Vietnam national University   | Hanoi @Hoa Lac

Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNUH) at Hoa Lac has a rich development history linked to the broader evolution of VNU itself. The university traces its origins back to the University of Indochina, established in 1906, which later became Vietnam National University in 1945. The institution experienced several reorganizations and expansions over time, culminating in the establishment of VNUH as a comprehensive higher education and research center after consolidating several major universities in 1993.

The Hoa Lac campus project (this plan) was officially approved by the Government in 2003 as a strategic move to relocate and consolidate university activities outside Hanoi's congested and increasingly expensive downtown. The intention was to create a modern university town to accommodate around 60,000 students and staff, as well as associated and complementary support activities. The campus, located about 30 km west of central Hanoi in Thach That district, serves as a multi-functional university urban area, with advanced infrastructures including research and teaching facilities.

Key development milestones include:

• 2003: Master Plan and groundbreaking ceremony initiated the project formally.

• 2004-2006: Establishment of specialized units like the University of Technology and various research centers.

• 2006-2022: Land clearance, grading, road building, civil infrastructure, etc. and seeking of financing, partnerships.

• 2022: The first instructional/administrative building opened, and the first academic year on the Hoa Lac campus officially started, with lecture halls hosting nearly 6,000 students from various schools, and three dormitory buildings with about 700 rooms, 8 students/room of student housing

• By the end of 2025, the first phase of infrastructure and buildings is expected to accommodate around 15,000 students.

Several new buildings are planned or under construction:

• A major new facility spanning over 27 hectares is planned for the University of Economics. 

• The Central Library Building and associated infrastructure works; this is intended to be a hub for research, collaboration, and technology transfer

• Several new dormitory complexes are being developed to house students.

The campus is designed as a hub for education, research, technological innovation, and university-industry cooperation. It will feature modern buildings, laboratories with cutting-edge equipment, a digital knowledge center, and diverse recreation options. It is also connected to the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, Vietnam’s first national science park, which integrates research and industry to foster the innovation and knowledge economy.

The objectives of the master plan were as follows:

• Provide space standards, quality levels, infrastructure, and equipment that reflect international best practices: Allocate land and facilities based on verified university requirements and international standards; test and refine land allocations after detailed evaluation of operations and curricula.

• Create a functional and efficient layout supporting the educational mission: Develop an organizational structure that maximizes internal efficiencies with functional adjacencies and consolidated resources; plan flexible configurations to accommodate future changes; reduce travel distances by consolidating colleges around a central core; rationalize infrastructure and limit vehicular dependency.

• Develop a beautiful campus with a strong image and identity: Organize the university around natural features like lakes, hills, and creeks; minimize grading and preserve site features; emphasize views and landmark buildings; blend local cultural architectural forms with modern methods; create symbolic and prominent public spaces; clearly mark campus boundaries and entry points.

• Create a community that supports intellectual and social exchange: Establish a “Social Heart” with shared facilities like administration, libraries, dining, retail, and recreation; cluster social functions and support large gatherings; reinforce this space with landmarks and art.

• Respond to local considerations: Build positive relationships with the surrounding community; minimize traffic and environmental impacts; provide community-shared resources and employment; properly manage re-settlement of affected residents.

• Plan for implementation within university resources: Phase development to ensure early critical mass and completed appearance; incrementally build infrastructure; keep large areas undisturbed until needed to reduce upfront costs.

• Incorporate current trends in technology and financing: Provide facilities for high-tech curriculum; install advanced internet and digital infrastructure; enable off-site resource access; explore private sector partnerships and diverse funding sources including international grants and loans.

• Exercise environmental sustainability: Conserve open space and natural processes; use site features for teaching and research; design energy-efficient buildings oriented for climate considerations; implement water conservation, recycling, and sustainable maintenance; use native landscaping; monitor energy performance to foster continuous environmental improvement.

Master Plan Process:

• Extensive due diligence was conducted including reviews of prior studies and reports, interviews, workshops, and dialogue with university stakeholders, government bodies, and external experts.

• Verification and refinement of programmatic requirements was undertaken, identifying discrepancies and the need for more detailed curriculum-based space analysis. Detailed benchmarking against international standards guided space allocations for academic, residential, research, sports, food service, and administrative facilities.

• Two alternative schemes were developed incorporating best practices in academic planning, land use, sustainability, technology incorporation, and community integration.

• The alternative which emphasized a central lake as the campus heart was chosen for further development.

• Planning incorporated pedestrian orientation, efficient circulation, consolidated resources, flexible phasing, environmental sustainability, and the promotion of a unified university identity.

The design features of the plan include:

• Organization of the campus around a central lake and natural features such as hills and water bodies, with landscaped malls along axes leading to the lake serving as the campus heart.

• A grid-based layout with three main clusters of colleges divided broadly into Northern cluster (Humanities, Social Sciences, Foreign Languages, Business, Law) and Southern cluster (Natural Sciences, Technology, Education) connected by formal promenades and informal greenways.

• A consolidated social core area housing key functions: administration, library, student services, cultural facilities, retail, hotel, and conference center.

• Diverse open spaces including plazas, courtyards, parks, natural preserves, and recreational fields distributed throughout the campus to promote social interaction, community gathering, and preserve natural features.

• Pedestrian and bike focused circulation with dedicated pathways, extensive shade trees, and a multi-tiered network of roads that prioritizes low vehicle speeds, discourages through traffic, and limits vehicular access. 

• A subtle integration of existing site features, preserving significant hills as open space, and respecting drainage routes through the site with stormwater management features and naturalized watercourses.

• Academic clusters in each college designed for adjacency and accessibility, with residential accommodations dispersed throughout to minimize travel distances.

• A phased implementation strategy with initial urbanized core and phased expansions tied to enrollment growth.

• Emphasis on environmental sustainability through building orientation, energy and water resource management, use of native landscaping, and support for recycling.

• Enforcement of unified campus image using architectural themes that balance modern functionality with Vietnamese cultural motifs, including an emphasis on connectivity between indoor and outdoor spaces.

• Provision for research clusters, including separate research parks positioned at the campus periphery associated with member universities, aimed at industry collaboration.

These features seek to balance international best practices, local cultural context, sustainable design, and operational efficiency to create a cohesive, distinctive, and future-ready campus for Vietnam's flagship university.