projects

Vietnam national University | Hanoi @Hoa Lac

This project is a plan for a major educational campus and associated commercial development on a roughly 1000 hectare site. The client was Vietnam National University, a large (50,000 student) existing institution located on various separate campuses throughout Hanoi that were slated to expand/relocate to a single new greenfield campus in the suburbs of Hoa Lac.

Project work involved the programming and design of a 1000 hectare site on a very short schedule (3 months), which required engagement with existing university administrators to understand existing and future needs, coordination with transportation and civil engineers on issues related to infrastructure, and making presentations to various government officials. A nearly round the clock job, requiring coordination with a production team based in San Francisco. Limited portions have been built but the project is still pending.

Role: Served as project manager and lead designer for this project while employed as a Senior Urban Planner and Real Estate Consultant at HOK. In addition to project work, this required temporary relocation to Hanoi, establishment of a new office (renting space, opening bank accounts, importing supplies, and general representational duties for the firm), and collaboration with various joint-venture partners.

Key Facts:

1000 hectares
2600 acres
9 campuses + associated housing, commercial, and research-related uses
50,000 students
100,000 population

Renderings by David Carrico, based on plans and 3D Models produced by Brian Jennett

This design has subsequently been adopted and evolved by others (Nanut Design) and the government has approved further detailed planning and initial phases of construction. More information can be found here and here. Having said that, all the major road and land use patterns remain from the original plan; the topography and water features on the site will continue to be preserved.

Although some roadwork and infrastructure projects were completed early on, there were significant delays until the last few years, when progress started anew. The World Bank has allocated funding of approximately $300 million for some of the initial infrastructure and building work, and there are a number of countries which have contributed funds for collaborations to accelerate development (eg. Vietnam-Japan University, Vietnam-France University). Several classroom and dormitory buildings have been constructed and detailed design of several early phases is now in progress, with the relocation of existing campuses from downtown Hanoi to this location anticipated by 2030.

The university area is part of a much larger planning area that includes a high-tech industrial park, a commercial CBD, and residential areas.

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