndex by TripAdvisor, for the period between June 1st and August 31st, 2012, Hanoi was the cheapest city in the world for a one-night stay for two in a four-star hotel. This included cocltails, a two-course dinner with a bottle of wine, and taxi transport ( two return journeys of about 3.2km each). It costs $141.12; about 27% of the cost in the most expensive city, London, which costs $518.01.

In 2015, Hanoi ranks #4 in TripAdvisor’s list of World Best Destinations (Traveller’s Choice).

Agriculture, previously a pillar in Hanoi’s economy, has striven to reform itself, introducing new high-yield plant varieties and livestock, and applying modern farming techniques. Together with economic growth, Hanoi’s appearance has also changed significantly, especially in recent years. Infrastructure is constantly being upgraded, with new roads and a improved public transportation system.

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From top to bottom: Fig. 2.14: Busy street near Hoan Kiem lake[ Credit: Author ] Fig. 2.15: Elders’ excercise in the morning [Credit: Author ] Fig. 2.16: Street cafe - a specialty of Hanoi . [ Credit: Author ] Fig. 2.17: Chinese chess - a popular activity of Hanoian [ Credit: Author]

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Next page: Fig. 2.18: Chinese chess - a popular activity of Hanoian [ Credit: Author]

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Fig. 2.19: Ancient Quarter in the evening [Credit: Author]

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HANOI

Fig. 2.20: Kaengnam tower - the highest tower in Hanoi [Credit: Author]

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CHARACTERIZING THE URBAN FORM OF HANOI

3. CHARACTERIZING THE URBAN FORM OF HANOI THROUGH DIFFERENT PERIODS OF TIME. “ The city is what it is because the citizens are what they are” - Plato-

Fig. 2.21: Layers of architecture [Credit: Author]

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From II B.C to VIII A.D: “The era of legend and folklore” Vietnam was still considered as a district belong to China, called “Giao Chi”, the land of aligators. Hanoi at this time used to have names as Loa Thanh, Co Loa, Dai La... The city was a blessed land and was designed by a master of the art of Fengshui. The most general rule of FengShui represented here was “sitting tiger, crouching dragon”, enhanced the flow of “ki” and “dragon lines” inside this land, caused this land to be protected and nurtured by nature and natural deities and gods. Accourding to FengShui and folklore, “dragon lines” also represented the line of kings or the “would-be-king” and Hanoi had many of them which explained it political power in the kingdom.

CHARACTERIZING THE URBAN FORM OF HANOI

The city was divided into two parts: the royal city (hoang thanh) and the commoners city (kinh thanh). This was exposed in the architecture of the city has two parts: the citadel (thanh) and the market place (thi), which are two main castes of mandarin and commoners the social order of Hanoi was reflected in. The commercial town rapidly grew. Trade streets were specialized and the traders worked as cooperatives. This struture still presents in contemporary Hanoi, even outside the Thirty six street area.

VII - IX century : Pre - Thang Long Period Hà Nội (Hanoi) _ lit. translated as the city ‘inside’ the river, or ‘the city in the river’s bend’, or ‘the city embraced by the river’.

The Red river plays a very important role in the communication of Hanoi with the outside world.

Throughout the centuries traders, diplomats or soldiers were entering the city through this waterway. The river somewhat disappears from the city’s life (because of the dyke system) until French built the bridge of Paul Doumer.

According to the map, West Lake and the famous Sword Lake use to be parts of the Red River before it changed the flow.

XI - XIV century: Thang Long Period The history of Hanoi as a Vietnamese capital began in the XI century. In 1010, Emperor Ly Thai To defeated the northern feudal invaders, bringing an end to 1000 years of Chinese domination, he moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La, which is a part of present day city Hanoi.

From top to bottom: Fig. 2.22 : Water surface system of the ancient Hanoi. [ Etudes et Cartographie] Fig. 2.23: The first city walls of Hanoi ( VII - IX century) [ Nguyen Khac Dam, Thanh luy pho phuong va con nguoi Ha Noi trong lich su, 1998 ]

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Fig. 2.24 : City walls and gates of Hanoi ( XI - XIV century ). [ Nguyen Khac Dam, Thanh luy pho phuong va con nguoi Ha Noi trong lich su, 1998 ]

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CHARACTERIZING THE URBAN FORM OF HANOI

XIX century: French Colonization In 1873, French captured the Citadel and after 1883, they took control and started to reside on a more permanent basis in Hanoi. The French had a mission called “la mission civilisatrice”. One of the parts of this mission was the imposture of French culture in the city. They filled many lakes, developed industry on the Northern bank of the Red River, set up a rail-network, and a tram in Hanoi. In 1888, Hanoi was proclaimed a municipality and began to take on the appearance of a western-like town, especially Paris, with similarities in building and urban structures. A “Town Planning and Architecture Service, was established in the 1920s with the beaux-arts trained urbanist, Ernest Hebrard,as the head.

In 1900s Hanoi as capital of Indochina was the laboratory of colonial France for other colonies. Colonialism in Hanoi was one of a colonial city imposed by force. However, the Vietnamese city generally did not present a single dominant cultural image in this period. The growing separation between colonists and local population is a common characteristic of colonial cities. But in Hanoi this separation was not as strict as it was for example in English colonial towns. In this period, Vietnamese were influenced by French culture due to their present but also by exchanges to France by the Vietnamese elites.

in Vietnam. Vietnamese at that time went to study and train in many former socialist countries as Russia, Polish, German, and Czech. It caused French to be replaced as second language of North Vietnam’s intellectuals. With the helps from the Soviet Union’s scientists and architects, the government had run many designing and constructing projects . The urban development was centrally controlled in Hanoi and closely tied with the country’s five year plans.

During 1955-1990 much of the construction activity in Hanoi took place in the suburbs.

The Socialist City (1945-1986) Between 1945 and 1954, Viet Minh defeated French administration and in 1954 the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed in Hanoi. The establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was soon followed by the framework for economic aid from the Soviet Union in the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement of May 1955. Under the treaty, Hanoi government was permitted to run an annual trade deficit with the Soviet Union of up to 150 percent of its exports, while the Soviet Union was also involved in implementing 300 projects From top to bottom: Fig. 2.25 : Dai Do city wall and city gate of Hanoi (XVIII century). [ Philippe Papin , Historire de Hanoi, 2009] Fig. 2.26: Map of Hanoi from 1875 - 1888. [ Philippe Papin , Historire de Hanoi, 2009 ]

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Fig. 2.27: Map of Hanoi end of XIX century. [ Philippe Papin , Historire de Hanoi, 2009 ]

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War with the USA and Socialism (1960 - 1975) From the 1950s, the United States had begun providing assistance to the French colonial authorities in their war against Ho Chi Minh’s nationalist forces. This was the second Indochina war running from 1955 to 1975 which, in fact, was the “American war” to the Vietnamese (or the “Vietnam war” ). The first bombs were unleashed on Hanoi on June 29,1966. Though the devastation of ongoing bombing in Hanoi were considerable problems in running the city, the physical urban form of Hanoi was not affected greatly. However, socially and culturally, the war has had great impact on creativity. At that time, from the American war up to the onset of Doi Moi, as a consequence of suffering the war, North Vietnam and Hanoi, in particular, was isolated from the world in terms of economy, communication condition, media... which all were placed under the tight control of party state.

This limitation on creative and innocative development combined with widespread poverty generated a situation in which there were no means to realize suitable new housing and urban planning to reshape the city until after the war. However, the State was by no mean able to meet the housing demand. In the capital city, people had to live in uniform residential areas with only 4 square meters per capita; while about 40.000 households had no more than 2 squares meters per capita.

After the war, the decade 1975-1986 was the most difficult period for Vietnam because aid from the USSR, China and other countries stopped. The back-ward centralized planning and subsidized system had lead Vietnam society nearly to bankruptcy.

From the Doi Moi period (Economic transition period) to present In order to face the difficulties after the war, Vietnam decided to take an action on renovation or the Doi Moi

CHARACTERIZING THE URBAN FORM OF HANOI

policy that was applied early 1986 towards today and which resulted in increased international interactions early 1990s. Specially after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, a new era started to take shape in Vietnam where the socialism-based centrally-planned economy transformed into market economy with emergence and direct participation of the private sector, local and foreign alike. As a direct result of the liberalizing laws of Doi Moi, the structure of the city building regime changes has influenced changes in urban form in Vietnam. The government tries to reduce the risk of urban problems through master plans that attempt to regulate incompatible land-use, create the plans for infrastructure that try to make urban space more livable and economically competitive.

After more than 20 years of Doi Moi implementation, due to rapid economic growth, housing market also develops greatly with the permit of private housing development, self-help housing production and the Land Law in 1993.

Subsequent to the changes in legal framework, the State also granted a number of policies to promote large-scale development. Major developers may get tax breaks and land premium exemptions when they invest in high-rise building. As a result, more than 4 million square meters of floor was constructed in Hanoi from 1998 - 2005. Average living space increased from 4 square meters in 1993 to 10.5 square meters in 1999. The late 1990s marked the introduction of the so-called “new urban areas”, which slowly replaced the traditional collective living quarters.

On May 29, 2008, Hanoi officially extended as a metropolitan city by merged together with Ha Tay Province, Me Linh district and 4 communes of Luong Son district, Hoa Binh Province, that increased Hanoi’s total area to approcimate 334,470 hectares. The metropolitan area covering Hanoi and 6 surrounding provinces under its administration will have an area of 13,436 square kilometres with 15 million people by 2020.

Fig. 2.28 : Map of Hanoi (1936). [State records management and archives department of Vietnam]

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Fig. 2.29: Map of Hanoi(1965). [ Vietnam National Library ]

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CHARACTERIZING THE URBAN FORM OF HANOI

00

.5

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km 00

.5

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km

1873

1902

1965

1992

2010

The Feudal period

The French colonial period.

(1873 - 1954)

The Post Indipendence and American war period.

(1955 - 1985)

The Doi Moi period (1986 - 2008)

The Expansion period (2008 till now)

Fig. 2.30 (1) : The urban form transformation of Hanoi [Credit : Author ]

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THE URBAN plannign and architecture result OF HANOI

4. URBAN PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURAL RESULT OF HANOI Hanoi is like a great puzzle where the different oddly shaped pieces interlock together. Over 1000-year-history , the city was formed the main neighborhoods, which are recognized as unique heritages. In the past few years, Hanoi, one of the fastest racing city of Asia, has been an attractive object of studying for scientists, sociologists, historians, architects, as well as urban planners from Vietnam and other countries. The structure of the whole city entitles us to identify the characteristics of neighbourhoods, the developing phases and urban forms appropriated to each area:

The citizen already knows to upgrade individual initiatives and “self-made� projects to arts, especially for the types of housing.

In the process of research and surveys, we acknowlegded that learning through researching a city map and constituent elements at different levels is a proper and scientific method. The maps reflect the development process and the events that had occurred throughout history led to the formation of various architectural forms coexist and grow until now.

- The Imperial Citadel area- the center of the Authority.

- The rural area ( Inner and outer of city) - The Old Quarter area - The ancient commercial streets.

- The French Quarter area - The collective living quarters - The accommodations for workers and employees of the State and Military.

- The unplanned construction area - The new urban areas.

These highlight areas, which are built following to the models that were imported from abroad, are changed accordingly. These changes, as well as the state of spontaneous building extensions, show creativity in the construction of a nation in which everyone is a designer.

Fig. 2.30(2): The urban form transformation of Hanoi [Credit : Author ]

LEGEND WATER SURFACE : RED RIVER AND LAKES

1965

1873

1992

1902

2010 BRIDGE

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Fig. 2.31: Map of Hanoi city - Historical areas. [ Credit: Author] LEGEND :

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Fig. 2.32: Morphology of Hanoi city . [ Credit: Author]

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URBAN TRANSFORMATION Unplanned urbanization Across the developing world, rural inhabitants are constantly migrating to the big cities and capitals looking for works. They often set up lives on the edge of cities, with homes made from whatever building material is available on whatever land they can find. Their homes are built illegally, so there is no state provision of services no electricity, running water waste or sewerage provision. and shack by shack, the slum is born.

Hanoi has faced the same population pressure as other Asian cities. By some estimates, 90% of the building in Hanoi have been built without official permission - the land untitled and never surveyed - effects evident from even a cursory view of the city. Skinny buildings abut each other on narrow plots of land, and from the motorbikechoked thoroughfares, narrow alleys splinter off into neighbourhoods.

Growth brings pressures Hanoi’s seemingly endless appetite to build itself up and tear itself down is relatively new. For the majority of its 1000 - year history, it was a small city, with never more than 400,000 inhabitants. It endured wars, heavy bombing and agriculture campaigns that kept its population growing modestly. The 1980s however brought dramatic change.

Increasing stability and economic reforms led to a massive rural-to-urban migration. Hanoi’s population began to grow by 3% a year, reaching three million by 1990.

Under socialist decree, all citizens were entitled to homes.

Private property and construction was heavily restricted.

Instead, housing was provided in state-run Soviet-style collective flats. But as growth increased, the new government struggled to maintain existing facilities and keep

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THE URBAN plannign and architecture result OF HANOI

pace with demand. Occupants began building their own additions, often circumventing the arduous permit process. Other residents built illegally on public land.

Caught in a bind, having forbidden private constructrion but unable to house everyone, the government caved in and allowed private construction but with minimum standards.

The city spreads As the 1990s progressed, increased wealth fuelled demand, and illegal construction grew sharply. In 1995, there were about 1000 illegal projects in the city - and those were just the reported cases. The city also began to spread out, progressively consuming villages and rice paddies to keep pace with demand for homes. Urban planners call this “ spontaneous urban development”. Most of the world calls it “slums”. But in Hanoi, with the unusual mixture of basic regulation and control, a strange thing happened, which is the positive side came from the enlightened regulatory attitude of authorities.

In the culture of semi-legal construction, it someone built a structure that adhered to minimum standards, it became legal - and for the most part was provided with basic services such as electricity and sanitation. In most developing cities, those flooding from the countryside end up living in sprawling squatter

encampments, lacking basic sanitation and vulnerable to eviction. But in Hanoi, the new arrivals could build houses that didn’t have official permission but often recieved basic services anyway. Because the buildings were legal, residents had incentive to inmprove and rebuild with stronger materials when their finances allowed. As well as these new homes, there was a similarly positive trend in the exisiting overocrowded and under-serviced public housing blocks, with an incentive for residents to improve the buildings.

Preserving heritage Speaking of preserving urban and architectural heritage in Hanoi, many of the cultural heritage of Hanoi’s architecture are at risk of being wiped out, replaced by new architectures and new buildings. Beside the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long has been recorgnized as an official UNESCO heritage characterized by its longevity and continuity as a seat of power, evidenced by different archaeological levels and monuments, there are, however, a great number of unrecognized urban and architectural heritages in Hanoi. The urban and architectural Heritages in Hanoi includes the temples, communal houses which express the culture and beliefs of the communities living in Hanoi; the old architecture building with a combination of French colonial architecture and local architecture; the collective living buildings of Bao Cap period ...

Shared at the Workshop “Preserving cultural heritage in the heart of Hanoi,” artist Nguyen The Son said: himself a child was born in the old quarter, the painful problem of Hanoi is the architectural preservation has not been respected, thus leading to inadequate treatment of the people in the center of the city.

The story of architectural preservation never stops in one place, especially in a constantly changing market mechanism. The house ownership changes every few months, so the surface of the house must change. They installed super signage that hung the front of the house to advertise services, shops.

Many of the incarnations of Hanoi’s history have been destroyed, leading to the situation that in the short term, if there are no reasonable and scientific conservation directions, the city will fall into a state of complete loss its “memory”.

All these artifacts are preserved memories, reflecting the vivid history of the development of Hanoi each period. Unfortunately, these cultural heritages are at risk of disappearing. architecture and local architecture; the collective living buildings of Bao Cap period ... All these artifacts are preserved memories, reflecting the vivid history of the development of Hanoi each period.

Unfortunately, these cultural heritages are at risk of disappearing.

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OPEN SPACE - PUBLIC SPACE The change of the form of open space - public space During its long history, the different Eastern and Western cultures that have dominated the development of Hanoi influenced open space planning. In each period, city planning has had different tasks and objectives.

Vietnamese culture has been influenced by Chinese culture for thousand years. Especially, in the Feudal period, both architecture and planning for Hanoi followed Chinese geomancy and feng-shui principles. According to those principles, green and water space are the two important features of the urban enviroment.

A review of Hanoi in feudal times indicates that the majority of the city’s area was agricultural land and water areas. While agricultural land was productive space, water areas were spaces for signseeing and amusement. However, in terms of the present concept of open space, there were three other types of space which can also be viewed as open space such as: communal houses, ourdoor markets and streets. Althought they were not considered as open space at that time, they still played a very important role in the daily life of Hanoians.

In the French Colonial Period, Hanoi was developed to take the role of the political capital of the the French Indochinese Union. Planning for Hanoi reflected ideas current in metropolitan France or adopted in other French colonies as opposed to reflecting Hanoi’s specific adn unique charecteristics. In the first planning project for Hanoi by French architect Hébrard. the city was divided into four functional areas: (a) an administrative and political centre; (b) an industrial area; (c) a living area; and (d) a greenbelt of park and sporting facilities.

Unfortunately, those project were not executed due to the financial reasons and the war. However, works constructed by the French in the late 19th centrury and early 20th century had strongly influenced the urban planning anf

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THE URBAN plannign and architecture result OF HANOI

and architectue of Hanoi. An open space system was designed based on modern Western planning principles.

Lakes were still special open space components , now were redesigned with sidewalks and planted tree around, and furthermore, formal parks and Western style squares were introduced as new types of open space. The English concept of the “Garden city” had been reflected in the French Quarter where villas had attached private gardens During this period, the French were trying to complete the construction of administrative and political centre. This arrangement facititated ventilation by a tree systems and also linked the centre with an open space system including vegetation and promenades in the Hoan Kiem Lake.

After 10 years following the war against the French was a period of economic restoration, rehabitation and gradual development. Hanoi had been suffered by the war and faced serious difficulties because of war damage and the political “Cold war”. At that time, the only close relationship with the Soviet Union had influenced on the design og individual buildings and housing estates and the planning of whole districts and cities. Many public buildings were constructed under the influence of Soviet style architecture such as Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the State Assembly building, the Soviet-Vietnamese Friendship Cultural Palace, the Hanoi People’s Commitee Building and the Hanoi Politecnical Institute... In many urban planning project of Soviet architects for Hanoi, the West lake was always respected and played an important role to define the new development of city. In this period, the priority of city’s development is to meet the demand of housing and accomodation for the citizens after the war. In order to show the pre-eminence of the new political regime, the city’s government also paid attention to the improvement of the city’s appearance through providing public park.

The highlights of this period were the construction of two new parks, Thong Nhat park or Unification Park and Thanh Nien road park, Thu Le Park.

A profound change occurred after Vietnam initiated its renovation policy in 1986, Vietnam has shifted from a command economy toward a structured and more market driven system. Under the policies of market orientation econimy and rapid urbanization process in last ten years, the development of Hanoi has been growing rapidly.

Therefore construction process and city sprawl of Hanoi has also been increasing time by time. This impacts much on urban landscape and enviroment as well as community benefits. In A Master Plan Hanoi 2020, the task of increasing the areas of parks and green space and improving water quality of lakes and rivers has been raised. However there are some general problems that related to urban open space and green areas caused by urban development and urbanization process in recent years.

activities.

There is such a paradox that the citizen of Hanoi always complain about how they lack of quality public spaces, or how the public spaces is abused but also themselves keep occupying the public space by their private purpose like parking their motobikes on the sidewalk, sit in the side walk cafe and streetfood vendors, throwing garbages on the roadway withut a second thought.

Thus, the characteristics need to be considered carefully to design a new and contemporary but suitable for habitants.

The use of open space and public space.

Along with the change of the form and organization of open space and public space in Hanoi, the use of public space has changed, especially since the Economic reforms in 1986 which have led to a growing number of service facilities such as: restaurants, bars, shops, malls and use of streets and sidewalks.

The Hanoi inhabitant in general and the Hanoian in particurlar, are friendly and gentle. There are a great number of people with the originality of farmers who came from rural area and gradually adapted to urban life style while trying to look for jobs. They still keep some moods in the previous time. As the people living in a warm - huminity climate region of the Southeast area, they have a strong demand to communicate to each other, to do a lot of outdoor activities ( on the street, in public area...) but in a familiar community.

The use of some public spaces in Hanoi has changed a lot and people area gathering for different reasons than they were before. Even if there are more public spaces in Hanoi, the public space is still quite limited and there is extensive survelliance and intervention by the state. Currently, many political spaces are being used for a wider range of

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Fig. 2.33: The ancient Old quarter of Hanoi . [ Credit: Photographer Rév Miklós]

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Fig. 2.34: The nowaday Old quarter of Hanoi [ Credit: Author]

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HOUSING TYPOLOGY Villages and rural-style houses.

Rural housing is often following feng shui rules for siting, orientation and time of building... The house usually has only one single room ( which is 1 whole space or divided into 3 spaces or 5 spaces), that is the most important room, has many functions. The support areas (like a kitchen, room for workers, shop, barn) are usually built separately from the housing section. Housing and auxiliary buildings are arranged around a courtyard, garden and pond ...

The social needs of Vietnamese peasants in agricultural society are simply revealed in the way that they are interested in increasing social contacts and relationships amongst family members and with the neighbourhood and community. In the family, members share their jobs and work together in spaces. They live and work in open or semi-opened space, which is suitable to their social contexts. In the community, they respect mutual connection and kinship with their relatives and neighbours so that, in some circumstances, they can come with and assist together (Tran,1999, p.91). There seems to be no boundary between spaces, and between the inside and the outside. Working, living, and guest welcoming activities appear to take space in the same space, furnished with flexible and movable furniture. The open spaces are also appropriate and adaptive to climate conditions in the hot and humid tropics.

THE URBAN plannign and architecture result OF HANOI

Here, on the winding narrow streets, the heritage of urban architecture from the XV century, houses have been built along the streets and depends on the shape of them. Due to the nature of the neighbourhood trade and the ward system, the street front became the most important axes.

Houses are built close together, having the front narrow facades and the very long depth perpendicular to the street. There is also one or more small courtyards to the air inlet and lighting for the main room .. This is the housing model that the Chinese merchants popularised throughout Asia: shop house or “tube� house.

Generally, the house is divided into 2 parts with two different functions: 1st floor: shop (where the production, storage and sale places) 2nd floor: housing (initially only for one family) Today, most of the structure of this home has been broken by the space encroachment: the yard still exists but has shrunk to make room for the construction works at the different periods, housing is divided section for families ...

The Old Quarters and the tube house The traditional downtown of Hanoi is located in a strategic location between the inner city and the centre of political power and the administration, one side of the Red River, through improved waterways for shipping chemistry, making this neighbourhood has the look of a riverside market.

From top to bottom: Fig. 2.35, 2.36 : Plan and scenery of Vietnam rural house. [ Credit: M.Arch Nguyen Dinh Thi ; kienviet.net ] Fig. 2.37, 2.38, 2.39 : Traditional housing types influenced by Chinese culture.

[Credit: Author]

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LEGEND: 1.Living room; 2. Worship; 3. Female sleeping place; 4. Male sleeping place; 5. Grandmother sleeping place; 6. Children sleeping place; 7. Barn;

8. Where to store valuables; 9.Kitchen; 10. Courtyard; 11. Pool; 12. Vegetable garden; 13. Shed; 14. Tree of straw.

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From top to bottom, left to right: Fig. 2.40, 2.41, 2.42 : Spaces inside a tube house [ Credit: Author ] Fig. 2.43 : Flower market in the Old Quarter.

[Credit: Author]

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French Quarters and the mansions The initial Quarter is merely French concession located by the Red River. The architectural and urban plan of this neighbourhood was following the pragmatic and military style. It is connected to the Citadel and is located at the south of the old town. The two zones are separated from each other by Hoan Kiem lake and a series of massive public works and administrative bodies represent the power of the colonial administration at that time. The neighbourhood is divided into square plots; with green trees and fences of the houses lined along the boulevards (statutory Comudet - 1919) French colonial villas usually built in the centre of an area, a garden and fence surrounded. Around the 1930s, a new neighbourhood for “the civil servants and merchants Vietnam” was formed, which has a section located between Old Quarter and French zones. In this area, the villa is built smaller, the model of “combining the spatial features of modern European villa style to the characteristics of the tube house”. These villas include a small garden surrounded by fences and separate parts, usually stepped back than stayed on the street, and almost close together like in the old town.

THE URBAN plannign and architecture result OF HANOI

in Europe, was introduced to Vietnam by the socialist countries like the Soviet Union, China, North Korea ...

The Vietnamese architects and engineers have captured the construction techniques, adjusting the design better suited to the lifestyle of the Vietnamese.

1954-1960: the apartment includes 1 single room, the support area (kitchen, bathroom, toilet) was shared space.

1960-1975: houses are built mainly for officers and employees of state and the military. Began appearing manufactured housing types. The common parts still exist, the number of households shared the common spaces together have decreased.

1975-1985: Model of sharing common space gradually disappeared, the average area per person is verified (6m2 per capita, average per family of 4 persons), From 1986: economic innovation, the regulations on accommodation and use of soil is loosened, making it denser construction and encroachment on the general construction projects and “public space”

Currently, the house had been broken into multiple apartments a very complex way, to create shelter for all family members The collective living quarter Since 1954, after the Independence, Vietnam has made a social policy in order to meet the needs of large cities in the North in terms of housing. A new type of housing to meet the needs of the population density was built outside the scope of the urban network that existed before, which is called the “collective living quarter” (“Khu tap the” in Vietnamese - KTT).

The house was built on the model of collective housing From top to bottom: Fig. 2.44, 2.45 : Type of Indochina architectural housing.

[Credit: Author] Fig. 2.46 : Type of collective living quarter - “Khu tap the”.

[Credit: Author]

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Fig. 2.47: Hanoi Opera house square [ Credit: Author]

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Fig. 2.48: Old collective zone [ Credit: Author]

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Fig. 2.49: An example of New Urban Area [ Credit: Author]

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New urban areas, new form of block housing, high rise flats.

After Doi Moi, Vietnam has prospered by choosing to open itself more broadly to the outside world. This transformation is reflecting on the built environment by changing the shape of the city rapidly. Current plans anticipate accommodating six million new inhabitants until 2050. One of the consequences of these transformations is spatial.

Contemporary Vietnamese housing includes three prototypes of street shop-houses (or tube house), detached villas, and apartments. The numbers of houses have been increasing , while the quality of design in terms of enviromental responsiveness has been ignored.

Housing design in Vietnam is changing from the vernacular perspective with natural adaptive solutions to contemporary adoptions of international ideas which seem to lose the regionalist identity of Vietnamese housing. These new form houses with multiple floor levels on a narrow frontage is found in many urban and rural areas.

Fig. 2.50 : Type of new urban tube house. [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 2.51 : City view from Truc Bach [Credit: Author]

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CHAPTER III : THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTERS “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

1. BACKGROUND OF SOCIALIST COLLECTIVE HOUSING AREAS.

BACKGROUND OF SOCIALIST COLLECTIVE HOUSING

“Following the uncompromising path of Marx, Lenin and Stalin, who always valued classical art, Soviet architecture was able to overcome the bends of leftism, oversimplification in its own environment, opportunism of some of the old architects, and took the road of using the best elements of the old classical design”.

1956 and 1964, just in 8 years, quarter population of Soviet Union (54 million people) moved to new apartments (Bronovitskaya, 2009, p .24). In Russia alone the urban population from 1926 to 1989 grew by 56% (Becker et al., 2012, p.6) and in all Soviet Union urban population from 1917 to 1982 grew from 16% to 64% affecting 146 million people (Yanitsky, 1986, p.265). All the numbers tell one simple thing - Soviet Union has to take a new approach to urbanization and architecture to face with its changing society during 20th century. This meant experimentation, failure and arguable success.

L. M. Kaganovich

The roots - constructivism

URBANIZATION OF THE SOVIET UNION

The history of Soviet architecture is closely linked to the process of the rise and fall of the socialist states, - the Communism in the Former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, where were often associated with grey, anonymous, and poorly constructed post-war buildings. Even though covering about one-sixth of the world’s landmass and containing all or part of 30 countries, the Soviet architecture bears the greatest impacts of the transformation of Russian architecture. The development of Russian architecture during Soviet period - from excessive neoclassicism of the 1950s, to technologism of the 1960s, to large scale mass industrial construction of the 1970s, to regionalism of the 1980s, to reconstructivism of the 1900s - follows the metamorphoses of socialist and post - socialist political cycles.

Urbanization which took place in Soviet Union was the most intense at that time in the world. During the most rapid period from 1926 to 1939 the urban population more than doubled reaching 55.9 million, while in U.S. for urban population to double it took 30 years and in UK 70 years. (Pokshishevshiy, 1980, p.35). Impressive statistics continued as in 30 years period from 1955 to 1985 fifty million new apartments were built ( Goldhoorn and Sverdlov, 2009). Also worth to mention that between

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In the early days of the Soviet Union, one of the most interesting architectural movements at that time, constructivism was born. Constructivists had a strong relations with artists, but at the same time their architecture was oriented towards Communist party’s embraced social politics: “Their innovations were useful to a revolutionary regime in need of a dynamic visual language to promote communism”. (Bradley and Esche, 2007, p.402).

Discussions started to find the most approproate urban form for the communist society, but common opinion was difficult to reach. The opinions dived in two camps - urbanist and de-urbanist schools (Bater, 1980, p.22).

Most of their proposals were utopia and speculating on infinite budgets, but their ideas later laid foundations for a socialist cities. Urbanists were influenced by “Garden city” concept (Howard, 1902) and Le Corbusier’s theories, although the link is not complete direct (Bater, 1980, p.

23). On the other side, de-urbanists were very radical and “wanted an essentially townless socialist society in which age-old contradiction between town and country would be abolished once and for all” (Bater, 1980, p.23). Their idea was to spread people around the country based on linear urban forms and completely forget the concept of the city.

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Radical urban concepts were not realized, but some radical experiments on architectural scale did see the light. Among them - projects where constructivists tested their ideas on a new life style of a proletarians. The best known example of a new ideology is a Narkomfin building. Here architects of the project Moisei Ginzburg and Ignaty Milinis tried not only to promote new type of architecture celebrating new technology of reinforced concrete, but also to address an urban challenge - create a social environment in the city (Shazali, 2007). This was an important issue having in mind new political direction and increasing industralization which was followed by urbanization. Main concept of the building was a total separation of individual sleeping cells from a common spaces. it was probably the most interesting example at that time which used standardization as a tool to create new urban condition. According to a new ideologies, residents had only 6 square meters for two people, individual cells for sleeping and all other activities had to be common, shared with all other residents (Prevost and Dushkina, 1999, p.9).

Women were free from cooking as everybody were eating at a canteen, children could spent their time in kindergardens. Big corridor had to replicate a village road and the configuration of a program had to enable social experience. Overall, it was an attempt to remodel the concept of the traditional family and propose a communistic lifestyle, where society is your family.

Narkomfin model shows first attempts of government to control society using architecture, a belief of architects that architecture can shape new model of people which later was proved to be an utopia (Smirnov, 2011) Aorund the same time when Narkomfin project was completed (1932), other architects and engineers were working on exploring possibilities of strandardization by using prefab blocks and prefav dwelling cells. However after change in politics of the Soviet Union, when Stalin

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came in power in 1930s, constructivism was undersirable.

Changed concept of Society also changed the ideology of architecture - from avant-garde it turned to imperialistic Stalinist expression with interpretations of antique motives. After the ruling of Stalin, the approach to society and naturally to architecture changed. New leader Nikita Khrushchev heavily focused on modernization and urbanization of Soviet Union. Instead of naive, decorative Stalinist expression, on December 7th 1954, he gave a speech and promoted a new standardized mass housing program (Khrushchev, 2009) which roots can be seen in some early constructivist experiments.

BACKGROUND OF SOCIALIST COLLECTIVE HOUSING

SOVIET MICRODISTRICT Micro-district, so called “Mikrorayon” is a residential complex—a primary structural element of the residential area construction in the Soviet Union and in some postSoviet and former Communist states. Residential districts in most of the cities and towns in Russia and the republics of the former Soviet Union were built in accordance with this concept.

Prefab collective housing - Khrushchevki “It is them (architects) who understand architecture as a decorative art rather than means of satisfying material needs of soviet people. It is them who waste the funds of soviet people on beauty which nobody needs, instead of building simpler, but more” (Listova, 2009) - it is the speech where in 1954 Nikita Khrushchev - First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1954 - drew a new direction for architects became less important and architecture had one simple goal - to be cheap.

In 1939 the average space per person in Soviet Union was 5 square meters. When Krushchev came in power in 1953, the standard apartment size by first mass prefab house model K-7 was based on the concept of the minimum (which was also maximum) 9 square meters per person.

(Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design, 2012a). It meant that one room apartment with all facilities was around 30 square meters, two rooms - 44m2, three rooms - 62m2 (Resog, 2014). The “Khrushchovka” was industrialised and prefabricated building, the elements (or panels) made at concrete plants and trucked to the site as needed. Elevators were considered too costly and time consuming to build, and according to Soviet health/safety standards, five stories was the maximum height of a building without an elevator. Thus, almost all “Khrushchovka” have five stories. For a lot of people these apartments were first personal property in their life and often first urban experience, as a lot of people

came directly from villages. The speed and low quality of construction was a outcome of a tight economic pressure and political program. Due to extremely low quality of K-7 model, where engineers proposed 4 centimeter thickness of inner walls, and only 8 centimeters for walls between apartments, the structure was later updated to suit the needs of people better. Bigger and more comfortable apartments had to accommodate people better. To ensure that, the first residents of new prototype housing had visits from specialists of housing typology who checked the apartments to see how the residents inhabited the space.

Although apartments improved, they still did not suit the needs of the people well, because the habits of people were not so easily predictable.

Its common slogan: “We are not against beauty, but we are against superfluity”. Inefficient classicism of Stalinist empire was taken over by purely functionalist rational style. The same housing conditions were promised for every USSR citizen.

Today most of these buildings are in poor conditions. First houses (type K-7) now are being widely demolished in Moscow (Complex of urban policy and construction in Moscow, 2014) , but improved house models (like I-464A) have a theoretical 100-125 years lifespan (Ruseckas et al., 2009, p.26) and make up a very important part of a residential market in Eastern Europe.

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Micro-districts Repetitive, downgraded architecture created very monotonic urban environment - micro-districts.This problem was understood by the architects and builders as Valentin Galecki, organizer of the first house building factory, has stated that they saw the ugliness, but it was just the most efficient and cheap method (Listova, 2009) Micro-districts did not have urban elements developed through centuries - street perspectives, houses, squares, intersections, boulevards. A border conditions where exchange happen (Sennett, 2011, p.324) did not find place in micro-districts. As typical example of modernist planning, micro-districts were planned thinking of them as surfaces. “Therefore, each of the zones must be separated so that they do not interfere with adjacent zones.” (Ohno, 2004, p.28). Empty surfaces - landscapes were filled with grey concrete blocks around Moscow and later all Eastern Bloc. Although in come cases local architects tried to create more vibrant environment by constructing microdistricts in a more scenic landscape (Lazdynai district in Vilnius, Lithuania), they still lacked diversity.

On the otherhand, strict scientific planning arranged public functions around the housing blocks in a convernient distances. School, shops, and pharmacies were maximum 10 minute distance from the apartment (Bronovitskaya, 2009, p.24). Stadium, hospitals, libraries and other facilities were within a close distance, often in the centers of micro-districts. Greenery during the time grew and also become richer and inviting. These benefits of modernistic planning are appreciated even today as new generation of residents who grew up there have more natural feeling to this type of planning (Bronovitskaya, 2009, p25) This adaptation means that socialist mass housing areas eventually from forced lifestyle are turning to a lifestyle which people choose because of specific qualities, even if

BACKGROUND OF SOCIALIST COLLECTIVE HOUSING

it might seem uncomfortable for most people. Similarly as people choose to live in boats in Amsterdam or in flooded Venice.

LEVEL (STEP) SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SERVICE WERE DEVELOPED IN 1960S AND STILL FIXED IN BUILDING RULES FOR RUSSIA AND UKRAINE. IT GUARANTEES EQUAL SERVICE LEVEL FOR EVERY CITIZEN. LEVEL OF PUBLIC SERVICE

1 2

3

URBAN PLANNING UNIT

FREQUENCY OF NEED AND RADIUS PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY

Housing group and microdistrict level

Everyday need Accessibility radius = 100 - 500m

City district level

Period need Accessibility radius = 1000 - 1500m

City level

Episodical need No standard radius for accessibility

HOUSING GROUP

“We did not have rich architectural elements, but just plain poor panels. It was possible to do only them, not because we were such idiots, but because it was possible to produce only those type of panels in factories which we already had, with their standard equipment” - Elena Kapustian, architect, advisor of Russian academy of architecture and buidling science (Listova, 2009)

A - Housing; B - Nursery kindergarden; C - Elderly center D - Canteen and other service;

PLAN

PERSPECTIVE

Table 2 : Level system of public service of formal Soviet architecture [Phd. Ganna Andrianova ] From left to right: Fig. 3.1 : Housing group scheme. [Arch. G.Gradov ] Fig. 3.2 , 3.3 : Plan and perspective of experimental project of housing group for 1500 inhabitants by Arch G.Gradov (1960)

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CHAPTER III : THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTERS “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

BACKGROUND OF SOCIALIST COLLECTIVE HOUSING

microdistrict

Perspective

Site plan

CITY DISTRICT Urban unit of the city: Area 80 - 400 hectacres, contains several microdistricts with schools, shops and kindergardens plus big common public center and park.

1 - Housing group; 2 - Public school; 3 - Neighborhood center and park; Top : From left to right: Fig. 3.3 , 3.4 : Perspective and site plan of experimental project of microdistrict for 10,000 inhabitants by Arch G.Gradov (1960) Bottom: Fig. 3.5 : Microdistrict scheme. [Arch. G.Gradov ]

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Fig. 3.6 : City district “Cheremushki” Odessa city, Ukraine (1960s).

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THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

2. THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

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The roads to introduce the Soviet perspective into urban planning in Vietnam After 1954, Vietnam faced the problem of dividing the country: independent North choosing the socialist regime to develop, and the South still continuing the war against America. Thus, North Vietnam started a new historical period: firstly, recovering the postwar economic (1955 - 1957), followed by launching the first 5 - year plan of economic development from 1961 to 1965 with the industrialization process (as popular in the bloc of socialist countries under the Soviet influence) Along with the industrialization process, many large industrial establishments have been established in major cities of northern Vietnam that have led to population growth and the need for city renewal. The four major cities of North Vietnam, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, and Vinh, with the help of various socialist countries, have set up new residential areas that organize space in the form of applications. Under the name of “Dormitory” - KTT (resident ) or “collective quarter” (in the form of space and administration). The new habitat model allows for a higher population density, but does not integrate into the existing urban network because it is implemented under a completely different type of planning based on shared principles: shared access, shared kitchens, and subdivisions, shared staircases and corridors, shared by many families. These cities have chosen the urbanstyle spatial planning and organization method that the socialist countries have adopted, which are better suited to Vietnam’s geopolitical and socio-economic perspective: -> apartment -> building group/street block -> residential area/neighborhood -> residential district -> city.

THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

experience in localizing Western concepts. Thus, the views of urban construction planning in general and the spatial organization of new residential areas in particular in Vietnam in the 60-80 period are influenced mainly by 3 ways: (1) Directly from the Soviet Union through the presence of Soviet planning and architecture experts in Vietnam, from the training and study of Vietnamese planning and architecture specialists in the Soviet Union and some other Eastern European countries.

(2) Indirectly from the Soviet Union through the “help” coordinated by China.

(3) Directly from China through the similarities in terms of geographic and cultural history between Vietnam and China.

Although the origins of this urban space organization came from the Soviet Union, the actual way in which Vietnam was imported was mainly from China, on the one hand, because China was a neighboring country with many similarities with Vietnam, and China has more Fig. 3.7 : A lost cow in front of B1 building of Khu tap the (KTT) Giang Vo (Credit: David Alan Harvey, 1989 ).

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Theoritical of dwelling.

According to MERLIN Pierre, CHOAY Francoise (2000), “grand ensemble” is defined as a group of apartment houses that provide a large number of houses. Occurring since 1954, this concept is seen as one of the structural elements of modern urban planning, breaking away from urban tradition, towards sanitation, space and light. Since the 1950s, this term refers to a large group of apartment dwellings built into a planned area or perimeter of an urban extension specifically identified.

According to DUFAUX Frederic, FOURCAUT Annie (2004), there are five criteria for identifying a “grand ensemble”: 1. Separation from the old urban network; 2. Form of architecture (standing tower and long bar form); 3. Size (minimum 500 apartments); 4. How to provide funding (supported by the state) 5. Design popularity (towards rationalization, repetition of regulated equipment) A “grand ensemble” is considered a success, according to Pierre GEORGE, expressed through: - A rational planning: a large general housing is not designed by default, in an urbanized area, it is considered to be an element of the urban population, itself cohesively constitutes a complete urban form; - Urban Connections: The bulk of the large housing is part of the city (and not an additional transplant space); - Linking to an urban center: the importance originally created by the public transport system; public transport stations make up the bulk of the housing: housing areas are built around them; - Create a diverse service area - not just in the field of commerce, but in the fields of education, culture ... - in each basic space unit, attached to the square. ; - Create a local job market;

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- Avoid the monotony of architecture - Create social mix;

THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

Foundation of “collective quarter” in the northern cities of Vietnam Theoretically, the unit is a mixture of foreign urban planning theories (mainly through the urban planning principles of Eastern Europe and China in the former Soviet bloc) and the living culture of traditional villages in Vietnam. However, in fact, the composition of the mixture is not balanced when the theory of foreign prevails because it shows the determination towards a “new life” of Vietnam in efforts desire reform feudal agricultural economy with a socialist orientation to the power of industrialization, somewhat neglected tradition.

A “collective quarter” is determined based on the following principles: 1. The size of the population can guarantee the establishment and existence of at least one primary school; 2. Commercial activities are located in the perimeter of adjacent residential areas and urban transport networks; 3. Empty spaces (green space, entertainment, sports) are almost mandatory; 4. Boundary is clearly defined by artificial elements (urban surrounding) or natural; 5. The public core is made up of public service works in which the kindergarten (located in the center of the home groups) and the primary school (located in the center of the unit) are the most important; 6. The transportation network must meets the internal circulation needs of the accommodation and the city traffic backbones are not allowed to pass through.

“Dwelling unit: - is a functional area composed of housing groups; unit-level service works such as kindergartens, elementary schools, junior high schools, clinics, markets, physical training and sport centers, cultural centers and single level service centers. Other accommodation for the regular needs of the community in the unit ...; gardens, playgrounds in residential units; internal roads (including roads from the subdivision level to the housing group) and parking lots in the unit ...; - The service works at the unit level (level I) and garden, playground have the radius of service <= 500m; - The maximum population size of the residential unit is 20,000 people, the minimum population size of the unit is 4,000 people.

- Main urban roads are not allowed to pass through the residential units; - Depending on the size and needs, the administrative will be managed to arrange at the center of the ward. The land of the administrative center of the ward level is included in the land unit; - In accordance with the planning solution, there is a number of works apart of the essential functional areas of the unit may be arranged, but the land for construction of these works is not included in land unit.”

The official definition of “dwelling unit” can be found in the Construction Standards of Vietnam No. QCXDVN 01: 2008 / BXD dated 03 April 2008 of the Ministry of Construction on Construction Planning:

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THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

1000m

The raion / microraion partition of the Soviet Union cities affected the parttern of the KTT formula subdivision in Vietnamese cities in years 60s - 80s.

Microraion

Content

500

m

2

5 minutes 1

4

Sub-zone residential area

Sub-are / “Collective quarter” *

Raion (hành chính)

- 4 -8 raions

District

-

City

City (province) / municipality.

50

ha 64 ha

1

ha

00m

- 6 - 10 microraion / 25000 - 50000 people - The periodic services (theaters, clubs, cultural houses, clinics, sports facilities ...)

m

1

80

Raion (cư trú)

City

500

Formula subdivision in the city of Vietnam years 60-80 Collective Residential area quarter / Khu tap the (KTT)

R1=5

- 20-30 ha / 6000 - 12000 people - Independent with the urban circulation and highway.

- Daily services. (schools, kindergardens, commercial or library...)

R2=

Common names and equivalent concepts

0m 40

Concept

800m

1

3

R3=150m

100 ha

R3=150m

0m

50

5

= R2

1

4

2

1

R3=150m

2

* Due to the size of the cities of Vietnam in the 60 -80 is relatively small, for some residential areas, they are usually composed of 2 to 3 sub-zones combined. For some other areas, the identification of sub-zones and subdivisions is unclear because the two levels are identified, in other words the subdivision is also a sub-area.

R3=150m

1

3

R3=150m

5

R3=150m

R3=150m

R1=500m

Table 3 : The raion / microraion partition of the Soviet Union cities affected the parttern of the KTT formula subdivision in Vietnamese cities in years 60s - 80s. [Credit: Arch. Tran Minh Tung, Transition in the transformation of urban planning formats in Hanoi , Xay Dung; 2016]

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From top to bottom: Fig. 3.8 : The service radius of neighborhood scheme. [Tran Hung, Nguyen Quoc Thong ; Thăng Long _ Hà Nội - 10 thế kỷ đô thị hóa ( Thang Long - Hanoi - The 10- century- urbanization) ; 1995 ] Fig. 3.9 : (1) The service radius of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru. [Credit: Author]

From top to bottom: Fig. 3.9 : (2) The service radius of KTT Kim Lien. [Credit: Author] (3) The service radius of KTT Trung Tu [Credit: Author] LEGEND: (1) School ; (2) Kindergarden; (3) Hall;

(4) Market; (5) Athletic;

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Model KTT in Hanoi In this period, North Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular were a great construction site, one of the main factors was khu tap the KTT. In the period 1954-1986, about 50% of urban dwellings built in Hanoi belonged to the KTTs that strictly adhered to the principles of planning and decentralization of space in service radius. In Hanoi, between 1958 and 1990, about 30 KTTs were constructed with a total area of about 450ha, which increased the urban housing area KTTs named as KTT Nguyen Cong Tru, KTT Giang Vo, KTT Kim Lien, KTT Thanh Cong ... were mainly located in the first and second ring of the city, creating a new form of urban space on the urban planning map of Hanoi.

THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

(1) The first generation of KTT: from 1954 - 1960 - Built by state department or government, in order to improve the standard of state / government employments and workers.

- Mostly 1 or 2 - floor building.

- Material: brick and roof tile

The model of collective housing of the KTT after being imported into Vietnam has been adjusted by Vietnamese architects and restructured the arrangement of apartments so that they fit the living conditions of the Vietnamese, socio-economic context, and construction level of Vietnam at that time. The spacious apartments are replaced by smaller flats to ensure large volumes.

In the period 1954-1986, the housing policy in Vietnam was to develop subsidized housing for officials and employees. Funds for this policy are taken directly from the government budget. Housing is almost distributed free to beneficiaries when the required housing fees do not exceed 1% of their wages. Housing is not considered a personal property but a social asset. Residential distribution is carried out in a relatively simple hierarchy of priorities, established on the level of wages and job levels employed by the user; houses are also classified by square meters and number of rooms.

1

Section A - A

A

A 1

2

Alley

In the heyday, Hanoi’s khu tap the (KTT) was built in three phases:

Basement Fig. 3.8 : Typical unit of the first generation of the KTT - KTT Mai Dong [Credit: Author]

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- Arrangement : Next to each other, 8-10 rooms in a row, each room has an area of 15 - 18m2, kitchen and toilet are separated, arranged in a row, placed parallel to the front or rear of the main area, in between 2 blocks is a small courdyard.

LEGEND: Living space Sub - zone 1 - Kitchen 2 - Sanitary

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(2) The second generation of KTT: from 1960 -1974 - 1960 - 1965: the appearance of the business of 4 - 5 floors such as KTT Textile Factory 8/3, KTT Tho Lao, KTT Nguyen Cong Tru. - 2 methods of construction: - bricks, reinforced concrete floor panels, roof tiles, roofs with reinforced concrete running around the house.

- Prefabricated reinforced concrete prefabricated houses with technical assistance from North Korea.

THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

- Average area per capita : 4m2 / people - 1971 - 1976 : there were significant changes. There were 7 new models selected with the design of “independent apartment”.

- Each unit has 2 apartments with 2-3 rooms with stairs provided to a few apartments. (Van Chuong, Giang Vo, Trung Tu ... )

(3) The third generation of KTT: from 1975 - 1986 - During the unification of the country, the living standard of people was getting higher and higher. The living space need to extend in order to meet the demand.

- The disappearance of the sub-zones used in common.

- The new KTTs were built in a closed and independent apartment style with an average area of 6m2 / people

1

From left to right: Fig. 3.9 : The second generation of the KTT - KTT Nguyen Cong Tru (1963) (From top to bottom: 1- Site plan; 2 - Typical plan of an unit; 3 Typical plan of a building. [Credit: Author] Fig. 3.10 : The second generation of the KTT - KTT Kim Lien (1965) (From top to bottom: 1- Site plan; 2 - Typical plan of an unit; 3 - Typical plan of a building. [Credit: Author]

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LEGEND: Living space Sub - zone shared kitchen and sanitary

Fig. 3.11 : The third generation of the KTT - KTT Trung tu (1975) (From left to right; top to bottom: 1- Site plan; 2 - Typical plan of an unit; 3 - Typical plan of a building. [Credit: Author]

2

LEGEND: Living space Sub - zone 1 - Kitchen 2 - Sanitary

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The hardship of socialist housing production The housing question is an enduring problem in Hanoi. It dates back to the colonial period, but became widespread during the period following the first Indochina war (194554), as the leaders of the new Democratic Republic of Vietnam laid the foundations of a socialist government and society. Starting in 1954, housing policies in Vietnam were geared towards satisfying the needs of state employees (civil servants, blue collar workers, military . A first policy, which requisitioned single family housing in commercial areas and colonial neighbourhoods and forced owners to welcome new households within their domestic space, was highly unpopular. The second policy aimed to generate housing space on a larger scale. Launched in the late 1950s, it was considered in the construction of so-called “Collective living quarters” (Khu tap the - KTT) on the outskirts of the existing city, which magnigied its role in the construction of a modern and industrialised nation. However, the state’s construction program was insuffciently funded to satisfy the growing demand for urban housing space. The new households that formed during this period therefore had little choice but to share existing housing space located in the old city and in KTT. Since the central state continued promising all citizens the “right to housing”, the lack of investment in housing production became a source of dissatisfaction among an urban population that had doubled between 1960 and 1989, moving from 460,000 to 900,000 inhabitants. As a result, in 1987, the state recognised the insufficiency of its resources and withdrew from its subsidised housing production program. The urban housing question was then reframed in terms of a policy known as “ the State and People work together” (Nhà nước và nhân dân cùng làm) whereby, for the first time since independence, private stakeholders were formally invited to produce the own housing and, a few year later, were recognised as their legitimate owners.

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The new policy and accompanying legal changes led to an intensification of small-scale self-help housing production active in and around Hanoi since the end of war. The new approach to housing production legitimised the housing practices of a significant portion of the urban and periurban population that ranged from the illegal acquisition of construction materials, to modifications of KTT buildings, to encroachment on public spaces or on peri-urban argricultural land. On the other hand, state institutions participated in larger redevelopment operations, in which they allowed the army, universities, ministries and research centers to allocate plots, subdivided from tracts of land they had been allocated by the state, to their employees for residential construction purpose. Meanwhile, periurban local governments converted agricultural land to residential use and distributed indicidual plots to villagers under a policy known as the “population dedensification policy” (chính sách giãn dân). These state-sanctioned practices fuelled a renaissance of private housing and land markets at the edge of Vietnamese cities. During the period of 1990s, housing supply increased substantially in and around Hanoi. This happened through the restoration of ancient buildings, the rehanilitation of the imagery of the French city, the spontaneous conversion and transformation of KTT areas into vibrant mixed-use neighbourhoods, and the endogenous development of new housing styles that drew on the city’s historical forms.

THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

hindered the expansion of infrastructure and the development of commercial zones. The urban forms that resulted from privately initiated residential production were also generally assessed as chaotic.

Despite all of these benefits, local professionals and authorities considered such decentralised urbanisation processes a less than optimal solution to housing production and urban development. The residential housing environments that resulted from the “state and people” policy were criticised from their inability to reach desired human desire, to contain urban sprawl and to protect peri-urban agricultural areas. For many urban planners and architects, this form of urban development failed to provide basic urban services (school, parks...)

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The transformation of “Khu tap the”: The characteristics of the new developments Starting in the 1960s, the number of people from the countryside and the number of cadres and civil servants mobilized to work and live in Hanoi and the cities of northern Vietnam increased. .After being distributed by the state, the first inhabitants began new life. But it is not easy for them - who are accustomed to a rural or traditional Asian way of life - to adapt to the new lifestyle which is most influenced by living conditions in Western countries and much smaller in size. In the context of Vietnam’s gradual recovery of the post-war economy, residents are required to live on economical savings, the costs of operating and maintaining home appliances are minimized in order to save energy. The state does not encourage people to use electricity because it is prioritized for industry. In this situation, people find a temporary solution - using a charcoal stove. The picture were very popular at the time: before lunch and dinner preparation, kitchen smoke came out from the logs where the coal stoves were placed instead of in the communal kitchen.

This, together with the traditional way of living associated with agricultural production, although lived in modern residential housing models such as KTT, has been the main cause for major spatial changes - expansion in the apartment, especially the kitchen and toilet. This change is just minor adjustments within each apartment from a family’s point of view, but it is very important to the people as it ensures both the functional use and use of psychologies.

The encroachment and transformation of common space into private ownership.

Since 1984, the loosening of the state in the management of collective housing has fueled the privatization of common spaces around homes by occupancy. At first, they planted only a few trees, built temporary fences, and then

the fences were gradually solidified with brick to create “semi-private” yards. This encroachment has created independent spaces that are used as supporting spaces for families (bicycles, motorbikes, small businesses ...), some space Captured converted into the main functional rooms of the apartment. The KTT management could not be covered by the pressure of a large number of people involved so they had to leave them encroachment free.

Encroachment spaces sometimes have a significant area of space compared to the original area of the apartment, especially for flats located in the gable of buildings. For apartments located next to the main internal roads of the KTT, people use space for encroachment to trade, increase income to improve daily life.

The transformation of the facade - the appearance of the “cage” When the process of privatizing the common space of the ground floor apartments takes place, the vacant space above is also occupied by the people on the upper floors. Just like the ground floor, the upper households also start their occupation by installing the iron frames for safety reasons, then continuing to protrude. Other residents put the iron cages protruding about 60-90 cm from the building’s facade. These spaces were initially only encapsulated with temporary materials, but then concreted. Currently these “cages” protruding 2-3 meters wide with the support of the metal frame and reinforced concrete floor is attached to the original structural strength of the building. Thus, the inhabitants created a new space and increased the area outside the apartment in a difficult situation to reconstruct the internal structure. With the use of various types of materials and the different protrusions of iron cages, the facade of the building has been completely deformed.

THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

Systematic change The phenomenon of structural change outside the apartments is also becoming more systematic by the unification of families at different levels. Instead of the individual transformation that occurs on each floor, people start linking together. There will be 4-5 storey “house” adjacent to the original blockhouse. To build these new “houses,” the cost of foundation will be divided equally among the flats on the floors, and the body corresponding to what frequency the people of that floor have to pay for construction.

PRIVATIZATION OF SPACE ORGINAL COMMON SPACE NARROWED COMMON SPACE

ORIGINAL BULDING

EXPANSION SPACE

EXPANSION SPACE

ORIGINAL BULDING

TRANSFORMATION OF FACADE

ORIGINAL FACADE

TRANSFORMED FACADE

SYSTEMATIC CHANGE

FAMILY 4

FAMILY 3 FAMILY 2

FAMILY 1 EXPANSION SPACE

ORIGINAL BULDING

Fig. 3.12 : Diagrams of the transformation of ‘Khu Tap The’ [Credit: Author]

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CHAPTER III : THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTERS “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

Fig. 3.13 : Unique outcome of years of shaping [Credit: Author]

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THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

Fig. 3.14 : Public space inside ‘Khu Tap The’ [Credit: Author]

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CHAPTER III : THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTERS “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

The old collective living quarter: the “unrecognized heritage.

“Recognizing, preserving and promoting the value of architectural works of the period 1954 - 1986 in the inner city of Hanoi” is a scientific subject by the Department of Planning - Economic and Planning and Urban Development Hanoi co-chaired the study. Through research, experts have proposed the recognition of the architectural works of the period 1954 - 1986 as a heritage and a number of typical works should be selected to repair and restore, preserve before the The old collective barracks was destroyed and rebuilt. According to architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem, vice chairman of the Hanoi Urban Planning and Development Association, through discussions with many foreign experts, three issues can be recognized very well by scholars, culture and architecture. Mind: The first is the French architecture in Hanoi, the second is the Russian architecture in Hanoi with socialist architecture features and finally the sub-architecture. 1954 - 1986. This is the period of development from the urban consumer, colonial urban to urban socialist; Is the period of State subsidized construction and also the period of many works by socialist countries help design together with architects in the country has created a unique mark for the architecture of Vietnam. Even more are beyond physical value, affirming spiritual values as ​​ dreams, striving, pride of a generation.

Nowadays, along with time, these works are facing the choice and the challenge, that is to renovate, complete or destroy new construction. The choice of solution, mainly based on scale, degradation, danger, the elements of intangible value, cultural value does not seem to be considered. With the survey method, the questionnaires were distributed to four groups of experts - architects, administrators, students of architecture and people, on the basis of criteria of cultural value, The structure, landscape planning, originality, use and representative of the group, many old collective as Kim Lien, Nguyen Cong Tru, Tho Lao, Quynh Loi, Van Chuong (period 1954- Truong

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Dinh, Trung Tu, Giang Vo (1965-1986) were proposed as “remarkable” heritage buildings, only behind the “special” group works.

THE COLLECTIVE LIVING QUARTER “KHU TAP THE” (KTT) IN HANOI

The solution.

After 1986 when the heyday of the KTTs ended, besides promoting new types of collective housing, the city government also restructured the KTTs. The policy of reform of business activities was proposed on the cooperation of people and government. Currently there are 3 proposed solutions applied in Hanoi: (1) The buildings of the KTTs are expanded by the addition of new parallel buildings and adjacent to the existing main building. This solution has been tested at Trung Tu KTT. This is only a temporary solution to address the immediate need of people to reduce their spontaneity.

(2) Financial sources are difficult to mobilize and unsustainable.

(3) The projects still do not stick to the complexity and specific characteristics of each business.

Thus, KTT will not become a burden to Hanoi if the government pay more attention to them. The elimination of KTTs in the urban structure of Hanoi is still not a good solution.

(2) The buildings of the KTTs are replaced by newer, more modern buildings. For example, in KTT Giang Vo, Kim lien, Nguyen Cong Tru ... old buildings were demolished and replaced with new apartment buildings. The basement of these apartments is arranged for general commercial and service activities. Residents of the old community are relocated to the site on the principle of compensation agreement, the rest of the apartment is sold freely on the market.

(3) All KTT are built into new urban areas. This solution exists only on the basis of the difficulties encountered in land acquisition, compensation for privatized land plots or large financial requirements.

However, these renovation projects are just initial tests, some solutions have shown the irrational, others are not feasible, the reason is: (1) There is no consistency between government and people in policies and solutions to meet the needs of and to safeguard people’s rights, and can help the government control and manage the variables.

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CHAPTER IV : SURVEY OF “KTT” NGUYEN CONG TRU DISTRICT

KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU’S IDENTITY

1.IDENTITY HISTORICAL AND CONTEXT ANALYSIS

Identity From a system working by itself to be an remarkable part of the city. Spreading itself into the city urban context, and at the same time, completely independent. It is KTT Nguyen Cong Tru, located in Hai ba Trung District south of Hanoi’s Ancient Quarter.

In early 2008, Hanoi’s People Committee planned to demolish KTT Nguyen Cong Tru, one of the earliest KTTs in Hanoi, and build the new housing and commercial estate. Historically, KTT Nguyen Cong Tru, together with other KTTs, such as Giang Vo and Kim Lien, represent an important layer of Hanoi’s architecture, and marked a historic change inHanoi’s planning and architecture, hence transforming its urban image regarding housing and building development. For many people in Hanoi, this model of housing recalls the memorable so-called “government subsidized” period between the early 1960s and the late 1980s - the difficult time for the country, due to years of wars and a close-door economic policy.

a dream-home for many people who had suffered during the war.

A location where the Western meet the Eastern, where traditional way of living rule the industrial life, where the formal becomes informal. Could we intervene to allow the inhabitants to rediscover the forgotten value of this area as well as provide them a better living condition? Does inhabitants have chance to regain this space?

Our design proposal has the aim to suggest how to rehabitation this system respecting each soul of his identity.

Though KTT Nguyen Cong Tru still remains as residental space, it has changed significantly since Doi Moi started in the late 1980s. Most changes are the result of informal building additions and interior renovation. These informal building activities are criticized as illegal and unsafe.

However, the changes also show that this Soviet-style architectural model seems to have been adapted to meet local lifestyles and routines, which reveals Hanoi’s unique urban characteristics.

KTT Nguyen Cong Tru, located in Hai Ba Trung district, south of Hanoi’s Ancient Quarter, has an area of around 6 hectares. It contains 14 four-level apartment blocks, 4 twolevel apartment blocks, a kindergarten, a primary school, and a food market. It was planned to provide homes for 4200 residents, who were state employees. Despite of the degradation nowaday, KTT Nguyen Cong Tru was really

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Fig. 4.1 : Type of new urban tube house. [Credit: Author]

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KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU’S IDENTITY

Fig. 4.2 : Type of new urban tube house. [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.3 : Entrance to a KTT [Credit: Author]

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KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU’S IDENTITY

Fig. 4.4 : Ground floor from inside. [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.5 : Decayed wall [Credit: Author]

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KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU’S IDENTITY

Fig. 4.6 : Corridor of a block [Credit: Author]

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KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU’S IDENTITY

To fully understand how the KTT Nguyen Cong Tru works, it is fundamental to observe the development of area and the relationship between the site and the city in bigger scale.

The location of the KTT is settle inside the one of hisrtorical areas of the city - the French Quarter designed and planned by French architects and urban planners during the Indochina war. The site of the KTT was originally village settlement. The French redeveloped the area and constructed Nguyen Cong Tru Street in 1885, and provided a cemetery for themselves on the land where the KTT is now located. Nguyen Cong Tru street was used to be an important street leading to the French military area. It also cut through the main streets leading to the city center, such as Hue street, Lo Duc street, Tran Thanh Tong street. At the end of these streets was the gates of the city. Nowadays, those gates doesn’t exist anymore, anyway, some gates are still recognizable on the road by useing their names on the location where it used to be.

1873

1899

1928

1943

1956

1960

1968

Current state

They also built a catholic cemetery for the locals and a wine factory on the other side of the street. The area is surrounded by streets with shop-houses, which usually have narrow facades. In the late 1950s, the cemeteries were removed to constructe the KTT, which fully occupied the area of the French cemetery. However, the French funeral chapel still remained and was later used as a community building for the residents living in the KTT until the present.

These observation reviled to be meaningful for the project becoming our starting point in design process.

Fig. 4.7 : The historical evolution of the KTT Nguyen Cong Tru. [Credit: Author]

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Historical evoluation of the site

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2. DESIGN GUIDE LINEs CITY SCALE : CONNECTING THE SYSTEM OF THE KTTS IN HANOI LOCAL SCALE : THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD. SITE : REHABITATION OF KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU.

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CITY SCALE : CONNECTING THE SYSTEM OF THE KTTS IN HANOI

Location and plans of the Collective living quarters (the Khu tap the) in Hanoi.

By using the current Hanoi city area map, this survey was set up over a region for approximately 7 km of east west and 9 km of north south. The places which were described as the Khu tap the on this map and the urban area were selected. All the apartments on a map were considered as built from 1960s to 1980s.

In this map, the selected places were categorized to 3 types: (a) The area was confirmed as a collective housing area; the area (b) where might have been developed as a collective housing area, however then which couldn’t be confirmed because of the construction in the vacant lot surrounding or the urbanization, and the area (c) where an apartment had been built, however which couldn’t confirmed to be built in a collective housing area (the isolated building).

In the survey region, there are 50 KTTs, among those (a) type are recognized as 19. Moreover type (b) and (c) are 31. However, it was seen that some of KTT as type (a) and (b) are collective living quarter, therefore these KTT could be thought as one of type (a).

The first border line of the map, represents the urban area of the inner city in 1925 which also was considered of the historical area, mainly imperial citale and the urban area constructed by French. There are not the collective living quarter in the urban area in 1925 except the KTT Nguyen Cong Tru. The development of the collective living areas in the surrounding area had played a pionneering role of the formation of the urban area in Hanoi.

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Here is the list of most well-known Collective living quarter.

1961-1965 (1) KTT Nguyen Cong Tru: - The only KTT located in the historical area, along Nguyen Cong Tru street, now belonged to the Dong Nhan ward.

- Gross area: 6ha, consists of 16 housing blocks, 2 of them were specially for single tenants.

- Standard units: 20 sqm, 24,8 sqm, 25,2 sqm with shared kitchen and bathroom area.

- Additional facilities: convenient store, grocery store(run by food stamp), kindergarten.

- Green space and playground between the buildings, garbbage system and rather complete infrastructural system.

(2) KTT Kim Lien: - Located in the expend area of city after 1925.

- Each dwelling cluster has 2800 - 3000 inhabitants, kindergarden’s serving radius is is 250m, school’s serving radius is 500m.

- Apartment unit designed according to Soviet model.

- Additional facilities: convenient store, grocery store(run by food stamp).

After 1975 (3) KTT Trung Tu, (4) KTT Thank Cong, (5) KTT Giang Vo with model style and neatly distributed. These quarters changed the apperance of Hanoi, became the dream and pride of Hanoian in that time.

Fig. 4.8 : Map of the “Khu tap the”s in Hanoi. [Credit: Author] (1) KTT Nguyen Cong Tru (2) KTT Kim Lien (3) KTT Trung Tu (4) KTT Thanh Cong (5) KTT Giang Vo

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LEGEND: (a) (b) The collective living quarter - “Khu tap the” (c) The ísolated building - “Khu tap the”

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The Red river and lakes.

Hà Nội (Hanoi) - literature translated as the city “inside” the river, or the city in the river’s bend, or the city embraced by the river.

Red river plays a very improtant role in the communication of Hanoi with the outside world. Throughout the centuries trades, diplomats or sodiers were entering the city through this waterway. The river somewhat disappeared from the city’s life (because of the dyke system) until French built the bridge of Paul Doumer - currently known as Long Bien bridge. Beside that, a city between rivers built from low land as Hanoi has many scenic lakes and is sometimes called “city of lakes” . It is also an unique characteristic of Hanoi identifying the city among other cities.

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house was used as agricultural products for the village commonly. After developing collective housing area, those institutions existed before were remained. There are 13 collective housing areas which had ponds/ lake before the development and among them there was only one that the pond disappeared.

Though playing an important role in the social life , the landscape and urban planning of the city, the system of lakes and rivers in Hanoi is incoherent and disconnected.

There is a need of strategy to take the natural advantages, to connect and develop the natural elements, to make the city more beautiful and sustainable.

Besides the most famous lakes such as Hoan Kiem lake, West lake (used to be a part of Red river before it changed the flow) , Bay Mau lake ( inside Thong Nhat park), Thu Le lake (inside Thu Le Zoo), which are very popular green place for people to spend time for many social activities, there are the lakes that serve mainly for residents around such as: Giang Vo lake (KTT Giang Vo), Thanh Cong lake (KTT Thanh Cong) , Kim Lien lake (KTT Kim Lien), Xa Dan lake (KTT Trung Tu)....Usually, the lake or ponds will locate at the center of the area or be surrounded by the main residents, facilities or community house. This arrangement could be explained by the characteristics of the KTT’s location. Many collective living area named after the name of the village which located there before.

Although there was no certainly example regarded as the goverment removed villages in order to build collective living areas, it was thought that in some case farmland was applied to be collective housing area lots and one part of villages were removed. The village in Hanoi generally has community house, which is considered as the meeting place of a village and religion facilities, and the temple mausoleum. Moreover, the pond next to community

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Fig. 4.9 : Map of water system in Hanoi. [Credit: Author]

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Green system From the French Colonial period until the beginning of becoming a socialist country, the urban planning of Hanoi has always focused on the greenery and public spaces.

Roads with tree lines connect seamlessly with open spaces, public spaces like lakes, new squares, flower gardens or green parks which were designed based on modern Western planning principles. In the following years, with the help of Soviet experts, a green belt was drafted for the future including large green parks such as Thong Nhat park, Thanh Nien park, Chi Linh park, Thu Le Zoo, Bach Thao park. These new open space features, which originated from Western planning, with their surrounding works and other elements such as trees, lakes, new buildings, and planned streets were prominent landmarks and contributed to change the city’s appearance, which are still recognized easily nowaday.

The characteristics that are easy to see about the green system in Hanoi are:

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considerable amount of green trees to the map of the city’s greenery.

(5) Agricultural land system surrounding the city.

As we can see from the map, although the number of trees in city is great, they mainly spread along the streets or in residential areas. The quantity and quality of the green spaces are not enough to meet the needs of the people.

(Standard of tree per capita of Hanoi is about 1.25m2/ person - Le Hong Ke, Vietnam Architecture Magazine, 2000). Furthermore, the locations are too isolated and hve no connection with each other. Most of them concentrated in city center area such as Ba Dinh district, Hoan Kiem district.

The green space system would be improved by including existing parks, flower gardens, green areas attached to parks in the new urban areas, the tree lines along streets, lakes and the river’s banks. It has potential for tourist, entertainment an relaxation activities.

(1) The system of trees along the streets: - Tall trees, large canopy and shade: the main focus is in old French Quarter and Old Quarter.

- New trees, medium height: new streets are planned.

(2) The system of flower gardens, square: mainly concentrated in the French Quarter.

(3) Green Park system: - Parks built before 1990s: located in the city’s ring I. - New parks built: located in the city’s ring II and III. (4) Greenery in residential areas: Learning from the model of the French villa and the collective housing area of the Soviet Union, green trees for the housing block began to be paid attention and played an important role in the daily life of people. At the same time, it also contributed a

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Fig. 4.10 : Map of green system in Hanoi. [Credit: Author]

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2km

LEGEND: Agriculture Public square Park Sport area Street with high density of trees

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Transportation system

TO LAO CAI

TO INTERNATIONAL NOIBAI AIR PORT

The map in the next page show us the development orientation of Hanoi to solve the issues regarding traffic system in Hanoi, especially public transport.

The transport system of Hanoi was formed and developed based on the French urban plans, then lately the Soviet “suggestion plan”. The main historical roads have been continued to be used and leaded to the new areas of the city. This explains why it is easy to access from the residential areas to the city center.

However, the French architects and the Soviet experts did not unforeseen the extremaly rapid development of Hanoi.

About 10 years ago, the main means of transport in Hanoi were motorbike, bicycle, bus, and a negligible number of car. However, nowadays, the amount of motobikes have overtaken bicycles as the main form of transportation. The increased number of vehicles while the infrastructure has not been upgraded to meet the demands of people has led to severe congestion on many of the main roads.

To solve this problem, to reduce the load on the infrastructure system, the gorvenment has put in place a project to increase public transport. The new metro network which is introduced in Hanoi is under construction. Two of which are being prepared for opening and putting into operation.

TO LANG SON

TO PHU THO

TO PHU THO

TO HAI PHONG

TO HOA BINH

This network is expected to facilitate the movement and accessibility of the citizens to all the areas in Hanoi

TO HOA BINH

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TO HO CHI MINH CITY

Fig. 4.11 : Orientation of transportation development in inner Hanoi.

[Credit: Author]

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LEGEND:

T

National rail Urban metro Local network Urban network Bridge Train station

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Metro station

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On-ground parking

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Underground parking Regional bus station Harpor

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2km

Airport

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Historical axes and attractive points

DESIGN GUIDE LINES

LEGEND: Historical areas: (1) Imperial Citadel - UNESCO heritage site (2) Old quarter (21) West Lake Cutural and tourist attraction: (3) Ceramic mosaic mural road (4) Long Bien bridge (5) Temple of Literature (6) Hang Dau water tower (7) Hoa Lo prison memorial (8) National library (9) Museum of Vietnamese women (10) Hanoi Opera house (11) Museum of Vietnam history (12) Hai Ba Trung temple (13) Voi Phuc temple Entertainment and activities: (14) American club (15) Hanoi Creative city (16) Au Co theatre (17) Cinematic center Zoo and park: (18) Thu Le zootopia (19) National circus (20) Thong Nhat park Border of Imperial Citadel Border of historical city center Historical axes The first ring of Hanoi The locations named after the ancient gates of Hanoi

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Fig. 4.12 : Map of historical axes and attractive points of Hanoi.

[Credit: Author]

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LOCAL SCALE : THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD .

The analyses aim to emphasize the role of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru in the neighborhood in the current situation.

Though originally organized as a self-contained residential community, the current site nowaday widely spread into the surrounding context, or in the other words, it allows the operation from outside introduced to the community and adopts these activities to be remarkable characteristics of the site itself. Therefore the external influences also have a great impact on the activities and development of the area.

The research area is considered in the active radius of 500 m from the site, consisting of 4 wards: Pham Dinh Ho, Pho Hue, Ngo Thi Nham and Dong Nhan of Hai Ba Trung district. This area locates in the south of historic French quarter, where was incompletely planned. Therefore it is easy to understand the morphology of this area is diversity (Fig 4.13 a,b). We zoom into 3 different zones: (1) the streets planned by French of Ngo Thi Nham wards (Fig 4.14), (2) KTT Nguyen Cong Tru (Fig 4.15), and (3) the spontaneous residences of Dong Nhan wards (Fig 4.16).

The urban forms that resulted from privately initiated residential production were also generally assessed as chaotic as we can see in the zone (3). While in the zone (1) and (2) the population is also dense but the urban form is still maintained as the origin. In term of open space, the zone (1) and (3) obviously has been fulfilled by individual housings. The open space of zone (2) is still preserved, even though it has been narrowed greatly compared to the original status.

as the 108 hospital - one of the biggest hospital of city, authority buildings, religious buildings, culture - sport center...(Fig 4.16) which places attract many people, it is undeniable that the area is lacking public/ community space that can contain activities. There are only 3 places that have organized the big and annual events like Thong Nhat park, Hai Ba Trung temple and Tuoi Tre park (Fig 4.17). Besides that, the infrastructure, which developed since the 1920s until the present, have been maintained in a good condition (Fig 4.18). Due to the overpopulation at the outskirts of the city, some new roads have been built to connect with the city’s center. But there is also one of the reasons leads to the increasing pressure on the old infrastructure, since a number of people pouring into the center are significantly large.

The following diagrams are highlighting the functions of buildings/areas, green spaces, and situation of infrastructure, which can provide a clearer perspective about the current state of this area. Despite the fact that the surrounding consists many important facilities such

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Void

Solid

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1

2

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Fig. 4.13 :(a) Map of the solid of the local neighborhood.

[Credit: Author]

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150m

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Fig. 4.13 :(b) Map of the void of the local neighborhood.

[Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.14 : Map of the solid and void of the French street of Ngo Thi Nhan ward .

[Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.15 : Map of the solid and void of the KTT Nguyen Cong Tru. [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.16 : Map of the solid and void of the residents of Dong Nhan ward.

[Credit: Author]

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Building function

4

1. Dong Nhan temple - National cultural heritage.

Located in central Hanoi, this temple pays homage to the Trung sisters: Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, Vietnamese heroines who led a rebellion to drive out the Han invaders in AD 40. The Dong Nhan Temple was originally built on the Red River bank in the 12th century, but the bank collapsed in 1819 and the temple was moved to its current location. The festival of Dong Nhan Temple is held annually from the 3rd to the 6th day of the second lunar month.

2

2. 108 Hospital - Military hospital 108 Military Central Hospital is also known in many variations as Army Medical Institute 108. It was originally a military hospital for the French army in Indochina built in 1894. After 1954, it turned into a central military hospital for senior officials, but now is also opened for general public. It is considered as one of the most famous hospitals in Vietnam.

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5 1

3. Wine factory - Halico The former was the Hanoi Alcohol Factory, built by French Fontaine in 1898. This is the largest of the five factories built by French Fontaine in Indochina. Today, Halico has become a company's biggest alcohol producer in Vietnam

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2

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4. Cultural and sport center of Youth Hanoi The public building where organize many events, classes and activities for teenageers and youth.

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150m

5. Vincom center The new commercial building attracts many people, specially the inhabitants in surrounding area, with several services such as food court, supermarket, commercial hall, cinema, game center...

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5 Fig. 4.17 : Building function of the local neighborhood.

[Credit: Author]

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Hospital

Industrial building

School

Military building

Culture - sport center

Commercial center

Religious building

Local market

Authority building

Resident

From top to bottom Fig. 4.18 : Dong Nhan temple’s gate. [Credit: Steven Do - hanoisydney. blogspot.it] Fig. 4.19 : 108 hospital. [Source: vicare.vn] Fig. 4.20 : Wine factory - Halico. [Source: hanoimoi.com.vn]

Fig. 4.21 : Cultural and sport center of Youth Hanoi. [Credit: Dao Viet Dung] Fig. 4.22 : Vincom center. [Source: http://viettrahousing.com]

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Green areas

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Fig. 4.23 : Green areas of the local neighborhood.

[Credit: Author]

LEGEND: Public green space Private green space Water surface Street tree

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(1) Red river (2) Thong Nhat park (3) Pasteur garden (4) Hai Ba Trung lake (5) Dong Nhan temple (6) Tuoi Tre park (7) Thien Quang lake

150m

From top to bottom Fig. 4.24 : Red River. [Source: vietnamnet.vn] Fig. 4.25 : Thong Nhat Park. [Source: vivuhanoi.com] Fig. 4.26 : Pasteur garden. [Source: panoramio.com]

From top to bottom Fig. 4.27 : Hai Ba Trung lake infront of Dong Nhan temple. [Source: Author] Fig. 4.28 : Tuoi Tre Park. [Source: kienthuc.net] Fig. 4.29 : Thien Quang lake. [Source: vietnamnet.vn]

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Infrastructure

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Fig. 4.30: Infrastruture of the local neighborhood.

[Credit: Author]

150m

LEGEND: Dyke road

Street junctions

Fig. 4.31 : The interaction of Pho Hue street and Tran Khat Chan road [Source : diaoconline.vn]

Ring road Local road

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Planning road

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RESIDENCES

Ring road

street

street

KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU RESIDENCES RESIDENCES

street

RESIDENCES COMPANY

street

RESIDENCES

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street

KTT NGUYEN CONG TRU

TEMPLE LAKERESIDENCESGARDEN RESIDENCESDYKE ROAD

RESIDENCES

BUILDING

street

street

street

PARK RESIDENCES COMMERCIAL

RESIDENCES RESIDENCES

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From top to bottom: Fig. 4.32 : Urban section of the local neighborhood in radius 1000m Fig. 4.33 : Urban section of the local neighborhood in radius 500m [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.34: The connection of the local neighborhood

[Credit: Author]

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SITE SCALE : ktt nguyen cong tru .

As described earlier, massive changes happened to the KTT after Doi Moi were due to an increase in local business and the number of residents. The housing survey conducted in 2007 by the Hanoi Housing Development Company No7, suggested that the population of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru had almost doubled compared to its initial population. At present there are 1292 households consisting of 7000 people living in 14 apartment blocks.

This includes 346 families that make a living from home businesses on the ground-level apartments. Moreover, 320 families, consisting of 1350 persons, illegally have occupied the open spaces between the apartment blocks to build houses or open stalls selling different items.

As an important layer of Hanoi’s architectural history and urban development, the Soviet-style apartment blocks like KTT Nguyen Cong Tru contribute to Hanoi’s sense of place, which is not only characterized by the massive structures of the apartments, but also enhanced by the community life and everyday experiences inside and between them. These analyses below will present the actual physical conditions provided for residents of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru.

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Formula of the site

(1) The main entrance from Nguyen Cong Tru street.

(2) The commercial building currently transformed to the local market.

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(3) The kindergardens

(4) The French funeral chapel currently using as community building.

75m

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Function areas

Service building function at ground floor

Accouding to the original design, KTT Nguyen Cong Tru consisted: fourteen apartment buildings were arranged from north to south on three allotments divided by the main roads. Public buildings, such as a general store, a primary school and a kindergarten, were located on the eastern allotment. Most apartment blocks were built in the western and the central allotments. Other while, there is the French funeral chapel since 1890s still remained and was later used as a community building for the residents living in the KTT until the present.

In addition to the pre-planned functional areas, other spontaneous services in this area are abundant and diverse primarily catering to the daily needs of the people. In which the service is used the most is eating, looking vehicle - car repairs, laundry, grocery, water customers, markets ...

Nowadays, due to inhabitants's desire, some other facilities have been launched, that also leads to the change of existing facilities.

(5) The spontaneous residents.

Fig. 4.35, 4.36, 4.37, 4.38, 4.39: Images of current use of the site [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.40: Function area of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru [Credit: Author]

Fig. 4.41: Service building fuction at ground floor in KTT Nguyen Cong Tru [Credit: Author]

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b

Pho Hue Street

75m

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Section A-A

Section B-B

Section C-C

Original state

Original state

Original state

1-3M

5,5 M 7-13 M

1-3M

1-4,5M

Current state

1-4,5M

Current state

1-3M

5,5 M 7-13 M

1-4,5M

Top to bottom: Fig. 4.42: Inner street analysis [Credit: Author] Fig 4.43: Sections of inner street [Credit: Author]

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5,5 M 7-13 M

1-6,3M

4,5 M 6-16,5 M

5,5 M 7-13 M

1-4,5M

1-6,3M

4,5 M 6-16,5 M

street C Tran

75m

n stre ao Va

et

0

75m

Walking distance...

...and driving in the area

The illustration on the left above pinpoints how easily accessible destination are by foot within the study area.

The illustration shows that just 5 minutes of walking can bring you to the area facilities.

The another drawing describes how heavy pressure of traffic inside the KTT is. Execpt Pho Hue street - one of the main streets of leads to city's center, these surrounding streets do not have much pressure from traffic. In constract, the inner roads devided the KTT have to face with a great pressure. That can be explain by the amount of activities happened along street during day and night, while the dimension of the street is quite narrow compared to the surrounding streets.

1-6,2M

Current state

1-3M

Tru street

Le Gia Dinh

c

Nguyen Cong

eet Chua Vua str

A

c

b

Compared to the original situation, the current grid structure is quite different. While the former had a clear and legible geometry, the present grid is massively changed by the expansion of individual constructions.

However, the original division can still be read in certain places, for example at 3 sections on the 2 main inner road.

Section A-A, B-B cut throught the road between 2 residence allotments.

Section C-C cut throught the road devided residence allotments and service allotment.

Pho Hue Street

A

Mobilities

Yen Bai street

Understanding grid

Since the site was underpressure of number of vehicle (specially motorbike), emphasizing walking as a viable mode of transpostation with a strong impact on health is leading towards a more sustainable living condition.

1-6,2M

Fig. 4.44: Walking distance diagram [Credit: Author]

Fig. 4.45: Traffic pressure on inner street. [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN GUIDE LINES

Open space

0

75m

0

75m

0

75m

0

75m

Green space

Community space - Playground

Parking

Public space using for private business activities.

There was a spacious tree lined yard between pairs of buildings. After 50 years, many trees which were considered as oversize, too old, or possible to be broken have been cut down or replace by extra rooms for another functions. However, the green space of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru still meets the demand of the residents.

At the present state, it is difficult to clearly define the functioning area serving for community and playground for children. These particular space have been disappeared gradually which was replaced by other activities, for example motorbike keepers, street food / beverage shop...

The illustration above shows the situation of parking space for motorbike which is occupied a big part of courtyard space. It is necessary to confirm that most of the activities related to vehicle keeper in the area are illigel or spontaneous organized by the residents in order to support their family's economic.

The areas of trade focus mainly along two internal roads, near the local market. The traders here always take advantage of part of the sidewalk or expand a room to do business. These routes have gradually formed a market specializing in selling mechanical products - electricity serving not only the radius of the collective, but also the whole city.

Fig. 4.46: Green space analysis [Credit: Author]

Fig. 4.47: Community space - playground analysis [Credit: Author]

Fig. 4.48: Parking analysis [Credit: Author]

Fig. 4.49: Public space using for private business activities [Credit: Author]

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The space inside the kindergardens is seen as semi-public space, which is sometime opened public or used as a place to organize events for the residents.

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Socializing * "Bán anh em xa, mua láng giềng gần" _Thành ngữ Việt Nam_

* Better a neighbor near than a brother far off " _Vietnamese locution_

Family and social ties are extremely strong within the Vietnamese community, specially in the society of the collective living quarter. Normally extended families often live together in a single apartment for a long time, and the neighbors will know each other for generations. Their relationships help to build a strong network and based on belonging to a specific apartment block or its immediate neighborhood. Elderly women have a special status as they are the most knowledgeable about what is going on.

Somehow, they are one of the most active actors within the communities, since they have a lot of free time to spend together during the day. The younger generation seems to face the difficulties to find out the suitable entertainment facilities, but every block has its own attractions. Another actor whose appearance is remarkable is retail seller of Giời market (Chợ Giời). Spending 12 hours per day and 7 days per week here, they have contributed the most influent In response to the lack of functional social space, the residents resourcefully invent simple constructions for creating social space for meeting and small busisness activities.

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Multi-generations family As mentioned above, traditionally most of Vietnamese family with 3 generations or more often lives together.

They believe that taking care of their parents and children is the most important responsbility. In another hand, living together helps them to save a significant expenses.

"Better a neighbor near than a brother far off " What if your best friend lives next door or next stairwell, on same floor, who can join with you for a cup of tea, invite you for lunch or dinner, or share some good stuffs that they just brought back from a vacation, or always able to be reached out whenever you meet calamity? That would be more than perfect. Relationships with other people are very important for the well-being of an individual, whether you are with family or on your own state, younger or elder.

Sometime if your income status is unstable, you still can get food or essential stuffs by asking the local shop for a "debt" (ghi nợ) with the promise that you’ll pay back the money as soon as you have it.

Population groups/ Associations/ Clubs.

A Khu tap the is considered as an official population group be administrated by a community leader, who represents for the state committee. Besides that there are several groups and clubs that focus and organize different activities for particular subjects such as: women and children, retired, veteran...

Apartment renovation You definitely must inform your neighbors abour your housing renvation plan. Whether you want it or not, your apartment still is sharing a wall or floor with these apartments. So by informing them, you will avoid the unnecessary arguments. You can also ask their advices, some will recommend good, cheap construction workers who have done very well construction for their house.

Sharing service: internet, TV cab, electric...

It is quite expensive for low income families to connect to the internet individually. If you are single, or a teenager or having one in your family, and want a cheap internet access, you can find other young people in your apartment block to join your network. There might also be a network in operation to which you can connect. This applies with the situation of using TV cab and electric as well.

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Meeting up

Local service

Inside courtyard Since most of courtyard's space has been occupied for parking and business activities , the most popular space to gather with the neighbors with at the tea-pavements, or beer shop(for men), or street food vendor located inside courtyard.

Hairshop It could be the most dynamical hair"shop". Usually the "shop" will located on pavement, or in front of an entrance of building, or under a random tree in the courtyard.

Sometime, the "shop' can turn to a meeting space just for some close neighbor of the owner come to chatting.

On pavement Vietnam has been famous with its street vendor culture.

From the beverage/ food shop to local market, all can happen on the pavement. So unsurpised that people can just stop for a chat or sit on a plastic chair and gather with old friends.

Official community space Of course, there are the official community spaces for cultural and sporty activities which play important role in the daily life of residents. Usually they are indoor space and being managed by the population group.

Grocery The store normally is small and inside the apartment on ground floor. It could be combined with another facilities such as motorbike keeper, or sidewalk beverage shop.

Fig. 4.50, 4.51, 4.52: Meeting activities of residents [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.53: Typical street haircut shop [Credit: Author] Fig. 4.54: Typical grocery shop [Credit: Author]

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Motobike keeper To meet the demand of motobike parking and also to improve the income for family, the motobike keeper is a popular job, specially in the KTTs, where is lacking of space for parking, and security .

Sidewalk small foodshop Fig. 4.55: A motorbike keeper space in the hall of French champel [Credit: Author] Fig. 4.56: A “tra da” beverage shop in the courtyard [Credit: Author]

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"Xe om" If you do not have a transportation to move around. you are afraid of traffic jam, in a hurry, and looking for a cheap transport service, then "xe om" - private motobike taxi will be the exellent choice. You can find them anywhere, even asking your neighbors.

Local market Where you can find every essential stuffs from foods to the mechanic accessories just by one step out of the house.

It’s convenient, fast and fresh.

Fig. 4.57: “Xe om” - a typical motobike taxi [Credit: Author] Fig. 4.58: “Chợ Giời” market [Credit: Author]

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The "informal" change of urban form.

The "informal" change of building

The comparision between the original planning and current planning of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru is highlighting the massive change in urban form.

PRIVATIZATION OF SPACE

TRANSFORMATION OF FACADE

SYSTEMATIC CHANGE

ORGINAL COMMON SPACE

Most apartments are degraded due to the overpopulation ,the lack of maintenance during the several decades and specially the violent renovation of individual constructions.

Since Doi Moi, especially during the late 1990s, many families have extended and renovated their units to enlarge the living space because of the increases in their families, wealth and the general living standard in Hanoi. The renovations have led to significant changes not only in the interior layouts of the units, but also the overall appearance of the apartment blocks. The once monotonous buildings with dull facades now seem to be more lively looking structures, due to a large extent to the additions made to accommodate daily activities and business interactions. By adding extra rooms to the front and the back of their flats, the floor plans are much longer compared to the original ones.

NARROWED COMMON SPACE FAMILY 4

FAMILY 3 FAMILY 2

FAMILY 1 ORIGINAL BULDING

EXPANSION SPACE

ORIGINAL BULDING

By privatizing the common spaces between the two buildings, the floor area of the ground floor apartments has improved significantly, even twice as much as the original area. This privatization was initially illegal, but later, due to the uncontrolled situation, the government was forced to negotiate with the people and sell the area occupied by the people.

Fig. 4.59: Original organization of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru [Credit: Author] Fig. 4.60: Current state of KTT Nguyen Cong Tru [Credit: Author]

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EXPANSION SPACE

ORIGINAL FACADE

TRANSFORMED FACADE

The extended activities from the ground floor are studied by upper-level households to utilize the roof space above the ground floor in order to expand the space of their apartments. Thus, the façades of the whole house have been redesigned by the residents themselves.

EXPANSION SPACE

ORIGINAL BULDING

Such variability is not likely to occur without the agreement and coordination of households.

They can agree to jointly build the structure for additional spaces such as foundation, column frames ... and every family must pay for themselves and build their own space.

Fig 4.61: Section cut through B1 - B2 buildings courtyard showing the daily activities [Credit: Author]

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The "informal" change of unit General experience of living in KTT Nguyen Cong Tru

“In the past, people in this area mainly relied on the activities of this market.

Although the area is narrow with the great amount of inhabitants, people is still able to adjust with this life. However, I also thought it was about time to build a new one ....

If this market disappears, then do not know what life will be like, depending on the government ...

I hope this area will be built or renovated more beautiful and enlarged. We need more space for people and playground for children ... “ Mr. Pham Duc Nguyen Room 2, building H2, KTT Nguyen Cong Tru Retail seller

Mr. Pham Duc Nguyen and his family have been living in this apartment since 1994 until now. The accomodation of this 4 members family is located in the second floor of building H2. It was certain that the apartment had been renovated and enlarged a little before they moved in. Later dealing with the needs of economic supports, he bought the lower apartment on ground floor and turned it to a retail store about electric devides. In order to do that, he also had to work with the committee of the ward by paying for the extra building area. After that, he was able to build

the extented parts of the house on top of the existing one and used it as the kitchen and bedroom. So at present, the house had 2 main parts: living space on upper floor and busisness space on ground. To solve the problem of moving up and down, he decided to link the upper floor and the store by a small stair which leads directly to the kitchen.

From that until now, the house has been renovated and fixed few time more, mostly for the inner changes.

Fig. 4.61: Mr Pham Duc Nguyen in his shop at ground floor [Credit: Author]

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“ It is used to be very nice a livable resident area. However, 10 year recently, the buildings have had to face with the rapid degradation. In fact, there is no playground anymore. Most of space is occupied to park motobike. ...

If there is a new project to renovate this area, I would like to see the new building, more trees and more space for children.”

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Tien Room 40, building E, KTT Nguyen Cong Tru Officer Mr Nguyen Hoang Tien is currently living with his parents , his wife and his son in this house. It was used to be fine to live there with his parents and his brother. Since he got married and his brother went studying abroud, the family with 3 generations has tried hard to harmonize the 2 different life styles under the same roof. Living in the house since 2000, the 5 member family of Mr Nguyen Hoang Tien just renovated the house one time by the new paint for the wall. The former owner of the house had already changed the organization of interial space

by adding the toilet and bathroom into the house. The kitchen which used to be shared with other families, now was moved to the balcony, so the house can be prevented from the smell of cooking. He and his wife and his son use the sleeping space which seperated with living space by a waredrobe, while his parent took place of the other room.

Basically the most concerns of the situation is the privacy in the house.

Fig. 4.62: Mr Nguy en Hoang Tien in his apartment [Credit: Author]

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General plan of apartment of Mr Pham Duc Nguyen

EXPANSION SPACE

ORIGINAL BULDING

General plan of apartment of Mr Nguyen Hoang Tien

EXPANSION SPACE

EXPANSION SPACE

Kitchen

Section

ORIGINAL BULDING

EXPANSION SPACE

Bedroom

Electrical devices retail shop

Living room

WC

Bed room

Kitchen

Section WC

Electrical devices retail shop

Living room

WC

Bed room Kitchen

Ground floor plan Appartment plan

Living room

First floor plan

Kitchen

Bed room

Bed room

From top to bottom Fig. 4.63: Kitchen Fig. 4.64: Living room Fig. 4.65: Bedroom

[Credit: Author]

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From top to bottom Fig. 4.66: Composite space (altar, living room) Fig. 4.67: Composite space (bedroom, dining room) Fig. 4.68: Kitchen

[Credit: Author]

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The apperance of "chuồng cọp" - "tiger cage”'s structure The extended structures are locally known as " Chuồng cọp" or "tiger cage" because their steel frames look like cages for tigers.

In order to enlagre the living space, many residents extended their balcony to use as kitchens or bathrooms , and turned them into rooms for domestic use, such as bedrooms. Another case is the room did not have balcony they broke the wall at the window's position to build the extra room. It is possible to sum up the four methods of building the tiger cages.

1. “Cage primitive”

2. “Prosthesis” supported by steel brackets.

3. “Prosthesis” supported by metal ties

4. “Prosthesis” with a primitive extension

1. "Cage primitive" The most basic methods - to build a light structure attaching to the window or balcony.

2. “Prosthesis” supported by steel brackets.

3. “Prosthesis” supported by metal ties 4. “Prosthesis” with a primitive extension

5. Scheme of principle of the construction technique Fig. 4.69: The types of “chuồng cọp” - “tiger cage” structure [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 4.70, 4.71, 4.72: “Tiger cage” situations.

[Credit: Author]

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THE SURVEY METHOD AND EVALUATION

3. the survey methods and evaluation

Fig. 4.73, 4.74, 4.75, 4.76, 4.77, 4.78: Variety of typologies of extention.

[Credit: Author]

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THE SURVEY METHOD AND EVALUATION

the survay method

evaluation

Survey on site

Strength

Although the area remain the original textures and structures, the building themselves are not in a very good condition and some are even more poor condition.

- Very unique characteristics.

- Rich historic background.

- Strategic location - Assessibility - easy to use as the short-cut to reach to other main streets.

- Convenient aminities such as schools, hospitals, markets...

Surveying on site consist of three parts which are measuring the dimensions of elements of house and distance inside the streets, the second part is taking photos of the site, the other part is making interview with the local habitants.

Since the site has a very sensitive background due to the dispute with state-invested projects. The survey has been faced to many difficulties, especially from the non-cooperative attitutes of the habitants.

Through the survey, it is very common to build additional parts to the original construction by the local residents without authorized by the government or the real eastate council.

Weakness

Through the survey, it can be seen that the study area has a very strong identity. Although the area is not too large, but thanks to the location close to the center, it is easy access to the main streets through the site, it is not too crowded, the existing facilities still serve the needs of people, that can consider the site is still a good place to live. The highlight of the area is the rich pace of public spaces and illegal architecture such as ‘chuong cop’. Although often underestimated, or listed on bad elements that need to be removed, it can not be denied that these factors surpress the actual resident’s need.

- Degrading infrastructure - Very high population density - Conflict in using open/ public space - Complicated surround context - Difficulties of orientation and management.

However, the infrastructure deterioration is too quickly and severely put this cluster of buildings in danger of being destroyed. In addition, the explosion of population also leads to the consequences of land use density, the use of public space and in management.

Opportunities

These old habits, has its own pros and cons, but the good way is to enhance the pros and since it’s still a part of the local natures shaped by the daily living habit.

Therefore according to the survey, destroyed the constructions added in the past 30 years and make everything clean comes to the first consideration.

- Architectural morphology - Unregonization urban heritage - Strong connection with neighborhood and landmarks.

Survey on the relative documents

Thread

Because some of the treasure documents about the KTT Nguyen Cong Tru were detroyed during the war in the past, the original surveying and mapping of the house could not be found which would influence the process.

- The population density rapidly increasing while the insfrastructure keeps degrading.

- Awareness in using common space/ public space.

- Sentitive object when relating to the new policy and the benefit of habitants.

Therefore authors try to search the relative documents from the Soviet period materials, and the similar collective living quarters in other parts of Hanoi.

Learning from the references, author also take some of the dimension and construction from the similar housing under the Soviet microdistrict rule.

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CHAPTER V : rehabilitating KTT Nguyen Cong Tru

The KTT Nguyen Cong Tru is a complex area, with many factors influencing the implementation of the idea, so we analyze the project on key congestion requirements including density, identity, preservation, compound community and scalability in architecture:

Density: Analyzes the density of the area of the current state, with more than 9,000 inhabitants over 6 hectares planned.This dense population is not possible to ensure the quality of life of residential areas, while the original planning density was 4000 people, now more than doubled. For ensuring the balance in population is really a huge challenge.

As discussed above, the study from the existing and developing projects in Hanoi with high rise buildings with lacking landscape vision and enormous pressure on urban infrastructure should be considered seriously. The same situation happened in Hong Kong, about a third of Kong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population lives in large scale, high rise public housing, and about 12 percent live in assisted home ownership estates. Meanwhile, in London, apartment blocks of between five and eight storeys, including family apartments and duplexes, create successful homes and neighborhoods at surprisingly high densities, are costeffective and perpetuate the character and street life of London.

DESIGN PROPOSAL

is to be like the city within the building complex. Also, the idea is to use as less as possible of ground space in order to leave it free for people and cars. This can be done lifting the upper floors on columns. Architects strive to accommodate as many people as it is possible on as small area as possible since the number of people is increasing and unbuilt area is decreasing. One of the interesting examples of horizontal cities which can float on water (climate changes are visible, we need to think about it), Le Corbusier used cruiser ship. Most famous architects who were interested in horizontal skyscrapers, and did projects on that topic, are El Lissitzky (he developed the idea of horizontal skyscraper), Steven Holl, Yona Friedmanâ&#x20AC;Ś 2. The strategy propose developing other new residential area which locate in the area of old wine factory. This area will be a new complex area with new residential buidings, offices, and a cultural space transformed from the old structures of this factory. This project will help to reduce population for this quarter in the future.

After attempting to combine the alternatives, we determined the need to create density balances to ensure not only the density but good correlations with the surrounding area. Two major options are considered: 1. Instead of building high-rise blocks, we aim for a concept of horizontal high-rise, low-rise buildings connected horizontally, which used as a residential buildings for a large number of people and they tend to be sustainable even more in future. The idea of skyscrapers in general Fig. 5.1: Proportion of land use in current state.

Fig 5.2, 5.3 : Proportion of land use needed to meet the general living standard. [Credit: Author]

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Preservation: As we mentioned above, the KTT Nguyen Cong Tru as well as other Soviet-style collective living quarters in Hanoi can be recognized as the urban heritage beside Hanoi 36 oldquarters and French quarters.

The proposal for redeveloping has paid attention to preserving the architectural value of the Soviet era and ensuring the local lifestyle, cultural values of the residential area. The new urban planning selects 5 out of 14 old buildings for conservation and reuse, bringing a new living standards form inside as well as the space for contemporary exhibitions and cultural, art workshop.

Furthermore, the courtyards will be re-shaped as the original planning with familiar cultural space, streetfood, leisure activities. That not only preserves an old type of architecture, but also develop in the direction of tourism for the city.

DESIGN PROPOSAL

project, both help to connect space continuously, serve the advanced facilities for the local community and citizins as well. Furthermore, the expansion of the Pagodaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s space will ensure that the landscape of the historical space is not circumvented.

The funeral chapel will be restrored and the open-air space around is expanded to connect the interior space chapel with the public space outside, provide better spaceexperiment for local communications.

In addition, the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new urban concept will follow the footprints of the old courts, which not only preserve some of the developmental patterns of the area, but also remain a strong identiy for this place.

Especially, the area contains two significant historical space: the first is the area of HaiBa heritage pagoda located in the East side of the project area, the second is the French funeral chapel was built in the late 19th century, now was used as a community building for residents living in the KTT. The task of the project gives the connection with these monuments, preserves cultural and historical values, as well as increase the continuities and harmonize the neighbourhood. Options are given including: Creating an open space axis which link Hai Ba Lake, Ha Ba Pagoda to the project area. The project area adjacent to Hai Ba Pagoda will be created as an open public space, and a pedestrian path will be opened from Ha Ba lake to the Fig. 5.4: Diagram of conceptual design . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

MASTER PLAN

Fig. 5.5: Master plan . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

GENERAL PERSPECTIVE

Fig. 5.6: General perspective . [Credit: Author]

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Compound community: The aim of the project is a compound community which strengthen the integration and interaction of people from different social levels in Nguyen Cong Tru communityserve people and meet both their physical and mental needs, have greater emphasis on organic contact and mutual integration of the community and the city.

DESIGN PROPOSAL

designed with a variety of spaces such as green gardens, cafĂŠ shops, galleries, play ground for childrenâ&#x20AC;Ś The other purpose of creating this linear space is to prevent the crowd and vehicles in ground floor and to bring a new pleasure experiment for residents.

The main open space which aims to connect Ha Ba Pagoda, Kinder garten, and residential buildings, does not just for residential community but for HaNoi citizens. Interwoven is the courtyard between apartment blocks, which can consider a semi-open space, serving principally for local residents.

In other hand, a relationship between citizen and urban community corresponds to a relationship between public space and private space. In Hanoi in general and Nguyen Cong Tru quarter in particular, the houses were no longer fenced, mini- closed societies but became houses and shops opening directly toward the public spaces. The society takes on a significant identity and is truly traditionally representative, it is a built space that can generate a true urban space (what we use to define squares and streets).

So concept still aims to remain this specific identity- the mechanical stuff market in Nguyen Cong Tru quarter which connects directly to the largest open-flea market of Hanoi located in the South of project area. The ground floor of building blocks are mainly open to the main street to create a new trading linear street that can ensure also income for the local residents, increase connectivity to the surrounding area and attract the entire city.

Combining with the retail street in ground floor, the project continue develop an other pedestrian street in the first floor that connect all the main points of the project, from the complex building, across to two main squares, and end at the funeral chapel area. This high path is Fig. 5.7: Collage of the main road . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Urban section

Fig. 5.8: Urban section 01 . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Urban section

Fig. 5.8: Urban section 01 . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Urban section

Fig. 5.9: Urban section 01 . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Urban section

Fig. 5.9: Urban section 02 . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Urban section

Fig. 5.9: Urban section 02 . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Urban section

Fig. 5.9: Urban section 02 . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Flexibility, adaptation, scalability: As we mentioned in the survey, the monobuildings with dull facades in Nguyen Cong Tru quarter now seem to be more becoming a kind of mega-structure, due to a large expansion space made by owners themselves. This only to show that the problems from design approaches in the Soviet ear and the growing of population that leads to these informal building additions and interior innovations. However we recognize that these additional structure bring an unique characteristic and sence of place for the KTTs. So we have some questions to analyze:

3mx3m), balcony, sun shading… directly into the mother structure. The additional modular block can be ordered and configured by the user directly on the internet. It can be installed, extended, changed, and reconfigured in the space of one day. Following this concepts, the owners can increase the living areas in the future depending on their needs.

For interior concept, we develop the concept of opening and closing sliding elemenst which can offers a far greater number of combination options and sizes.

What should be the types of housing in our contemporary time and the future?

What does architects should think forward and imagine for the new way to adapt the concepts of modularity, scalability, flexibility, and mobility?

What does the residenst/ consumer’s need and expectations for their own living space that can fits their contemporary life conditions and the future change will occur in their life such as marriage, a new baby… ?

The concept of apartment buildings we propose based on many factors from the current situations, needs of residenst and the future developments of the area community.

Inspired by the concepts of Metabolism movement and the unique additional structure images of KTTs, we have considerd the new building as a hybrid scalable system composed of two elements: -The mother structure is the permanent infrastructure of the house which has a grid of 3mx3m dividing the plans into 4 main types of apartments: -The additional metal framework that allows to inserted prefabricate modular systems including additional room( Fig. 5.10: Flexible module and structure . [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL 6x9 + 12

CHAPTER V : rehabilitating KTT Nguyen Cong Tru

sqm

concept

apartment typology G A R D E N R O O F

6x9 + 6 + 9 MODULAR EXPANSION

4x9 + 6

sqm

sqm

TYPE 01

A P A R TM E N T S

TYPE 04

TYPE 02

SUN BLADE

TYPE 03

4x9 + 6 + 9

V E R T IC A L

8x9 + 6 + 9

sqm

MAIN STRUCTURE

6x9 + 6 + 9

G R E E N A R E A

8x9 + 18 + 9

sqm

LEVEL 01

6x9 + 12

s h o p

8x9 + 18 +

sqm

GROUND

Fig. 5.11: Diagram of a general building expansion . [Credit: Author]

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sqm

STEEL FRAME

C O N N E C T I O N

S E R V I C E

BALCONY

Fig. 5.12: Typologies of apartments. [Credit: Author]

6x9 + 6 + 9

sqm

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DESIGN PROPOSAL LEVEL 03

LEVEL 04

General floor plans

GROUND

1ST

LEVEL 05

LEVEL 07

LEVEL 01

Fig. 5.12: General floor plans. [Credit: Author]

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LEVEL 08

LEVEL 02

LEVEL 09

LEVEL 03

LEVEL 06

LEVEL 10

LEVEL 04

Fig. 5.13: General floor plan. [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

General floor plans

Fig. 5.14: General ground floor plan. [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 5.15: General first floor plan. [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

General floor plans

Fig. 5.16: Genera floor plans. [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

BUilding section

Fig. 5.16: Genera floor plans. [Credit: Author]

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Fig. 5.17: Collage of the main road. [Credit: Author]

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DESIGN PROPOSAL

Fig. 5.17: Collage of the street vendorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities. [Credit: Author]

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CHAPTER V : rehabilitating KTT Nguyen Cong Tru

conclusion The thesis focuses on reshaping and rehabiliting the old collective living quarter Nguyen Cong Tru which contains many factors regarding history, culture and society of Hanoi - the thousand-year-old capital. The authors tried to understand the main problems of living space of residents as well as the habit of their life-style, how does it affect to the shape of urban and architecture and constracting, how is it influenced? The research identified three important issues to address in the area related to the living space standard, the population density, the use and the connection of public space. Thereby, the result aims to solve problems and promote the historical and cultural values of the area are proposed.

The thesis begins with a research on the contents of the city, which gives a panoramic view of contemporary Hanoi, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transformation and especially the current situation of housing in Hanoi. The following sections is enphasized the unique characteristics of the collective living quarter in Hanoi generally - and KTT Nguyen Cong Tru , particularly.

It forms a response to the conflicts between private space - public space, living space - socializing space, orientation - spontaneous.

New neighborhoods inspired on a Western style are spreading around major cities in Vietnam in a high pace.

It can be found fifteen kilometres West of Hanoi. In general, they are the result of economic prosperity caused by a connection to the global market. These project are designed and built in a very efficient way; monotonous in function and repetitive in form. They are developed in a copy-paste way, diseregarding local context and human scale. This results in neighborhood without a spirit of place, and without any street life.

Then the author believe that these developments can be come successful new parts of the city if they are built on the local traditions, culture and context; if they share in the local identity. This does not mean that everything Fig. 5.17: Collage of the public space. [Credit: Author]

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has to remain the same; as long as changes are based in the local spirit, the local way of doing things, they can be accommodated. New developments should not break with the past, they should continue in the same spirit.

The result of this thesis is a neighborhood that is reconnected to its context. It becomes a place where locals can live comfortably and easy to adjust with the new living environment. It accommodates upscale housing as well as affordable apartments, offices and workshop for local craft men. A mix of commercial function and food/beverage areas borders the main street, the highline garden connects within the site to enlarge and provide more common space for community. The new neighborhood Nguyen Cong Tru will re-established an active street life in places, while, at the same time, facilitating quite pockets of public space for local residents. It will become a place to call home.

Acknowledgement This thesis is the result of the final year of the master track of Architecture and Preservation, within the Scuola di Architettura e Società at the Politecnico di Milano. It is written towards the title of Master of Science at this University.

For this experience, firstly I would like to thank my colleague - Tran Quang Duc - a great teammate and truthful senior, who have shared the same concerns and interests in the research of Soviet collective living quarter in Hanoi. We have been a great company to turn this mess into something beautiful.

I am very thankful to our supervisors: Prof. Marco Lucchini to respect our ideas and concerns, pushing us with his valuable comments, to maximum and for sharing his knowledge, during all steps of the thesis process.

And many thank to Prof. Barbara Bogoni, for helping us during the very first phase of the research, for her patience and understanding for the delay of our thesis.

With her encouragement, I had one of the most precious experience in my life, doing internship in Eisenman PC New York, that broadened my scope beyond the practices of researching and architecture.

Thanks to Vuong Thuy Duong, Ngo Minh Thang, Chu Ngoc Huyen, Pham Hong Viet, Le Thuy Hang, Le Ngoc , Sirppika, Yasmin Baagil, Veronica Rinogat ... for sharing their skills, their patience, innovative ways of thinking, and humour.

My sincere thanks also goes to my family, all of my friends and colleagues from Vietnam, Italy and New York to everything you have done for supporting me.

To all the reference reads I’ve suffled through just for the pure apprecation of seeing innovation thoughts.

Without these precious support, it is impossible to conduct this thesis.

Milan - Mantova 2017

“ History of place not nostalgia of moment. “ Cedric Price

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