Bricks, the most commonly used material in Vietnam are extremely energy intensive and polluting! A viable alternative is of paramount importance and most programs are focusing on the distribution and local production of concrete blocks as a less environmentally damaging alternative. Bamboo, despite having much better environmental credentials simply wont float culturally.

This is a particular shame as one of the biggest challenges facing Vietnam now and into the future with climate change and rising sea levels is disaster resistance and storm survival. Bamboo and steel with their tensile strength are much better suited to this and cheaper to construct buildings that will withstand these challenges than bricks and concrete. None the less the psychological protection offered by heavier materials rules these parts and despite all my efforts to try to change the attitudes in my organisation I got nowhere.

All in all a valiant attempt by Vo Trong Nghia but the proof will be in the pudding, if they manage to put this into production I would be surprised and elated. In Vietnam it is easy to sprout new things in from the top down (due to the government structure and mass organisations) – it has been my thinking that instead a bottom up approach of a local, grassroots design brought from within the community to address it’s most pressing challenges would be much more effective and better embraced.