Vietnamese-German University

Following an international design competition in 2013, we were part of the winning team for the master plan of the New Model Campus of Vietnamese-German University (VGU) in the Binh Duong Province of Vietnam. Working closely with Machado and Silvetti Associates, VGU is a unique collaboration between the World Bank, the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training and the German Hessen State Ministry of Science and Art.

The overarching objectives of the project are to develop an internationally accredited higher education program for research and advancement for Vietnamese students and to build a campus for the new university. The master plan for the sustainable 50Ha campus is conceived as an ‘academic town’ and includes residential units for 12,000 students, laboratories, classrooms, sports facilities, administrative spaces and food courts.

The landscape plays a key role in creating a flexible, contemporary campus layout, working in harmony with the architecture in creating the identity and the setting for living and learning. The master plan embraces the concept that a sustainable University campus should be a multi-layered and multi-functional landscape that becomes an active living class room, as well as a tool for restoring and improving the environment.