Ho Chi Minh Community Design
![Image shows several children playing on a playground structure made from bamboo](/project/communitydesign/featured_hu663cef2a3a81e3682a713e24ada14037_1249468_720x2500_fit_q75_h2_lanczos_3.webp)
Overview
The Ho Chi Minh Community Design project explored the Participatory Action Research (PAR) process in Phú Xuân, a suburban district in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
In this 2-year project, we co-designed a community space and built a design prototype (including the bamboo structure in the image above) in response to the social and environmental issues faced by the local community.
View more details of the project in our design report.
Role
The project’s multidisciplinary team involved three universities – Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), and Van Lang University (VLU) – to work with the Phú Xuân community. I was part of the research and design group from SUTD.
Over two separate trips to Vietnam and monthly design meetings at SUTD, I assisted in:
- Joining interview and survey teams to understand the community (May 2015)
- Conducting co-design workshops with the community and team (May 2015)
- Constructing and revamping the community space (Sep 2015)
Our team and project received the SUTD Humanitarian Award in 2016 which recognises outstanding humanitarian work and collaboration.
![Four researchers at the door of a resident's house speaking with the resident.](/project/communitydesign/hcm2_hueca818c45e6c4d98b641d814be2a6739_4381617_4964150fe68a0b0adc3f668a3490fb9f.webp)
![Residents, students and researchers gathered together. A few seated at a table. A resident holding images of the original space. A student drawing out a map and noting down comments.](/project/communitydesign/hcm3_hu62b0bac8edfc90e66831bead1e50b8b5_4794328_45357575459695c0a3fc5c5a1f9df8ba.webp)
![Small desktop-sized model about a 1 is to 100 scale. This model featured an arched gateway and sheltered pathway that leads to a garden-like space.](/project/communitydesign/hcm4_hu5930a56ad861e47faa86714a11d50b34_3432686_c5613bd0ea6553c67924f5234fee08f0.webp)
![1 is to 100 scale model. Features an arched gateway, a pavilion, a playground structure and pond area.](/project/communitydesign/hcm5_hu5930a56ad861e47faa86714a11d50b34_3469920_b7c1e750fea2f5a5b3b774f15859aa08.webp)
![1 is to 100 scale model. Also has sheltered pathway at the entrance. Features modular, stackable wooden boxes for customised seating layouts.](/project/communitydesign/hcm6_hu5930a56ad861e47faa86714a11d50b34_3074807_a44aa92fd38a292b1edfe5b2e615cfad.webp)
![Group a students gathered around the bamboo structure. A student climbing on top of it to test if it could hold his weight.](/project/communitydesign/hcm7_hu417b6b61e2d8689931f961eb84d95a04_3938191_10b66e9eaa71732a1fa722d5661fcbd2.webp)
![Group of residents, children, students and researchers posing for a picture with the bamboo structure. About 40 plus people in the photo.](/project/communitydesign/hcm8_hu72087cfaa132045c26234ba803c02c34_5132459_739e67b0c61a92e212eb657a3193bd67.webp)